Recalling typhoon Yolanda that hit the Philippines so severely, Pressenza revisits the scene with a letter of appreciation to all those who helped out in those very difficult days and to remind the world that the plight on many continues today. We also gain insight into how it feels to be among the victims and to be a family member away from the scene.
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A Day with Yolanda Victims
by: Niday R. Mayor
I called up my older sister through long distance on the night of November 7, 2013 at about 11:00 in the evening. I could sense that she was worried and very insecure of their condition. I understood how she felt at that moment. So when I asked her about the family’s preparation to the fast approaching super-typhoon Yolanda, her voice began to crack. I assured her that everybody around the country is keeping an eye on the situation, but I reiterated to her also that each one has to prepare for the worst to come. At that juncture of our conversation, she started to apprise me of their preparations. She said, in one corner of the house, a few labeled plastic packs of dresses and blankets were placed on top of a study table. In addition, they had cooked food good for two days, filled up drums and bottles with drinking water, placed kerosene lamps and flashlights inside big empty cans of biscuits. Also, they had all figured out where to seek shelter inside the house in case the rooftops of their individual rooms are blown away and no longer habitable. Above all, they had also agreed on where to exit from the house – they would go to a big pile of wood under a tall tree near the house. My nephew tied four pieces of ropes from one big post of the house to the trunk of a tree and instructed each one to tightly hold the rope while seeking cover beside the big pile of wood. Moreover, they would make a bonfire at the dirty kitchen to keep them warm. After recounting to me the preparations they have taken, she said: pray for us and always monitor our situation. That was our last conversation because when I called for a long distance call about 2:00AM of November 8, 2013, their telephone was already out-of-reach.
I felt troubled after our conversation because I realized how my sister and the rest of the family were gravely concerned of their safety. I could no longer sleep as I was hooked on the radio, eagerly awaiting any update on the upcoming super typhoon Yolanda. Many times, I tried calling them through their cell phones, but all I heard at the other end was “the number you have dialed is not available at this time” or “out of coverage area”. Then, sometime later, I heard from the radio that the eye of the super-typhoon was going towards the vicinity of Ormoc City, our home. As expected, the super typhoon wrought havoc to the Ormocanos and other people in neighboring provinces. As the lone member of my family who was away from the place of disaster, I was nevertheless in a stressful and heart-breaking situation. For five days, after super-typhoon Yolanda hit Ormoc, Tacloban and other places, I had no way of knowing what happened to my family. Many thoughts and questions raced in my mind: Did they survive the super-typhoon? Where are they? How are they? Day in and day out, my spirit began to break. I yearned for more update on the condition of our people in Ormoc. Then again, the moment I saw on TV the degree of devastation, I could not hold back my tears. The longing to know the whereabouts of my family was so intense… so difficult to contain. On several occasions, I tried to take a trip but there were no available plane or bus bound directly to our place. The feeling of helplessness had taken hold of my whole being. It was the same feeling that I experienced 23 years ago when my place experienced the deadly flashflood that claimed the lives of more than eight thousand people.
On the sixth day or November 14, 2013, I got an update from my nephew in Cebu that our family survived the onslaught of super-typhoon Yolanda. He said: “urgent needs are food, clothings, blankets and kerosene for their lamps”. He added: “and trapal that will protect them in case it rains.”Except for the trapal, my nephew delivered the basic needs to our family and made extra provisions for our neighbors. But after seven days of survival inside our roofless house, my sister was seen lying besides the debris, breathing ever so faintly. She was rushed to the hospital and later was diagnosed to have contracted pneumonia due to the intermittent hot and cold weather, the trauma, and psychological stress cause by the devastation all over the place. In a few days, however, she recovered. She was prohibited from doing household chores for the meantime. Like any other houses in Region 8, our house was not exempted from the wrath of super-typhoon Yolanda’s strong winds. It rendered a big part of our house roofless. But thanks to those who offered prayers, for the second time, most of the Ormocanos survived the most recent catastrophe in their lives.
Ms. Willa Tecson, a friend, texted to inquire about my family’s situation back home sometime November 11, 2013. Without her knowing, I shed tears of joy when she posed the question. I told her frankly that my family urgently needs food, potable drinking water, and kerosene for their night lamp. Willa told me that she would ask help from friends through the social media. In a span of about one week, Willa informed me that she was able to collect thirty-eight small boxes of assorted relief goods. That was how it all started. With Willa’s facilitation and the positive responses from people with big heart, victims of the super-typhoon Yolanda were given a shot in the arm – immediate foodstuff to nourish them during those first few dark days after super-typhoon Yolanda. I and my family, our neighbors, and a few residents adjacent to our barangay extended our warmest “Thank You” to all who shared their spirit of oneness during those dark moments when HOPE was almost gone or nowhere to be found.
