Robbie in and around Tacloban

TACLOBAN A CITY WORTH A VISIT What a great improvement three years post Typhoon Yolanda. There appears to be a good amount of investment in the Tacloban area. New hotels, restaurants and various new businesses. I have noticed an increase in foreign visitors. Some I presume are tourists and others involved in charity and ongoing aid work. In addition there are many Filipinos visiting as tourists and to visit family. The airport has greatly improved and my hope one day it becomes international VIEW FROM LEYTE PARK RESORT Increase in the number of hotels What really stands out is the increase in new hotels which points to needed demand. I drive into the city regular and see the Oriental hotel in Palo is open again with repairs still ongoing. The new hotels are smaller but many of them appear very well presented from the exterior. New hotels being built means more visitors to the city. This is good for Tacloban. More visitors, more spending points to a growing economy. Most i...

Our daughter was walking before she was one year old. She is also got a good grasp for words but the languages are mixed as my wife and myself speak English and others Waray which is the dialect in this part of the country. Filipinos love to celebrate birthdays. It is the most celebrated event apart from Christmas and New Year. A child’s 1 st birthday is a big event in the Philippines In the Philippines a child’s first birthday is a big event and most families try to put on a party within their means. I am not working and living on savings but decided my daughter would have a great party. We contracted a business in the Dulag area that specializes in birthday parties Superstitions in the Philippines I am curious of the superstitions of Filipinos. Our daughter’s hair cannot be cut in the first year of life. In addition a long noodle dish must be part of the foods prepared for her first birthday. I think this relates to a long life. Whether you believe, agree or disagree t...

This is a question I am asked all the time. Were you here in Tacloban when Typhoon Yolanda unleashed its furry?   The answer is no. Not being here with my wife on that day is one of the most worrying times in my life. We had just been married on 28 September 2013. I was working back Egypt as an expatriate at Sukari Gold Mine. I have written a story on my feelings and relief when I travelled back to the Philippines to look for my wife: Typhoon Yolanda 08 November 2013 The disaster was approaching the Philippines. In Egypt, we had cable television in our accommodation rooms. Typhoon Yolanda international name Haiyan was heading towards the Philippines. The concern was Tacloban City and surrounding areas were on the predicted path. I had phone contact with my wife and we talked about the needed precautions. The Philippines experiences typhoons regular and is accepted as part of life. There was a difference as this typhoon was increasing in intensities and was going to be one...

MY LIFE IN THE TACLOBAN AREA   I have been coming to the Philippines since 2006 and have seen quite a bit of the country. I am now living in the Dulag area in the province of Leyte. Dulag is approximately 35 km from Tacloban City. Tacloban is approximately a one hour flight from Manila with regular flights daily with PAL, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia. First I would like to describe my life here in the Tacloban area. I am married with a family and I am happy living here. This is now my home. I live in a barangay (village) of approximately 1000 people. It is very safe and I get along well with the local people. This is a rice farming area and the way most people make their living. Work is available during planting and harvest but many people work on crop maintenance. Some people travel to Tacloban City and other areas for work. My father-in-law was a farm labourer before meeting my wife. I like most foreigners worry about level of support for the spouse’s family. I hav...