Tagsa family story: Rare

luck strikes, help floods

What are the chances of a house, over more than a million here in Bohol, gets hit by lighting and burns? One in a million, literally.

Up front, Jenefer Tagsa, 33 years old ranch hand of the nearby Garcia ranch, and wife Jenelyn, 37, loan officer of Community Equity Ventures are your ordinary young couple, struggling to earn decent living for their two kids: 12 and 13 years old.

Admitting they are poor, the couple still affords to adopt two teen-age relatives whom they also call their own.

Relatively with a little above the rest of the community considering that they both are working, the Tagsas did not know their luck would shift into a scare.

Having lived with relatives after their marriage 12 years ago until recently, the Tagsa’s condition also allowed them that modest privilege to help their nephews and nieces, in fact has two of them, extending their family, and enriching their kid’s circle of friends and relatives.

Having saved a little after their kids were born, the couple decided to build a small but decent house in Barangay Caboy, Clarin, and over time, bought some appliances and home fixtures to embellish the home both envisioned to be.

Last July 1, while Jenefer was on duty at the ranch, Jenelyn decided to bring their adopted nephew to the hospital for a recurring fever. The son was with an uncle, learning the trade in farming with tractor operations, their daughter was with the grandma, while the niece was vending refreshments in the next barangay. Not one was left in their house.

For that one in a million chance, a freak nature outburst in a lightning hit their house which stood far from their neighbors. Everything they worked for in the past 13 years turned to ashes.

Also burned were their modest savings, a CEV tablet which Jenelyn uses in her work, and personal belongings.

Bahala na ‘tong mga gamit [sa balay} basta ang kinabuhi safe, Jenefer said.

And when ordinary couples would have cursed their God with what happened, starting all over again with two more mouths to feed would have paled the weak-willed.

Not for Jenefer, who grew up in with the hard life in Barangay Tubod.

Soft-spoken but iron-willed, Jenefer has singlehandedly carried the burden of pushing his wife to continue keeping their kids and their extended family fed, warm and straight in faith.

This has caught the attention of the local police office, which took notice of the family’s fear in God and respect for the law, according to Police Lieutenant Amado Amba.

The wife has a classmate, who connected the police community affairs and development unit (PCADU) of Clarin Municipal Police Station, which has been scouting for beneficiaries for the Bohol Provincial Police Office’s police relations program “Libreng Alagad ug Balay (LAB).

A program under Police Colonel Lorenzo A Batuan (LAB), LAB is the localized implementation of the PNP’s Kasimbayanan: a convergence program by the police, community volunteers and well-meaning sponsors for building decent local-cost houses to law-abiding Boholanos (LAB) victims of calamities, natural disasters and extreme poverty.

Partnering with Balay sa Paglaum: a charity homebuilding program of Erico Aristotle Aumentado and wife Maria Vanessa Aumentado, LAB finally found sustainability as it struggled to build houses initially from police contributions and donations from businessmen and using volunteer work from fraternity Alpha Kappa Rho and the PNP as well as barangay officials.

Tagsa ra ni mahitabo (This can happen not very often), said Tubod Barangay Chairwoman Leah Empanzo, noting that her council has also volunteered to help the police and other volunteers construct the two-bedroom house for the Tagsas.

Tagsa ra pod ni nga ang gobernador mao gyud ang mianhi aron itugyan ang balay nilang Jenefer, she added, as the community also joyfully witnessed the turn-over ceremonies presided over by the local police.

For police Lieutenant Amado Amba, the Tagsa’s are lucky enough to get their own house from the many residents of Clarin, who was among the hardest hit by storm Odette.

And much for their credit, the Tagsas were among the LAB beneficiaries whose turn-overs were attended by outgoing Bohol Provincial Director Lorenzo Batuan, who first sat in office at Camp Dagohoy October 21, 2022.

Aside from the Tagsa’s new house, that same day, Col Batuan, with Governor Aumentado also turned over a house of the Ranil Cabil of Hibale Danao, and Mauro Omana of Riverside Buacao Clarin.

Col Batuan, whose LAB-LAB project has since built over 50 houses, some are still ongoing, but for a project that started late this year, getting the over 50 houses funded is a feat that is not usual.

And the Tagsa family can attest to that. (RAHC/PIABohol)

ADOPTING FAMILY. The Tagsa Family of Tubod Clarin of Jenelyn and Jenefer has two kids, and had even managed to adopt two more relatives. Poor as they are, their hard-earned house got razed by a lightning strike in June. Being good family however made them a beneficiary of the BPPO Libreng Alagad og Balay: a whole of nation convergence free housing program for law abiding Boholanos (LAB) funded by well meaning donors and built by community volunteers. (PIABohol)

HOUSE NOW A HOME. With the turn-over of houses like these, the Tagsa family can now start converting this house into a home, growing responsible teens who will be helping them out of their present economic need now. With the police, and community’s help, their mission of building good communities may be a notch easier. (PIABohol)

PhiVolcs says 18 quakes from

two Bohol faults in past week

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Oct 26 (PIA)—The local earthquake monitoring stations of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in Bohol has noted the recent successive activities exhibited by two of the four noted faults in Bohol.