Pack and Delivery
The packaging of the relief goods was done with the enthusiastic support from two youth, Wina and her male friend, and two mothers from the SDC beneficiaries, nanay Rosalia and Chona. The relief goods were systematically and carefully packed inside the sealed boxes. At about 5:00 in the evening of November 17, 2013, Willa and company brought the relief goods to the domestic airport where the plane, AirAsia airlifted the goods to Cebu. On November 19, 2013, the goods were unloaded in Mactan, Cebu. On the following day, my nephew, Jasper Movilla, claimed the relief goods and placed all boxes inside his dorm premises. With the support from his students, Jasper spent only about Php 700.00 for the snacks and jeepney fares for the 15 boxes of relief goods.
The relief goods were transported from Jasper’s place to Pier 4 of Cebu city. We hired a van for Php 800.00 to transport the relief goods to Pier 4, and paid Php 400.00 for the porters who loaded the 15 boxes inside the ship. We got a free shipment fee or freight for the relief goods because the owner of the ship, Roble Shipping, was an uncle of my late mother. The boxes of relief goods were shipped to Ormoc city on the night of December 12, 2013. The following morning, December 13, 2013, the relief goods finally arrived at the port of Ormoc city. We were able to get a delivery car for free from the City Mayor’s office. We spent only Php 600.00 for the two porters (Php 300.00 for each porter) who carried the boxes into the delivery trucks. We also gave the porters a few relief goods and noodles for their breakfast. The goods were placed at my sister’s roofless house for repacking and distribution to the primary target barangay.
The goods should have been shipped to Ormoc City on November 22, 2013, but there was a delay of schedule due to security problems in unloading the relief goods from the cargo ship and in distributing the goods within the devastated areas. There were unruly people around the port and in the commercial center of Ormoc City. Even at daytime, the hungry and desperate typhoon victims would brazenly grab anything from arriving passengers or people walking along busy streets. Such desperate situation has sowed fear among the peaceful citizens, including my sister. Given this situation, my sister instructed me to hold the shipment for few days while the military were clearing the port area of Ormoc and other areas that are target for relief goods distribution.
Relief Goods Distributions
We were able to repack Two Hundred Forty (240) plastic bags of assorted relief goods from 15 balikbayan boxes donated by concerned individuals and/or groups. The repacked goods were intended primarily for Yolanda victims living in a remote sitio in Barangay Labrador, Ormoc City. A missionary priest referred this place to my sister. The relief distribution was done December 14, 2013. It was the appointed day where victims were to meet other victims of the disastrous super-typhoon Yolanda. It could have been difficult for me to undertake relief goods-giving on my own, but with the help of some family members, friends and former household helpers, the task was made lot easier and became an occasion for a reunion of sort. Since we didn’t have cars to use during actual distribution, we hired two passengers’ tricycles at Php 250.00 each, to transport the passengers and repacked relief goods for distribution. The tricycle drivers were a big help in maintaining peace and order during the distribution.
On the road to our priority target area, we chanced upon a group of women and children along the road. We were constrained to give the group of women 20 packs of relief goods, and another 15 packs to barefoot children for they were earnestly begging for food. These people whom we didn’t even know where practically in tears when I shook their hands and pointed in the distance, to their devastated houses that were rendered flat on the ground. Not even a shadow of a standing object was spared from the wrath of super-typhoon Yolanda! According to them, they have been sleeping and eating on top of a pile of debris for almost a month already. They started rebuilding their houses using whatever pieces of wood they were able to collect from the debris of destroyed buildings near their places. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation, almost all of them that I met in that brief encounter were still very hopeful, though they were worried due to the local government’s snail-paced efforts in providing free construction materials and means of livelihood to each victim family.
After giving a few packs of relief goods to a small group of people along the highway, we continued our journey to the remote situation of Barangay Labrador, Ormoc City. While traversing a very rocky road, it dawned on me that our relief goods on hand were no longer sufficient for the expected number of beneficiaries who were patiently waiting for our arrival. Reviewing the master list, I reckoned that there would be a shortage of goods for about 35 individuals. So when we arrived at the place, I had to sadly admit to the people that our relief goods were good only for 205 people. Happily, their leaders were able to resolve what to do with the excess number of beneficiaries and arrived at a very acceptable solution: each beneficiary who received a pack of goods should give up one piece of canned goods and have it pooled together with other canned goods. A total of 205 canned goods were pooled together and equally divided among the late registrants, thereby solving the problem of limited goods. Thus, everybody was happy, including the 35 other late registrants.
Thank you {daghang salamat} to all of you who have generously shared time, effort, materials and prayers to the Yolanda victims. We are all trying hard to deal with and cope well with what happened to us. In the near future, Ormoc City and its people will rise AGAIN…. Bangon Ormoc ug Bangon Pilipinas!!!
…….MABUHAY…….
