KEDRN conquers mud, rubbish

“Any calamity nga mahitabo, it will not just be a crisis but as well as an opportunity. This could be the best opportunity for us nga ipakita sa Cagayan de Oro nga we do care sa Cagayan de Oro,” stressed Bishop Genesis “Bong” Udang, director of Kagay-an Evangelical Disaster Response Network (KEDRN), as he addressed volunteers of the clean-up drive.

Almost 600 volunteers from the evangelical community gathered Friday morning in the kiosk and were armed with brushes, broom sticks, wheel burrow, rakes and shovel and spread themselves in the streets from Burgos-Montalban to Abellanosa to clean the area – houses and halls included.

Czarinavern Nokom, 15, a volunteer from the LAMP Foundation and a member of Jesus for All Bugo said that she was invited and “Tsada sad siya kay makatabang bitaw. Grabe ilang pasalamat then kanang na overwhelm sila kay bisag dili mi kaila, nag tabang mi sa ila then daghan pud mi natabang.”

Mrs Eva C Corro, 66, a resident of barangay 13 was hesitant at first to accommodate volunteers to help her clean her house but “sa diha nga nakit-an nako nga eager kaayo sila, nalipay kay ko. Ana ko nga ‘sige, you may start folding your sleeves’.”

“Naminos-minosan gyud kaayo ang among buluhaton ug labaw sa tanan kay naa pa ang Iyang panalangin. Ug kini ilang gipahinumdom kanato nga matag karon ug unya, nagkinahanglan gyud kita ug panalangin sa Ginoo ug di gyud ta malimot sa pagsangpit kaniya all the time, all the way,” says Corro.

Volunteers conquered thick mud and heaps of garbage that have been the concern of residents, other than water, in the said vicinity after TS Sendong hit the city last December 16.

Barangay 15 Captain Lucilo P Legaspi said that 90 percent of the rubbish in the streets was disposed already. But there remains much to be cleaned inside houses.

“Pagkakarun, kung sa dalan lang nga basura, naa nami sa 90 percent. Nakuha naman gud sa barangay. Daghan man pud ang naghakot. Sa dalan maingun ko 90 percent pero sa mga balay-balay, naa pa siguro mi sa 50 percent nga panghinloon,” says Legaspi.

Bishop Udang, in his message addressed to the volunteers who were waiting for their lunch meal in Jesus is Christ Lord Church, said that the need caused by the typhoon presented an opportunity for the evangelical community in the city.

“Sa Chinese character kung magsulat daw ka ug word nga crisis, ininsik, mabantayan nimo nga mao ra pud nga character ang pagbasa nimo nga ang ipasabot is opportunity,” he shared and mentioned that it is an insight he learned in a training with the Peace and Reconciliation Commission.

“Crisis sa Cagayan de Oro pero opportunity sa Kingdom of God or sa evangelical community to show to Cagayan de Oro that ‘Here we are, nia mi mga evangelical and we care for you. We are willing to serve you. We are willing nga among himuon among kamot nga dirty nga para maalagaran mo’,” he continued.

The support of the pastors of the evangelical community in the city was overwhelming that the number of volunteers went beyond the 400 mark anticipated during the planning stage of the activity. The organizers are hoping that there will be another round of such activity after New Year.

Cagayan de Oro Evangelical Ministers’ Association (COEMA) and Metro Cagayan Ministers’ Fellowship (MCMF) are just two groups that have tied up with KEDRN. Other groups linked to the latter are International Disaster Response Network (IDRN), Operation Blessing, and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.

The Department of Social Welfare Department (DSWD), tasked by the national government to spearhead relief operations, recognizes the efforts of KEDRN.