Give thanks, give help

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Not two months ago, Negros Oriental was among the areas hardest hit by Typhoon Sendong.  They were still recovering from the destruction wrought by Sendong when earlier this week, Negros Oriental was the epicenter of a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that has killed at least 48, with at least 71 more feared dead after being buried by landslides; and also left a path of destruction that included buildings, roads, and bridges.

In the case of both the strong typhoon and the powerful earthquake, Negros Occidental was spared from significant damage or loss of life despite its proximity to Negros Oriental. We were supposed to be in the direct path of Sendong, but due to a simple twist of fate the tempest changed course ever so slightly and merely brought rains instead of the flooding and destruction that it unleashed on the other side of the island. While the earthquake was strong enough in Negros Occidental to have reminded many of us of our mortality, damage to property was minimal and our lives were able to continue as usual within a few hours after the tremors. Our proximity to each other is  probably one of the reasons why so many of us find it difficult to believe that Negros Oriental could suffer so much damage from the quake and yet news reports and photos coming in from the field constantly remind us just how fortunate we have been.

As we thank God for having avoided these close calls, let us not forget that our brothers and sisters in Negros Oriental are still reeling from these successive disasters and will appreciate all the help they can get, especially from their neighbors who share the island with them. If we managed to somehow flood far away Cagayan De Oro and Iligan with relief goods and offers for help after Sendong, then it should be easier to send help to the city of Guilhulngan and the municipalities of La Libertad, Bindoy and Tayasan that lie in the same island that we live in.

The people of Negros Occidental can only give thanks for having been more fortunate than Negros Oriental when it comes to these disasters. But they can always express that by helping Negros Oriental during difficult times like these.*