TACLOBAN PHILIPPINES TYPHOON YOLANDA 4TH ANNIVERSERY NEVER FORGET

-

TYPHOON YOLANDA INTERNATIONAL NAME HAIYAN AN EVENT IN HISTORY  ONE SHOULD NEVER FORGET 08 NOVEMBER 2013

A foreigner’s personal story – that will stay in my mind for ever!

I had just been married for 6 weeks. The wedding was held at Tadyaw Resort in Tolosa which was a beautiful setting for such a happy and great day. I had return to Egypt from Tacloban to the mine site about two weeks before typhoon struck. i was working at a mine site as an Australian Expatriate. At the mine site we had cable TV and I was fully aware the typhoon was massive and it turned out to be the biggest storm to make landfall in known recorded history.  I lost contact with my wife on the day Typhoon Yolanda struck. I was 5000 miles away and felt so helpless.  This was one of the most stressful and worrying times in my life.
Link to personal story

Life after Typhoon Yolanda International name Haiyan

It has been 4 years since Typhoon Yolanda hit Tacloban 08 November 2013 in which thousands of people perished and destruction was devastating. As you drive from Dulag to Tacloban you pass a number of Memorial’s. Some of these sites are mass graves. This is sad but a reminder of how strong and severe Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) really was.
The barangay where I live in the Dulag area was also devastated but by the grace of God there was no loss of life. In an article with such an event is very hard to describe in words what you are seeing. My first impression as I drove in our barangay (village) five days after the typhoon was the vision of a war zone. It was so hard to imagine winds could be so strong and cause so much damage. This barangay is four kilometers inland from the sea so the sea surge was not an issue.
THE VIEW AS WE DROVE TO OUR HOUSE FIVE DAYS AFTER THE TYPHOON

What I and my  wife did to help!

I am not a rich foreigner but my wife and I did what we could. As our house and other buildings on the property were still standing, various charities and other organizations asked for use of our property to distribute food, other essential items. This was offered and really they did not have to ask. We just wanted to help.
CHARITIES SETTING UP FOR DISTRIBUTION OF RELEF GOODS IN OUR FRONT YARD
We also purchased a new 48 inch chain saw in Cebu and donated to the barangay (village) to help with temporary building materials. Many coconut trees were destroyed and were a source of temporary building timber (lumber) Shelter of any kind was so important to many people and this did help until other relief and aid was offered.
There was a shortage of hand water pumps in the barangay (village) before the typhoon. With a number of pumps damaged and destroyed we donated and installed four new pumps at different locations in the village.
PEOPLE COMMING TO OUR PROBERTY TO RECIEVE RELIEF GOODS FROM CHARITY ORGANISATIONS

Our Barangay (Village) in November 2017

This barangay has over 1000 residents and what a change I have observed over the last four years. All residences have been rebuilt or repaired. There are more sari sari stores, bakeries and other small businesses. It is proof the Philippine people are very resilient in the face of disaster, moving forward in life.


THE SAME VIEW AS ABOVE  DRIVING TO MY HOUSE 4 YEARS AFTER TYPHOON YOLANDA

Final thoughts

I can still remember the despair and fear of the future by people in this barangay after typhoon Yolanda (International name Haiyan). Four years have passed and people have rebuilt their lives with the help of the Government and many charity Organizations.
Life goes on but the 08 November 2013 the day Typhoon Yolanda struck should never be forgotten.

Follow my blog if you wish and all the best from Robbie in and around Tacloban

Twitter @robertmva













Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DULAG A SIGNIFICANT TOWN IN LEYTE AND PHILIPPINE HISTORY

-
Image
DULAG A SIGNIFICANT TOWN IN LEYTE AND PHILIPPINE HISTORY Introduction As a foreigner I have been living in a Dulag Barangay (village) now for a number of years. If you visit Dulag one would think it is just another provincial rural town. These were my thoughts as well until I started to conduct research. I was amazed at what I discovered and would like to share. The article is a summary but links are supplied if readers are interested in additional information. Dulag boundaries  Dulag covers just over 11,000 hectares of land on the eastern side Leyte fronting the Leyte Gulf. If you visit Dulag it is approximately 36 km (22 miles) from Tacloban via the Maharlika Highway. Travel time depending on traffic is around 45 minutes. The town is bounded 12 kilometers to the north by the municipality of Tolosa, to the west seven kilometers to the Municipality of Julita and seven kilometers to the south to the Municipality of Mayorga. Location map from Tacloban Population of Dulag
Read more

A NEW RESORT FOR THE BUDGET CONCIOUS NOT TOO FAR FROM TACLOBAN CITY (DULAG AREA)

-
Image
JANA’S RESORT When Filipinos and foreigners visit Tacloban and they have seen most of the sites they may be looking for a day with a difference. Especially now with the warm weather a nice swimming pool is very tempting. Foreigners and Filipinos may desire to stay in this type of resort if you like a quiet area There is a new resort about 38 km from Tacloban City in the Dulag area. The name is JANA’S RESORT. I visited this resort recently with family and friends. The staff were very friendly and helpful and we had a great day. THE ENTRANCE IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE I live in this area but closer to Tacloban To my best knowledge there is no resort of this type between Tacloban City and Dulag. There are a few pension houses on the way but nothing like this. ADULT AND KIDDIES SWIMMING POOL I did not meet the owner but I made enquiries with an on duty supervisor as I thought some readers of my blog maybe interested. What intrigue me about Jana’s Resort is the accommodat
Read more

MADONNA OF JAPAN TACLOBAN LEYTE PHILIPPINES

-
Image
Madonna of Japan Tacloban Leyte Philippines Introduction Madonna of Japan can be described as a Memorial Park located on Kanhuraw Hill that is not too far from Tacloban City Hall. After World War 2 there was hatred between Filipinos and Japanese but the two nations eventually reconciled. The Japanese Government erected a monument of Maria Kannon in this area. This became known as The Madonna of Japan Memorial Park. Link to location map   It is a symbol of friendship between the Filipino and Japanese people after World War 2. What I find odd is this area where the park has been erected was the camping ground for Japanese troops during occupation! MADONNA OF JAPAN MEMORIAL PARK   First let’s look at the history to understand the significance of the Madonna of Japan Memorial Park. One has to remember there was significant civilian loss of life during invasion, occupation and liberation. History It is part of history the Japanese invaded and occupied the Philippines. On t
Read more