by Gerard Santos
September 9, 2013. A date all Zamboangeños
will forever remember.
It was a time
where the entire city stood still. Schools, offices, market places,
restaurants, and even hospitals are forced to shut down. Terrified families all
around the city watch the news at home and chills run through their spine with
every “bang”...
Everyone was stunned.
Each day would pass by and still there was no clear line as to know when these will all end. The people have no choice but to stay indoors, leaving Zamboanga city abandoned like a ghost town.
Everything was like a nightmare that you would wish to end soon…
 |
| Thousands of evacuees from the affected areas crowd the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex in just a matter of days. |
Everyone was stunned.
Each day would pass by and still there was no clear line as to know when these will all end. The people have no choice but to stay indoors, leaving Zamboanga city abandoned like a ghost town.
Everything was like a nightmare that you would wish to end soon…
But it all was just the beginning.
My heart crushed when I saw the multitude of evacuees trying to find food and shelter for their families in the crowded sports complex. Most of them were already acquiring diseases as a consequence of poor sanitary condition and the lack of health care facilities. And even though I was not one of those directly affected by the crisis, the emotional stress still took its toll.
Up to this date, Zamboanga City has not yet been fully recovered from the crisis. It has now become a test of time.
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