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Tacloban City |
The aftermath of
“worst-ever” typhoon Yolanda appears to be just as gripping as the atmospheric
calamity itself, as various provinces of the Visayas struggle to come to
terms with the mind-boggling problems it has brought in its wake---a reality check this time.
TV footages over the past
three days have rendered any attempt to verbally describe the situation there
woefully inadequate. For the gargantuan problems include the massive loss of
lives and homelessness, power outages everywhere, isolation following closure
of airports and downing of cell-sites, gripping mass hunger, economic stand-still, shortness of
life-sustaining supplies, illnesses with the closure of a number of hospitals and
many others wrought by this history-marking phenomenon.
What’s terrible is that
Yolanda is now being tailed closely by another typhoon, though hopefully and
mercifully much less in intensity, named Zoraida.
XXX
Extreme hunger has given
rise to looting in Tacloban City, Palo City, Tanauan, Tolosa and other towns in
Leyte, as well as the destruction of ATM outlets. The feared breakdown in law
and order appears to be replicated in other environs of the Visayas, e.g.,
parts of Iloilo such as the town of Estancia.
It clearly stems in many
places from the absence of functioning local government, and this in turn could
create a huge security challenge to the national leadership that has been
caught terribly wanting in preparations, despite public warnings about the
impending Category 5 typhoon.
XXX
The administration has to
handle this lawlessness problem decisively for its own good, but interestingly
it’s appears to be fearful of imposing a state of emergency in those
places---wishing to go only as far as declaration of a state of national calamity.
Obviously President Aquino is understandably re-living a family trauma of
earlier years about any semblance of martial law, but what is his alternative?
His indecisiveness on this issue in the Visayas can only aggravate the
administration's woeful ill-state of preparedness to handle the
super-calamity---and the specter of anarchy continually rearing its ugly head.
XXX
This problem of law and
order is directly related to another challenge front that has opened up:
how to handle the foreign and local aid now pouring in, so that it's
evenly and systematically channeled to the people on the ground in utter need
of help---and not to the local powers playing politics, as had happened in past
calamities.
The over-all challenge is
how to unite and strengthen our people in the face of the crippling calamity,
instead of fragmenting the nation further. It is politics that would cause the
fragmentation.
XXX
The media have played up the
“walk-out” by President Aquino during the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) conference yesterday in Tacloban
City, after he received a long string of “negative reports” on the situation in
this epicenter of the typhoon. What seems to have earned his ire was NDRRMC
executive-director Eduardo del Rosario’s report that Tacloban City is 95%
devastated, and the unconfirmed reports of 10,000 deaths.
There's speculation, in
fact, that P-Noy’s disposition to tantrums began acting up the moment he landed
in the “hostile” territory. Note that the powers that be in Tacloban City are
the Romualdezes, led by the recognized leader of a noisy minority bloc in the
House, Rep. Martin Romualdez, his brother, Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez and councilor Cristina Romualdez.
Rep. Martin has been particularly vocal in his criticisms of the P-Noy administration on various issues---and this has been faithfully echoed by his newspaper, the Manila Standard, and its stable of critical columnists.
Rep. Martin has been particularly vocal in his criticisms of the P-Noy administration on various issues---and this has been faithfully echoed by his newspaper, the Manila Standard, and its stable of critical columnists.
XXX
The “walkout” by P-Noy at
the Tacloban conference, however, did not sit well with many citizens. To be
sure, by the time he got there yesterday, his head must have already been
reeling with all the terrible reports from across the Visayas about Yolanda’s huge
swath of destruction. But the problem is that when one's President, he’s not given any allowance to hit the fan, so to speak.
Netizen Rodolfo V. Cabado articulated citizens’ sentiments on P-Noy’s walk-out well in his FB entry titled “Brat and Bully,” and I quote:
“A leader
does not walk out on his people. Not even in frustration. He must have nerves
of steel and the patience of a saint. He must have the cool and composure of a
commanding general in the midst of a critical battle---rallying the troops, ordering
them calmly but firmly to do what must be done, according to strategy as may be
modified by tactical necessities as they arise. He must be ready to accept
casualties, attend to the injured and comfort those who have lost livelihoods
or loved ones. A leader must be a pillar of strength, a light in the darkness,
warmth in the cold, a burning flame of inspiration and encouragement to those
who look up to him. He must be generous with praise for those who have done
well, tireless in urging the reluctant to do more, yet careful and economical
with his words for those he may need to reprimand to the end that their
failures may be
rectified
without breaking their spirit.
