MANILA, Philippines — Surviving victims of tropical storm "Sendong" have begun to rise from the ashes and rebuild their lives shattered by the Dec. 17, 2011 flood that left more than 1,200 dead, injured more than 6,000 people, and left hundreds still missing.

While wounds left by "Sendong" have yet to heal, calamity-stricken folk from Iligan City and Cagayan De Oro City are finding strength in each other, as well as the soldiers, who continue to extend support for the victims to get back on their feet.

Maj. Harold Cabunoc, Philippine Army spokesman, said among the many reasons the victims have found strength to move on is the help and assistance in cash and kind that has been pouring in for them.

Cabunoc noted that the tragedy that struck Northern Mindanao in 2011 have brought not only massive destruction, but also brought people together.

The government and the private sector have joined hands in bringing relief goods to hard-hit areas, while competing companies and businesses have forgotten their race to the top for a moment and have given help.

Setting aside their differences, soldiers and Moro fighters also worked together to provide help, alleviate the sufferings of the victims, and bring a sense of normalcy in the calamity-hit communities, said Cabunoc.

Regardless of affiliations, residents of the remote villages of Dulag, Panoroganan, Kalilangan, and Ragongon, mostly rebel-dominated communities in Iligan City, welcomed the help offered by soldiers and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the country (UNHCR-Philippines).

Army soldiers have been deployed in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan to help in the search, rescue, retrieval, and relief operations and now rehabilitation efforts. Personnel from the 1st (1 ID) and 4th Infantry Divisions (4ID) trooped to communities in worst-hit areas of the two cities to distribute relief goods and provisions, such as food, water, clothes, building materials, and tents.

Army engineers, in coordination with United States Marine Forces in the Pacific Region, installed water-purifying machines to supply potable water to families who were left homeless.

Heavy equipment from the Army also cleared and prepared areas, designated as temporary resettlement areas.

Taking advantage of its logistical capability, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was able to transport much-needed provisions to adversely affected areas in Northern Mindanao.

“Every soldier of the 80, 000-strong Army has helped in the collection of used clothes and food items. The Philippine Air Force was also able to airlift more than 300 boxes of relief items such as blankets, cooking sets, and hygiene kits to at least 1,000 families in remote villages,” said Brig. Gen. Roland Amarille, head of the Army team deployed to help in the rehabilitation of this city.

The Philippine Navy also provided landing craft, which usually serve troops, in bringing tons of donated items from across the country to Northern Mindanao.

Cabunoc said soldiers coordinated closely with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government officials in providing relief good to those in evacuation centers.

“Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division also decided not to go on vacation during the Christmas holidays to help in the recovery efforts,” said Cabunoc.

He said Army chief, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista also called on all members of the Philippine Army to donate part of their subsistence allowances to generate funds for the rehabilitation of Northern Mindanao.

Bernard Kerblat, head of UNHCR-Philippines, said the soldiers’ role in the rehabilitation of devastated areas had been “crucial.” He said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin personally requested the UN to help in the relief operations.

The UNHCR has donated a total of $600,000 worth of relief goods to victims of “Sendong” in Northern Mindanao. He said that some relief materials were sourced out from the local markets.

All items that his agency donated were transported to hard-hit areas in Iligan City by the Philippine Air Force. In collaboration with the other government agencies, the relief goods were distributed to victims by the soldiers and civilian volunteers.

“Restoring normalcy in Northern Mindanao may take years. But up to the last trickle of help and even after rehabilitation has brought life again to calamity-ridden communities, the soldiers are there to help,” said Cabunoc.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) data showed that as of Saturday, damage caused by “Sendong” breached the P1.6-billion mark, with P1,360,335,647 in infrastructure and P272,974,840 in agriculture.

Of the 120,233 families or 1,141,252 people adversely affected in 815 villages in 57 towns and eight cities in 13 provinces, 6,574 families or 30,985 people are staying in 55 evacuation centers, particularly in Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City.

Pending construction of permanent relocation houses for the displaced families, transitional homes, tents, and shelters were provided including: Calaanan tent city with 408 families or 2,115 people; Kilometer 5 with 62 families or 354 persons, Agusan with 61 families or 248 persons, Indahag with 109 families or 540 people, Bugo Elementary School with 12 tents and 19 families, Gusa Regional Science High School with 12 tents andh 8 families, Puerto Elementary School with 20 families, Buena Oro covered court with 26 families, and Mt. Carmel Parish with 47 families.

The NDRRMC report wise identified St. Vianni, Camaman-an where an estimated 90 families will occupy the area and the old cemetery (near Xavier University) where an estimated 150 families will occupy the area, as potential transition sites.