THE LONG ROAD TO SAN MIGUEL By Ed Lingao Nov. 1 1998

THE LONG ROAD TO SAN MIGUEL
By Ed Lingao
Nov. 1 1998

The Huey left in a storm of dust, and the village was again just one more place at the end of the world.

In the wake of typhoon Loleng, Barangay Kilikilihan was cut off from the rest of Catanduanes. The only way in to this village which sustained the most number of casualties from the storm was by helicopter. Dozens of landslides blocked the road to the poblacion, and not even motorcycles could make it over places where the road had altogether disappeared. The other alternative was to walk the 15-odd kilometers to the poblacion.

“Nagpaiwan ka?” an incredulous resident asked as the Huey disappeared down a bend in the swollen river. There always seemed to be something wrong with dropping into a disaster area for a few minutes, and then leaving to pretend that one already knew all about their sufferings and fears, their joys and their hopes. Besides, I thought, there could be another flight out later in the day. Or if things didn’t pan out, I could leg it out.

The village had all but disappeared from the map. Shattered posts marked the remains of houses. Roofs had disappeared. Mud was everywhere, baking slowly under the sun. A few hogs that survived were rooting in the mud. Their owner was lucky; he would have something to eat in the months to come.

The tragedy of Kilikilihan is not the tragedy of the landslides alone. While the village suffered the most casualties because of the landslides, it will suffer more in the next few months, as villagers try to find something to eat.