Christmas cheer blooms in Philippine typhoon path

Legazpi City (Philippines), Dec 22: Anne Hermosura swapped Christmas shopping and parties for back-breaking construction work this week to help thousands left destitute by typhoons in the central Philippines.

The 19-year old student nurse was one of hundreds of volunteers, from soldiers to businessmen, who passed buckets of water and building materials at a site for 600 new homes in Albay province, around 200 miles south of Manila.

''It's really very difficult because I am not used to doing these things only men do,'' Hermosura told Reuters, wiping sweat from her face as she took a short break from carrying cement blocks in the baking heat.

''It's a rewarding and humbling experience. I couldn't believe it myself that I was capable of doing this. Of course, all of us were exhausted and tired after a day's work, but I can't explain the happiness of helping people I never even knew or met.'' The Philippine government wants to build around 10,000 new homes for nearly 440,000 people displaced after a succession of typhoons crashed into the Philippines since September.

Hermosura and her friends were toiling on what will become Taysan village, a hilly area free of geological hazards that will be a new home for families displaced after Typhoon Durian destroyed their communities last month.

Durian killed more than 1,000 people when its high winds and rains sent tonnes of mud and water crashing from Mount Mayon, the country's most active volcano, onto nearby villages.

Around 120,000 people were still sheltering in evacuation centres in Albay after Durian's wrath.

TYPHOON-PROOF

''Twenty-one days after the last powerful typhoon to hit our country, we now begin the massive reconstruction efforts to get the affected communities back on their feet,'' said Glenn Rabonza, executive director of the National Disaster Coordinating Council.

Earlier this month, the United Nations appealed for $46 million to help feed, clothe and rebuild the lives of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in the central region of Bicol, known as the country's welcome mat for typhoons.

The government has said it would need 50 billion pesos ($1 billion) to rebuild farms and communities, which have seen fruit crops and irrigation systems destroyed, fishing boats smashed and bridges and roads obliterated.

Around 20 typhoons buffet the Philippines every year and Luis Oquinera, national coordinator of non-government group Gawad Kalinga, said his organisation was building homes to deal with the meteorological challenge.

''Our engineers have made modifications to make these homes withstand 250 kph winds during typhoons,'' he said, adding that it would take about two weeks to complete one home depending on the number of volunteers helping to build it.

''Some of the displaced residents could probably move in one day before Christmas in about 20 homes nearing completion.'' Hermosura said she had not thought twice when she got a mobile phone text message from school friends to spend their Christmas break rebuilding communities in the Bicol region.

''I can shop and party any time in Manila but I wouldn't pass on this rare chance of spending Christmas with our less fortunate countrymen.''

REUTERS