TACLOBAN CITY — More than two weeks after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that jolted Bogo City, Cebu, residents in parts of Leyte’s third district, particularly in the town of Villaba, continue to experience aftershocks and live in fear of possible landslides and rockslides.
While the tremors have weakened, the psychological and physical toll remains. In Barangay Abijao, seven families have been barred from returning to their homes located at the foot of a mountain identified by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-8) as highly susceptible to erosion if ground movements persist.
Unlike evacuees from Barangay Tagbubunga, who are temporarily sheltered in the Tagbubunga Elementary School and covered court, displaced residents in Abijao have built makeshift shelters on private land, uncertain how long they will be allowed to stay.
One of the evacuees, Marilyn Hiolin, said her family constructed a small temporary shelter made from borrowed galvanized iron sheets, tarpaulin, and woven amakan walls. Three families currently share the cramped space since evacuating on September 30.
“Bisan kuan lang, mga gamit sa balay, atup kay kani pinahuwam ra pud sa aku,” Hiolin said, explaining that their roof materials were only lent by a relative. She added that they plan to build a new house farther from the danger zone once they can afford it, fearing for the safety of their children.
Another resident, Marianita Oliva, recalled the terrifying moment a huge boulder rolled down the mountain and smashed into her kitchen during the quake, narrowly missing her 15-year-old son. Traumatized, her family has chosen not to return to their old home and is now rebuilding a temporary dwelling on nearby land.
“Nanawagan ko sa katawhan nga matabangan me sa balay nga amun gi barug run. Temporary ra ni, bisag gamay ra nga sin, basta naa ra me higdaan ug gabi’i,” Oliva appealed, hoping for assistance to finish their shelter.
Villaba Mayor Carlos Veloso earlier said the local government is preparing a relocation plan for nearly 200 families in Barangay Tagbubunga, with the inclusion of affected residents from Abijao. However, evacuees said they have not yet been informed of any timeline or specific relocation site.
For now, fear and uncertainty continue to haunt families in Villaba — their lives disrupted, their homes lost, and their future still hanging in the balance as aftershocks keep reminding them of the quake that changed everything.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
