“Isa kami sa mga bayan sa Ilocos Sur na matindi ang naranasang epekto dulot ng magnitude 7.0 na lindol noong ika-27 ng Hulyo 2022, may mga barangay na lubhang napinsala at mga residenteng lumikas mula sa kanilang mga bahay (We are one of the towns in Ilocos Sur that experienced severe effects of the magnitude 7.0 [M7] earthquake on 27 July 2022, some barangays were severely damaged and residents evacuated from their houses),” Mayor Joey Warren A. Bragado, DVM, of San Emilio, Ilocos Sur said.
Because of the earthquake’s effects, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) deemed some barangays unsafe and advised residents to relocate to a safer area. The Local Government Unit (LGU) of San Emilio acknowledged the PHIVOLCS assessment, but it is unable to fully respond due to lack of resources.
Upon the request of the LGU, DSWD Field Office 1 (DSWD FO 1) provided Food and Non-Food Items, which included family tents for the victims’ temporary shelter. The LGU and residents worked together to build tents that were later called Tent City. 
“Matapos naming mailikas ang mga residente sa Tent City, ayaw naman naming matigil ang pag-aaral ng mga bata dahil sa sitwasyong dulot ng lindol, kaya naisip naming magpatayo ng pansamantalang paaralan sa loob ng evacuation center. Hindi man masyadong kumportable, at least kahit papaano ay mailihis ang atensyon ng mga bata mula sa epekto ng lindol (After we evacuated the residents to the Tent City, we don’t want the children to stop from studying because of the situation brought about by the earthquake, so we thought of building a temporary learning center in the community. Even if it’s uncomfortable, the children’s attention is diverted from the impact of the earthquake),” Mayor Bragado narrated.
The temporary learning center has been a great help to the children to cope with the M7’s effects. It provided not only learning and education for the children but also hope and positivity to face the situation they are in.
“Maraming salamat sa DSWD FO 1 para sa mga ayuda (Food and Non-Food Items), lalong lalo na sa mga family tents na nagamit para sa pagpapatayo ng aming Tent City. Ito ay malaking tulong para sa amin lalo na sa mga bata upang harapin ang naranasan naming sakuna (Thank you DSWD FO 1 for the relief goods and Non-Food Items, especially the tents that were used in building our Tent City. It is a big help especially for the children to deal with the disaster we experienced),” he ended.
Facing the effects of any disaster is not easy. However, with the cooperation of everyone, from the people to the national agencies, it is possible to overcome any disaster we may experience. By: Henry J. Juyno, Information Officer II, Disaster Response Management Division-Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Section
