Philippine Flood Left Chins Homeless
30 September 2009: At least four Chins are among those flood victims in the Philippines after the storm struck last Friday in Manila for 12 hours with a month’s worth of rain.
Robert Ro Uk Cung, whose house has been completely immersed in knee-high sludge, told Chinland Guardian: “We have nothing left. Everything in our house including computer, books, food and clothes is flooded, rotten and has become rubbish. We are in a desperate situation and literally homeless.”
The 30-year-old and his wife Diana Siang Pen, who share the two-storey rented house with friend Cung Lian Uk, said they have been staying at his Chin friend’s flat since last Friday when they were warned not to go home due to the heavy storm.
Another house with a Chin student, from Matupi Township, living in Manilla was also claimed to have been flooded.
With the help of a few friends, Robert yesterday managed to see their house after trudging through the rubbish-scattered muddy streets
. “Our friends helped us clean the house. But since we have no water, electricity, and nothing that we can use, it is very unlikely that we will go to the house soon,”added Robert Ro Uk Cung who is currently a Ph.D candidate in religion at Philippine Christian University.
Today, Chin Christians based in Manila held a prayer service for the Chin flood survivors at his friend’s house. There are about 30 Chins in Manilla, out of an estimated 80 living in the Philippines.
