Lengleng* (not her real name), 10, is a Blaan child and a grade 6 student from Glan, Sarangani. After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake, her father picked her up from school. Due to the continuous aftershocks, they stayed by the roadside so they could easily run to a safer area if the ground shook again.
“You can prepare for a typhoon by buying what you need, but with an earthquake, you’ll never know when it happens. We were at school, and it was frightening because so many things were damaged,” Lengleng said. She saw the school stage being damaged and worried that broken roads would leave people trapped.
Living in a far-flung area, each Blaan family has a radio to communicate with one another. Through the radio, Lengleng knew about the landslide that struck the community where her grandparents and two uncles lived. They were buried beneath the landslide since their house was situated on top of a hill.
“When we arrived here [evacuation center], I felt so sad because that was when I learned that my grandmother and grandfather were gone. My grandfather always reminded me about the things I should do, and my grandmother guided me to always do what’s right. Losing them made me feel very sad.”
During a psychosocial support session with Save the Children and local partner Ranao Women and Children Resource Center, Lengleng said she found some relief from the fear they had been carrying since the earthquake. She remembered being told to express what they truly feel.
“They helped me ease my fear. Through the games, my fear gradually went away, and I felt happy again. I also learned a few things.”
A total of 78 children, including Lengleng, joined activities designed for their age group. During a body mapping activity, children reflected on their experiences by writing or drawing on different parts of a body outline. They were then invited to share their stories in a safe and supportive space. The session ended with games, giving children time to play, connect with one another, and experience moments of joy.
Lengleng's family also received a household kit containing cooking utensils, blankets, and mosquito nets to help them recover, as it was still unsafe to return to their home on the hillside. They are now staying at her aunt's house after spending several nights sleeping in an open area by the roadside to avoid the risk of aftershocks. “Whenever an aftershock happened, it was usually when we were about to sleep. We would wake up immediately. There were younger children with us who became very scared.”
Members of the army and other rescuers worked to dig out those still buried beneath the landslide, while barangay officials provided food for the rescue teams. However, rescue operations had to be halted because the ground remained unstable.
“My mom said that if they can’t dig them out, they’ll place a tarpaulin on top so we will know where to dig when it’s already safe,” Lengleng said.
Lengleng hopes that there would be more rescuers to help families recover their loved ones who remain buried so they can finally rest peacefully.
As Lengleng and her family continue to recover from the earthquake, she said she hopes to eventually become either a teacher or a solider.
“If I become a teacher, I want to help children learn how to read and write. And If I become a solider, I want to help rescue people during landslides or other emergencies. If another family experiences what mine did from the landslide, I want to be there to help them.”