“He was ‘dismayed?’ For almost a week the whole world knew what was coming and how devastating it will be when it came! Where was he? Living
in a
different reality?
“Above
all, a leader must lead, Mr. President---not sulk like a cry-baby, or display
defeat, or rage in tantrums against lesser mortals like some divine bully.
“Perhaps some people may have behaved badly in your presence, Mr. President. But knowing what they have been through, they have every right to feel frustrated. Not you.”
“Perhaps some people may have behaved badly in your presence, Mr. President. But knowing what they have been through, they have every right to feel frustrated. Not you.”
XXX
CNN, in a tribute to the
Filipino people, cited their display of the “indomitable human spirit at its
finest.” In the coming days there will be more stories about the heroism, bravery and courage of our fellow citizens (to help balance perhaps the ugly side of want). One of them is the
following “survivor’s tale,” as told on FB:
“Lieutenant Colonel Fermin
Carangan is the Commanding Officer of TOG 8, the Air Force unit tasked to
provide air support for the islands of Samar and Leyte. On the morning of
Friday, November 8, he and his troops were in their office near the Tacloban
Airport on red alert, having been informed of an incoming super-storm named
Haiyan (local name: Yolanda)."
Lt. Col. Carangan narrates his ordeal as Haiyan unleashed her fury on the city of Tacloban on that fateful Friday morning:
Lt. Col. Carangan narrates his ordeal as Haiyan unleashed her fury on the city of Tacloban on that fateful Friday morning:
We
were out of the office at 6 am Friday observing. Winds brought by Yolanda were
already strong around that time. We (the Air Force troops in Tacloban) were
prepared for the possibility of rescue mission’s days before the expected
landfall of Yolanda. Just before 7 am, the rains started to pour, so we took
shelter.
Around
the same time, we noticed that water was slowly entering our office, so we went
out again. Then suddenly, we saw that the water was getting higher and higher,
until we were forced to get up the ceilings of the building. We had to bore
holes on the ceiling just to get up there, and I was the last one up.
Suddenly
the building collapsed and I saw my men falling into the surging water and very
strong winds. There were also no more roofs on top of the building. I was able
to hold on to a piece of wood – a truss which I forcibly removed just before I
was taken by waves and the strong current.
I
didn’t notice that my two junior officers were now gone. Both were fresh
graduates from the PMA, and they were beside me before we were swallowed by the
water. Then I saw one of my soldiers trying to hold on to an uncollapsed wall
of another destroyed building. I tried to reach for him but the current was too
strong and there was confusion and hysteria.
I
was going farther and farther out into the sea and all I saw were tips of
coconut trees starting to disappear into the swelling water. Suddenly, I saw a
child hugging tightly to a floating coconut tree. By a stroke of luck, the
current led me to the child, and I was able to pluck him from his very
unfortunate situation. He then held on to the piece of wood I was myself
holding on to. Then we floated until we were out there in the middle of
nowhere.
At
sea, we went through another hell. We were slapped by waves, great big waves
from all directions. We were also toyed by swirling winds. And we couldn’t help
but drink a lot of salt water. I was now getting so tired. And so was Miguel
(the boy’s name). He was just 7 years old. Too young to die, I thought. I
thought of my family. I prayed to God to take care of my wife and kids. I
thought I’ve done to them what every father could – that is, to take good care
of them.
I
also thought of my men. Days before, I had told them to ensure the safety of
their families, especially those in Tacloban since the city could be hit hard
and every one of us would be busy in the rescue missions after Yolanda. They
might not have time to check on their families during the rescue. Then I
thought of the two new graduates of PMA 2013. I thought that if something
happened to me, at least I had been able to give professional and honorable
service for a time. And that I’ve done enough since graduation. These two young
guys were just starting and still have a very bright future ahead.
