Wednesday, July 09, 2008 Search for missing kin brings family back from US By Elisabeth P. Baumgart Sun.Star Correspondent
RETIRED doctor Isidro Risma, 81, has difficulty maneuvering through the action center with his arthritic pains, hypertension and asthma attacks.
Yet, he continues to come back every day in hopes of finding his missing son, A.
Every day, he enters the center heavily leaning on his wife and sons. He hobbles towards a seat, and keeps a watchful eye on his wife and children as they bustle through the action center, complying with the endless requirements.
As Risma comes to the action center every day, the green viewing pass, which was only used when viewing the bodies that arrived in Cebu, dangles around his neck.
Risma faithfully wears the old viewing pass, which now carries coffee stains and looks worn, believing that this is his ticket to get him through the action center with ease.
“I wear it every day, because it will help me get through the processes. Every day we are here, morning to night,” said Risma.
Risma and his family arrived from Ohio last June 19 in hopes of meeting A in Cebu.
Family
“We were supposed to meet A in Cebu so that we would all get together and go to Surigao as a family,” he said.
On June 25, A was supposed to celebrate his birthday in Surigao.
Yet, A never made it to his birthday or saw his family again after the sinking of the mv Princess of the Stars last June 21.
Instead of going to Surigao, Risma and his family stayed in Cebu and began their vigil at the action center.
After having his DNA taken, Risma and his family hopes that they would be finally be reunited with A.
Risma was only one of the 254 individuals who had their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) taken yesterday.
DNA samples and antemortem data were collected from individuals at the action center to speed up the disaster victim identification (DVI) process.
Police investigators and medical personnel facilitated in the collection of DNA and antemortem data from families.
Fast process
With 30 teams collecting all necessary data, DNA collection was so fast that the families that were scheduled on that day were easily served.
“We didn’t anticipate that the process would be this fast. So those who are (still) registering for DNA sampling today can have their samples taken immediately,” said Neil Angelo Sanchez, operations chief of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Simon Fernan, policy analyst of Interpol, added that the DNA collection yesterday went on without any disruptions.
“So far, everything has been running smoothly, we have not encountered any problems,” said Fernan.
Antemortem data collected from nearest kin will be encoded in the information management center (IMC) located at the OCD.
Though the IMC will be fully operational today, Fernan said they have already started encoding the antemortem data.
“We won’t wait until we have collected all the antemortem data from the families. We will slowly start encoding all necessary data,” said Fernan.
Priority
With families flocking to the action center to have their DNA collected, the nearest kin hailing from outside Cebu were given priority.
Out-of-towners are currently staying at the YMCA dormitory, and should their turn to have their DNA will come, they would be notified and asked to come over.
Grace Yana from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said they are spending close to P50,000 a day to feed 117 families and accommodate them at YMCA.
Yana added they are providing breakfast and dinner for the families. Lunch is provided at the action center by Sulpicio Lines Inc. management.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama said in yesterday’s meeting between agencies that lunch should be provided to all families, regardless if they are residents from Cebu City or from out of town.
“I want everybody fed. I don’t want to hear anybody complain that they don’t have any food,” said Rama.
