Aklan, Pagkaraan ng Hagupit ni Frank

Ang "hagupit" ay isang understatement.

Lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami, madugo at malupit ang sinapit ng Aklan noong nakaraang bagyong Frank. Ang Aklan ang tinubuang bayan ng aking pamilya, at kahit dito na ako pinanganak sa Lungsod ay purong dugong Akeanon ako.

Di masyadong nabigyang pansin ang sakuna sa media, lalo na sa Metro Manila. Mas nabigyan ng pansin ang nangyari sa Iloilo (na alam naman nating mas prominente keysa Aklan sa isla ng Panay).

Di rin nakatulong na sinabi ni DOT secretary Ace Durano na hindi kalakihan ang sinapit na pinsala ng Kalibo at Aklan. Kahit ako ay napamura noong nabasa ko 'yon sa diyaryo.

Kaya -- salamat sa Diyos -- ay may maayos nang lumabas na salaysay tungkol sa mga totoong nangyari.

Nitong dalawang huling araw ay nalathala sa The Philippine Star ang isang artikulo (na may dalawang bahgi) na pinamagatang Aklan in the wake of Frank’s humbling devastation at isinulat ni Glenn Inosanto Jereza.

Heto ang ilang sipi mula sa mga artikulo (1st part, 2nd part):

At around three o’clock in the afternoon, rampaging waters breached the height of Kalibo Bridge, and in less than half an hour, the towns along Aklan River were awash in muddy waters reaching 15 to 20 feet in some areas.

“Vehicles, appliances and other household items were strewn everywhere, like so much garbage,” recalls Edgar Cobrador, a teacher at Aklan National High School for Arts and Trades (ANHSAT) in Andagao, Kalibo. “Our friends who lived by the river saw entire houses carried by rampaging waters toward Sibuyan Sea.”

Tulad rin ng mga balitang nasagap ko mula sa mga kamag-anak. Isang palapag ang taas ng baha at putik. Nasalanta rin ang bukirin namin; patay ang mga baboy.

Because of the blackout, nothing was heard from Aklan for the next couple of days. In fact, people did not actually know what happened until after the Aklanon flood victims were able to charge their mobile phones through power generators and send out text messages.

At kaya kinabahan kaming mga Akeanong narito sa Maynila para sa kaligtasan ng aming mga kamag-anak, bahay, lupain, at ano pa. Naaalala ko tuloy ang aking pinsang si Jenjen, na todo text sa akin sa pag-aalala para sa Kalibo.

While grocery stores were making a killing, funeral parlors were turning away people who were already bringing their own dead for embalming. BYOB (bring your own bangkay [cadaver]) it had to be, because funeral cars and service vehicles were rendered out of service by the flood and the muck.

The DOT Secretary was supposed to have said Boracay and Kalibo only sustained minor damage. Aklanon bloggers based overseas were incensed. Those who were in Aklan did not even know of the slight.

Gusto kong maging mabait at isipin na lang na sinabi 'to ni Durano para hindi takutin ang mga turista. Alam naman natin kung gaano kahalaga ang Boracay (at Aklan) sa turismo ng Pinas e. Pero nakakainit pa rin ng ulo.

No aid was in sight. Most of those who were in shock have never felt abandoned by their own government. Aklan’s misery did not get media attention until much, much later.

Emphasis mine. Oo, mahalaga ang Aklan sa Pilipinas. Pero tingnan niyo kung paano alagaan ng pamahalaan sa Maynila ang aming lalawigan. Mga hinayupak.

A huge contingent from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority arrived to help clean up and rehabilitate Aklan. And lo and behold, a day prior to the President’s arrival, NFA vehicles with rice for sale signs suddenly became very visible, with someone’s mighty magic wand orchestrating the show. But for whose benefit, really?

Aklan, except for Boracay Island, is still on its knees. Prominent politicians from the national scene have had their pictures taken and are gone. But landlines, cable television, even banking and finance have yet to be fully restored.

Ayaw ko nang mag-komento at baka magmura lang ako.

Korning di-korning linya: Darating rin ang araw na may Akeanong magbabaling ng atensyon ng buong bansa sa munti naming lalawigan. A, hingi lang magbabaling. Hahawak, at di bibitaw.

Habang wala pa ang araw na 'yon, tingnan niyo na lang muna ang mga retrato at video ng pananalasa ng bagyo sa Akeanon Ag Proud! Hala Bira Aklan! Bangon Aklan! at Help Kalibo.