Then
I looked at Miguel. He was trembling hard due to the cold. His very young body
could just not cope with the elements. He said, “Kuya, I will sleep now. I’m so
tired already.” Then I thought, maybe I survived because of this child. Without
him I could have given up. Maybe he’s the reason I’m still alive because God
wants me to make sure this child will live. I shouted at Miguel’s ears: “Don’t
sleep! You can do it. Look, we are near land already.” Then I pointed at what I
thought was another wall of swell, just to lift the spirit of Miguel. And then
I realized that it was indeed the shoreline!! I thought there really is a
Powerful Being!”
Continued
the FB commentary on Lt. Col. Carangan and seven year old Miguel:
“The
two survived Storm Haiyan and the rough seas between Leyte and Samar during the
onslaught of the typhoon. They floated around the bay near Tacloban airport and
were eventually rescued along the shorelines of Basey, Samar at around 1pm the
same day. They had been floating for around 6 hours before they were rescued.
Basey and Tacloban are separated by the San Pablo and San Pedro Bay. The
devastation they saw along the Basey shoreline is another story worth telling.
Some of Lt Col Carangan’s men are still missing. These men were supposed to
take part in the relief and rescue operations for Leyte and Samar. Alas, it
turned out that they too would be the very victims to Haiyan’s wrath.”
XXX
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Erwin Tulfo Manila Times columnist |
Here
is the equally compelling first-person account of Manila Times columnist Erwin
Tulfo on coping with Yolanda, titled “There is indeed a God."
“Though I go to church every
Sunday and believe in God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints, I do not consider
myself a religious man or a devout Catholic.
“However, my experience last
Friday while I was on coverage in Palo, Leyte during the onslaught of Super
Typhoon Yolanda made me a firm believer, or shall I say, reinforced my faith
that God and the Blessed Mother truly exist.
“In my 25 years as a
journalist (and I have covered wars and natural disasters here and abroad),
never have I seen death staring me in the face.
I and my TV news crew,
Jerico Javier, my segment producer, cameraman Levi Duriano and his assistant,
Teddy Balanza, were on a rented van and were on our way to Tacloban City from
Palo when “Yolanda” landed in Leyte that morning.
“We were cruising the
highway near the beach when a big tree fell in front of our van, forcing our
driver to make a u-turn and try to find another route as the wind started to
pick up.
“But as we sped off to
another road, a big acacia tree blocked our path. The strong wind seemed to
lift our vehicle in the air. We decided to take cover in an old government
building in the area.
“However, it was too late to
get inside, so we just sat it out on the northern wall of the building facing
the Pacific Ocean. Trees in front of us began to tumble one by one like
dominoes and the roofs of the houses nearby started flying all over the place.
“Minutes later, the wind
changed direction and started whipping us in the face so we decided to take
shelter on the eastern section of the building. We can now hear the roar of the
wind as vehicles were tossed in the air, including a bulldozer.
“Suddenly, we can see water
coming from the ocean heading inland like a tsunami. In less than minute, we
were waist deep in seawater.
“Since we had nowhere else
to run and it appeared that we would either drown or be blown away by Yolanda’s
powerful winds, I prayed to Jesus with these simple words, “cover us Lord with
your most Precious Blood that You have shed, and protect us with the painful
wounds inflicted upon You.”
Then I kissed the brown
scapular which I have been wearing and whispered to The Lady of Mt. Carmel
‘Mama Mary protect us.’
“As soon as we rushed into
the building, the gate that we used to cover ourselves with from the strong
winds was literally ripped into pieces. The concrete light post broke in half
and fell where we were standing seconds ago as the sea and flood waters merged
reaching as high as eight feet.
“An hour later, the strong
winds stopped and the waters subsided. But the area where we were was reduced
to a wasteland.
“Though we lost our
equipment, including my cellular phones and my clothes inside my backpack, we
were all thankful that we were alive. It seemed as if some unseen hands
sheltered us from harm.
“As we boarded the Air Force
plane from Tacloban City going to Cebu last Saturday, I realized one thing. If
it is your time to go, you can’t stop it. However, if you ask Him to put it on
hold, he may just do that provided that it will be for your good and that of
your loved ones and above all, for His greater glory. After all, he owns our
lives.
“Thank you Jesus. And thanks
Mama Mary for always being a mother to us all.”
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