In fact, from October 16 to October 26, Bohol’s South Offshore fault has moved 18 times, while the East Bohol Fault moved 6 times in the past 10 days.

In PHIVOLCS latest earthquake information, it shows that last October 25 alone, the seismographs in the earthquake monitoring stations in Bohol and nearby areas recorded 8 earthquakes, six of those originating from east or west of Loay, while the remaining two would originate from east of Anda.

At the recent Kapihan sa PIA, Bohol PHIVOLCS chief Engr Nolan Evangelista noted that the recent activities in Bohol have been mostly emanating from the south offshore fault, and the east Bohol Fault, as contrasted with the North Bohol Fault which moved in 2013 and the Maribojoc Fault.

The fault, which did not move much then, has shown a series of activities that jolted many of the residents of southern Bohol, like the tremor that was observed October 25, at 10:52 PM which was recorded at magnitude 2.9 and was traced originating from 015 kms South 09° west of Loay.

That same day, movements monitored by PHIVOLCS include the 1.8 magnitude quake that happened 11:12 PM from 8 kilometers deep, 006 South 05° East of Loay, 5:44 PM with 1.7 magnitude reading from3 kilometers deep 15 South 09° West of Loay, the 1:23 AM 1.6 magnitude from 34 km deep, 11 south 16° east of Loay, the 12:25 AM with 1.5 magnitude from 34 kms deep, 11 South 16 ° east of Loay and the 12:00 AM 2.3 magnitude shake originating from 8 kilometers deep, 8 South and 03° east of Loay.

For those concerned with the successive movements, Engr. Evangelista said one good thing about constant small jolt is that it dissipates the energy build-up and this can weaken the pent-up energies which could snap anytime and cause a strong one.

And since the movements are generally from offshore Bohol fault, a 4.0 magnitude and larger can be enough to produce a considerable tsunami that would sweep into low lying towns, Evangelista warned.

Over this, the seismologist pressed on communities planning on the designation of high grounds as safe evacuation sites in the event of a tsunami.

The fact is, when it happens, Engr Evangelista said communities would only have a lead time of at least 5 minutes to run and get to the safe site, before the swell sweeps.

This window would be lost if people would not know what to do and where to go when the earthquake generates a tsunami that would sweep on the low lands.

Two more earthquakes were are monitored originating from the East Bohol Fault: one which happened 6:35 AM which generated 2.5 magnitude quake originating some 6 kilometer deep, 21 North 74°east of Anda and at 5:25 AM from 01 kilometers deep producing 3.2 magnitude quake that was traced from 21 North 84° east of Anda.

By the following day, October 24, PhiVolcs noted 5 seismic activities: 11:47 PM producing a 3.3 magnitude jolt for 3 kilometer deep west of Loay, one three minutes earlier with 2.6 magnitude form 4 kilometers deep still from west of Loay, , 4:46PM with 2.5 magnitude quake from east of Mabini from the east Bohol fault and at 3:46 PM with a 2.1 magnitude tremor originating from 26 kilometer deep, west of Lila.

Tw0 more tremors would be recorded on the 23rd: one at 8:08 P producing 1.6 magnitude movement traced some .33 kilometers deep West of Balilihan and 12:01 Am 2.0 magnitude some 9 kilometers deep east of Loay.

Another two more earthquakes were recorded on October 22: the 9:53 PM producing 4.2 magnitude jolt from the east of Loay and another at 11:26 AM from33 kilometers deep producing 1.4 magnitude tremor from east of Panglao.

On October 21, PhiVolcs noted 4 movements: 9:23 PM at 1.9 magnitude from east of Panglao, another at 3:01 PM producing 3.0 magnitude from 05 kilometers west of Loay, another 1.9 magnitude at 2:08 AM again from east of Loay and some 2.0 magnitude quake at 2:06 AM from west of Lila.

There were two more quakes monitored in October 20 all from Loay-Lila areas, two on the 19th again from Loay-Lila, one on the 18th from east of Pilar and 5 on the 16th mostly from East Bohol Fault.

Over all, in the last ten days, PHIVOLCS tracked 32 movements, all emanating from the three of four known Bohol faults, majority of which would come from the south offshore Bohol fault. (RAHC/PIA_7/Bohol)

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. Should anything happen from the south Bohol offshore fault and produce a higher magnitude could generate a tsunami that could sweep lowland areas in southern Bohol in a matter of five minutes, according to PHIVOLCS Bohol head Engr Nolan Evangelista. Here, community preparedness plays so much to reduce the risks and mitigate loss of lives. (PIABohol)