In the Eye of the Typhoon — the Philippines

“WHERE THERE IS LIGHT, THERE IS HOPE!”

The Filipino locals taught us a special and important lesson. The day after the disaster, locals and neighbours came to the streets to clear the debris that was left behind after Typhoon Odette. They were all pro-active but also level-headed. But undeniably, the most incredible thing was the team spirit. This collective mobilisation and community spirit were truly incredible and many found a smile while they were working.

At the Children of the Mekong’s centre in Cebu City, the fifty-six sponsored students cleaned up the fallen twigs and branches and salvaged what they could with a smile on their faces. They were unexpectedly optimistic. When the sun casts its rays onto the centre once more, a student exclaimed, “As long as there is light, there is hope!”

What a great lesson! Despite the difficulties, they managed to muster courage and summon positivity to propel themselves forward. The Filippino people certainly embodied the values of courage and strength. We did not hear of any panic that we had expected. No screaming; no instances of looting in Cebu or anywhere else. And this was even though they were left with almost nothing: no electricity, no petrol and a potential lack of food. Yet the Filipinos queued up in an organised manner, waiting patiently for their turn to buy water. Water was one of the few accessible products in the aftermath of the disaster, but it too will soon run out. All canteens and food stores in our neighbourhood were closed.

QUEUING IN ORDER TO SURVIVE

Filipinos were queuing in food shops, petrol stations (useful for electric generators or looking for food in towns in the north) and banks (cash became reintroduced to the payment system as payment terminals could not function without electricity). The queues were ridiculously long: locals wait for hours under the baking sun but yet were extremely calm and collected. The calm demeanour of the locals was in sharp contrast to the scorching heat. Supermarkets that were usually well-stocked, now run out of resources. Forty-eight hours after the typhoon, many petrol stations were shutting down. They too had run out of resources. Those who managed to secure a connection told us that the power may be out for a month. This meant that power may only be restored by the end of January 2022. On 23rd December, transport prices increased sharply given the lack of water. As Rean Joy Carillo explains, “water was extremely hard to find and the prices were exorbitantly high. I had to sleep in the street in order to get some”. Others who often visited the well for water must now pay 50 Filipino pesos (almost a euro) for a gallon (compared to 25 PHP previously). A majority of these people have low or no income and are now left with no shelter. How can some people take advantage of the situation and increase the price of a basic necessity?

Around 26th December, the telephone network was gradually restored in Cebu City, but there is still water and electricity is still rare. It is only without electricity did we realise how valuable the sunlight is! With a decreased flow of movement, the traffic in Cebu is unexpectedly organised, even without the use of traffic lights.

In the heavily-polluted Cebu City, every tree is important. However, with the typhoon, the green of the city has faded. In the small Children of the Mekong centre of Inayawan, the mango tree near the kitchen was devoured by the typhoon. This tore down the courtyard which was an incredibly essential place for the community. It was where parents sat around during training sessions, where lunch was prepared for children in nurseries, and where the Filipino volunteers used to organise and distribute food for one hundred and fifty local families… it must be rebuilt!

Ate Helen, manager of the Inayawan centre, is an incredible woman who is able to initiate, execute and facilitate this fantastic sponsorship programme. The programme currently looks after forty-nine sponsored children, ninety-eight older people, and around one hundred children in daycare and all of their parents. A whole community is able to benefit because of the efforts of Ate Helena as well as the organisation’s sponsor parents. Two days after the typhoon, Ate Helen was in utter shock and felt overwhelmed. We sat with her and tried to provide our support.

Fortunately, Ate Helen regained strength quickly. She galvanised everyone together to rebuild our home. As long as Ate Helen and her community are there, the spirit and joy of the neighbourhood will prevail. More than a month afterwards, the situation in the slums is gradually improving. Supermarkets are also gradually increasing the pace of re-stocking foods. That said, some are still left without power. The sponsored children and their families are those who will be affected the longest. In rural areas, some parents have also lost their boats or plantations. It will take twenty years for a mango tree to produce mangoes, seven years for coconuts and two years for bananas. There are hundreds of families who find themselves with no income in the medium term. But the material consequences must also not hide the trauma experienced by our sponsored children, as Generie Baoya told us about: “It was a really traumatic experience, a once-in-a-lifetime event and we will never forget it. It was truly awful! An unforgettable experience.”