Typhoon Ketsana: Young survivor asks “Grandpa, where is God?”

Over a week after Tyohoon Ketsana brought massive flooding in Metro Manila, 10-year-old Joshua asked his grandfather, “Lolo, nasaan po si Bro (Grandpa, where is Bro)?”

'Bro' is how a young boy, a lead character in local popular television program, calls God.

Joshua has lost all that they have, including his younger brother Justine and Lola (grandmother) Elpidia, to the flood.

Joshua and Justine live with their grandparents in a small house along the river in Tumana, Marikina.  At the time Typhoon Ketsana hurled heavy rains; the river in Tumana was among the many that overflowed.  Thousands of homes were flushed into the river, and Joshua’s home was not spared.

Joshua and Lolo Quirino survived the flood because they were not at home when the river started to overflow.  “I was at my uncle’s house and Lolo (grandfather) was at work,” Joshua shares. Lolo Quirino works as a jeepney driver.  “I could not go back to our house because the rain was so strong. Suddenly, I saw the water rising and many of our neighbor’s belongings were floating. I was so scared,” the young boy adds.

“The water current was so strong. I held on to a rope given by my uncle.  We were nearly swept away,” Joshua recounts.

As Joshua and his uncle reached a safer place, Joshua remembered his young brother and 74-year-old grandmother.  At a distance he saw people and children crying for help and clinging on for their lives.  Many houses were submerged. “Justine doesn’t know how to swim,” Joshua says.

The night passed and there were no sights of Justine and Lola Elpidia. The next day, Joshua and Lolo Quirino found the bodies of Justine and Lola Elpidia inside their house.

“I cried so hard.  I pity them so much,” cries Joshua.

Joshua and his grandfather joined the hundreds of families in H. Bautista Elementary School. The school served as a temporary shelter to more than 700 families.

In H. Bautista Elementary School, Joshua attended the Child Friendly Space that World Vision put up. There he was able to express the pain he encountered through his drawings.  Together with the other children in the evacuation site, they sang songs, played with toys, blew bubbles, read stories.

Joshua also felt at ease when World Vision staff shared the story about Noah. He enjoyed learning new songs and dances. The grief of losing a brother and a grandmother was replaced by hope after he talked with other children affected by the flood. “We were having fun,” he says.

In one activity, the children were asked to write or draw their hopes and prayers. Joshua wrote that he wants to become a doctor.  He also wrote a letter to Bro that says, “I hope the flood will never happen again.”  After each child finished with his/her prayers, they folded the paper and made them to paper airplanes that they all threw to fly in mid air.

During the CFS group sharing, Joshua shares his answer to his question:  “Bro is in the things that he created so we should take care of His creations.”

“I miss Justine and Lola terribly but I know they are in heaven right now with Bro,” he ends.

World Vision relief efforts reached 10,000 families in Marikina, Cainta, Pasig and areas in Rizal province. World Vision continues to provide relief packs to 10,000 families more. Each relief packs contain food items designed to feed a family of five for about two weeks.  Non-food items such as blankets, mats, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, cooking utensils and water were likewise provided to the families.

People who want to make a donation, may do so through World Vision New Zealand’s Asia-Pacific Emergency Relief Fund by going to https://www.worldvision.org.nz/Donations