Cindy, The Sendong Baby

by Roberto Saballero Jr., OB volunteer writer

ILIGAN CITY – “I was worried it might flood,” Luciana Magsayo said when the rains continued to pour. 

Luciana was pregnant with her sixth child and was in her final week when typhoon Sendong besieged Iligan City with floodwaters. She was dumbfounded when the muddy waters showed its might and rose madly, sending her and other families scampering for higher ground. 

The winding path up the hilly side of the riverbank was the only place they could find safety. Before them was a slippery terrain, and here was where Luciana spent two hours struggling, along with her husband and five kids. She could not explain how they made it to the top because during that time, the ground was very muddy, the rain was pouring hard, and the wind was very strong. It was slowing them down.

Luciana could still recall how they fought their way up. They saw how the houses disappearing in the raging flood water. The whole family thought that it was their final time together. Still, they drew strength from one another, each one determined to survive. She shared how blessed they were because a relative was able to join them and helped one of her children up the hill. 

The pregnant Luciana was indeed a real fighter, a tough woman with a countenance that you will never expect to have--the strength of a giant. Her personal bearing was the exact opposite of the might she showed her children to keep the whole family together. 

Six days after the flash flood, Luciana gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She delivered the baby in the evacuation center of the barangay and named the baby “Cindy," a slight reference to “Sendong.” Her husband, Isabelo chided that if the child was a boy, they would have named the child “Sendong.” 

Luciana and her family were only a few among the 199 families served by Operation Blessing in Iligan City that day. Because of your support, affected families are given medical attention through the outreach conducted by Operation Blessing in the areas affected by Typhoon Sendong. 

HELP PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE FLOODS!

Visit www.obphil.com/operationnorthernmindanao to learn more about how you can help Sendong victims start anew in the coming new year.