Baguio Pics During our Debriefing Trip

Here are some of the pictures we took along the way during our 1st Debriefing Trip in Baguio last Oct. 29-31, 2009. Pray for the victims and think of what we can do together not simply for them but for our lives as well. God bless




This was the house in Brgy. Irisan (along Naguilian Road) that was washed out by the rampaging mud from the mountain above it. The mud carried bodies of people who were either asleep or trying to fight the surge downwards to the river.



Inside this room were found a mother holding a candle, and a daughter holding in her hand a lighter. They were supposed to light the candle but were slower by a second before the mud took over them and washed them off to the river below their house.






These two pictures show the same house with the mountain above it with its mud flowing down to the street down to the house.



Across the house was a hilly portion where camote was planted, leaving the land bare as in treeless. With so heavy a rainfall, so much volume of water raised the river, eating the base of this mountain. More rain falling on the top, with base eroded, led to the faster erosion of land. Poor creatures indeed.

These we saw on Day 2 of our trip. We were actually scheduled to do debriefing of service providers like the social workers and firemen, but the DSWD was more excited with material goods ("for inventory") than psychological debriefing, hence we changed plans only to be led to this portion of Baguio, thanks to one of our very able and dedicated Registered Guidance Counselor IPCAP Member Reynalyn Padsoyan. We referred to her those whom we saw as needing more in-depth counseling after the debriefing.

Then they requested for prayers. Being the only Catholic priest in the group, I opened my arms and raised a loud prayer to the heavens, asking for forgiveness for our neglect and abuse of the environment. But also very sad at what happened to those who have perished in the dark of the night when the rains fell and eroded the land and houses down tp the river. I begged that the four members of the community who were missing can be found: their bodies if they are dead, and if still alive, may they find generous persons to heal them back to life. One of them had only a girl's leg found, and its identity was determined by the mother who saw her leg.

That night, while having our supper, RGC Reynalyn got a text message saying that the body of Mario Tacloy, the incoming security guard of Irisan National High School was found downstream. We had goosebumps as we ate, realizing that it had been 23 days ago when the event happened. It was only when we were on our way back to Manila last Oct. 31 that RGC Reynalyn further told us that the coffin had to be sealed because only half of the body was found. I couldn't break the news to the rest of the group because we were then having supper in Tarlac. I could only tell them this gruesome truth after the food had settled in our bellies.

This particular portion of the Debriefing Trip made us in IPCAP (at least those of us who were there) think of treeplanting as an advocacy. In case you may know of anybody who has mahogany seedlings, as well as any tree that can grow in highlands and good for holding the land from erosion, let us coordinate our efforts and channel the seedlings to RGC Reynalyn in Irisan, Baguio. The barangay chairman was very sincere about this advocacy and would have wanted it faster before the next heavy rains come. Let us not be afraid to do what is right if only to save Baguio for the next generations.

God bless.