Jasmine Dimasuhid had been looking forward to a good harvest. The widowed farmer and her family had been tilling their land in General Santos City, growing cassava and taro, and making copra out of coconuts. A good season could fetch them up to P20 per kilogram of copra, which they'd haul from their uphill community in Sitio Datal Salvan, Barangay San Jose, to the city markets — a 20-kilometer drive.

Then the ground shook. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao on June 8, triggering landslides that buried parts of their land. “Dili na mi kabalik sa among harvest kay hadlok na mi (We can no longer return to our harvest because we are afraid),” Dimasuhid told Rappler.

More than 400 residents of Sitio Datal Salvan have been displaced. They're now sheltered at the community drier — an open, cemented area meant for drying crops. The evacuees endure intense heat and humidity under its roof.

Things got worse for Dimasuhid when she learned her younger brother had been missing since the quake. “Nahulog siya kay nagtrabaho siya sa construction sa dalan…. Hangtud karon, wala pa nakit-an iyahang lawas (He fell when he was working construction on a road…. Until now, they still haven't found his body),” she said.

Farmers face trauma and lost livelihoods

For almost two weeks, the displaced farmers have stayed at the evacuation center. Barangay Health Worker Juanita Pandian said recent blood pressure checks averaged 140/100 — near hypertensive levels. The stress is taking a toll.

Farmer Renato Mendel told Rappler the situation is made worse because most residents lost all their harvest to the landslides. “Maninkamot mi unsaon namo pagrecover nga makatanom pa mi og ginagmay nga tanom aron naa tawn mi madaganan (We are figuring out how to recover in a way that we can plant small plants at least that we can use),” he said.

Senior citizens, mothers, and children make up most of the population at the evacuation center. Senior citizen Cecilia Canol said her head hurts, she has a cough, and she has no appetite because of the situation. Anya Samal, a 21-year-old mother, worries about her three sons. She was at the Datal Salvan Elementary School with her 5-year-old when the earthquake struck. They suffered minor injuries. “Kailangan jud mi og diaper ug gatas kay magsige ug hilak akong anak kay wala koy mahatag kung [breastfeed] (We really need diapers and milk because my child keeps crying since I can't breastfeed),” she told Rappler.

Government sends aid, but challenges remain

Barangay Captain Abdul Rahim Paidumama said they've coordinated with social workers and health officers from the General Santos City Government to provide psychosocial first-aid. But finding safe locations for evacuation centers is a problem. “Our challenge is where to place the evacuation centers because we have four that are in puroks that are near danger zones,” Paidumama said.

The local government, along with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Health (DOH), has been distributing food packs and hygiene kits to affected barangays. General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao told Rappler that 1,300 beneficiaries whose homes were totally damaged will receive P30,000 cash aid from the National Housing Authority.

For now, families like Dimasuhid's wait — hoping for more help, and for news of the missing.