Dyeri Boy: unsung hero
If there is anybody worthy of recognition as DRRMO and info officer
rolled into one in the aftermath of Yolanda, nobody else
in this part of the country fits that qualification other than Dyeri Boy.
Dyeri Boy: unsung hero |
DRRMO stands for "disaster risk reduction and management
officer", in the case of Dyeri Boy, "KDRRMO, the "K" being the
initial of "Kingdom by the River" where he
is employed.
At the opening of the Rescue Olympics August 22, 1014. |
"Yolanda is the supertyphoon, the fiercest in the world's known
history packing the fury of 350 kilometers per hour that hit the central
islands of Las Islas de Magellan on November 8, 2013 killing more than
100 persons and destroying partially or totally, some 42,000 plus homes in the
Kingdom by the River, let alone the 6,000 + deaths in the islands of
Waray-Waray where counting stopped by edict of a presidential lunatic
at that level, among the other lives lost and toppled
structures from the howler's wrath.
history packing the fury of 350 kilometers per hour that hit the central
islands of Las Islas de Magellan on November 8, 2013 killing more than
100 persons and destroying partially or totally, some 42,000 plus homes in the
Kingdom by the River, let alone the 6,000 + deaths in the islands of
Waray-Waray where counting stopped by edict of a presidential lunatic
at that level, among the other lives lost and toppled
structures from the howler's wrath.
"Rescuers" saving life during the "rescue olympics" |
This writer has been in touch with Dyeri Boy since the eve of Yolanda's
landfall in the Kingdom, that is, evening of November 7, where his voice and
that of King Tura streamed through radio stations dishing out tips and advice
to people to stay away from danger zones -- landslide prone slopes, river banks,
and shorelines -- in anticipation of floods and rise in tide levels.
landfall in the Kingdom, that is, evening of November 7, where his voice and
that of King Tura streamed through radio stations dishing out tips and advice
to people to stay away from danger zones -- landslide prone slopes, river banks,
and shorelines -- in anticipation of floods and rise in tide levels.
King Tura had to cut short his mourning in Metro for his first grand daughter
who succumbed to a rare disease, and caught the first flight back to his land.
Earlier, he went ballistic with his unique expletives of "yudi___a!" after
learning from Dyeri Boy that the principalities and municipalities
who succumbed to a rare disease, and caught the first flight back to his land.
Earlier, he went ballistic with his unique expletives of "yudi___a!" after
learning from Dyeri Boy that the principalities and municipalities
of the kingdom could not be reached: the radio room was
shut because its chief Boy Angsot sent the crew home.
KDRRMO Dyeri Boy was at his post before, during and after Yolanda
battered the northern parts of the kingdom. He kept in touch with Prince
Bobby who led a convoy of trucks laden with relief goods the afternoon of
November 8 to the typhoon stricken areas of the kingdom.
The world came to know what happened to the Kingdom during and
after Yolanda because Dyeri Boy's links to the media was unshaken.
Reporters rightly sought him in his office for interviews to get his voice
or video clips on post disaster developments.
Dyeri Boy handily dished out to them computer print outs of the
latest damage and casualty reports as they trickled to his war room.
When King Tura wanted to get updates that he needed to share with
fellow public officials and friends abroad, he would call
Dyeri Boy and nobody else, to feed him the latest
computer printouts.
latest damage and casualty reports as they trickled to his war room.
When King Tura wanted to get updates that he needed to share with
fellow public officials and friends abroad, he would call
Dyeri Boy and nobody else, to feed him the latest
computer printouts.
The reporters were not mistaken in seeking him, and nobody else:
Dyeri Boy was available and his war room was open 24 hours daily, and he
Dyeri Boy was available and his war room was open 24 hours daily, and he
offered them snacks and meals as token of appreciation
for their diligence in seeking data for dissemination to
the whole world.
That donations poured in and filled the alleys and lobbies of the Kingdom
Palace was largely due to the media dissemination which
would not have been possible had reporters sought the wrong guys for news:
they picked the right source of news, that is Dyeri Boy.
Somebody got miffed though at the attention of media people, their assiduousness
in seeking Dyeri Boy for news. He demanded of the KDRRMO to put up
a huge bulletin board at the ground lobby so people could
readily see what's going on.
Deri Boy rejected the suggestion since the job belonged to Boy Angsot
who further became furious seeing Dyeri Boy's face and hearing his voice in
the daily menu of the press.
Boy Angsot schemed of cajoling a reporter of a station which bandies
Dyeri Boy taking pictures of rescuers extricating an "injured" driver in an "accident". |
a bass drum for trademark, to denounce his "lawlaw" (lousy) work so it
could reach the ears of King Tura who would be embarrased and
later, constrained to kick Dyeri Boy in the midst of the disaster work.
Unluckily for Boy Angsot, the reporter not only ignored him: Bombogreg
brought to Dyeri Boy's attention the plagiarist's evil machination.
Well, the rest is already history, the kingdom's relief efforts
and information dissemination caught the world's attention not because of,
but despite of, Boy Angsot as shown by convoys of donations -- food and non-food
items -- pouring in.
but despite of, Boy Angsot as shown by convoys of donations -- food and non-food
items -- pouring in.
Boy Angsot finally had his way: he installed a white board
and jotted there the list of donations and their donors, that is,
on March 2014, four months after Yolanda hit the kingdom
which reporters ignored anyway because Ma'am Ninit's
updated and printed reports were on hand
on March 2014, four months after Yolanda hit the kingdom
which reporters ignored anyway because Ma'am Ninit's
updated and printed reports were on hand
upon request.
He still had his way, oh lucky him: he drafted a long line of prose
congratulating himself because the country's Infocen acknowledged
him as "outstanding" for his "extraordinary" efforts
congratulating himself because the country's Infocen acknowledged
him as "outstanding" for his "extraordinary" efforts
in the post-Yolanda info campaign. This piece was
read out aloud during the state-of-the-kingdom-address,
which only ignited public laughter if not mirth among
denizens of the Kingdom who were in the know
like Executive Assistant Boycabs.
denizens of the Kingdom who were in the know
like Executive Assistant Boycabs.
(Infocen boss-tsip, Paniera Janet Napoles, how could you be so
wide-eyed yet miss the real dramatis persona, none other
than Dyeri Boy himself?)
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