HAIYAN Aftermath and How the World Reacted

HAIYAN Aftermath and How the World Reacted

Junrey R. Belando

WHAT happened that day on November 8, 2013 was beyond imaginable, or shall we say, the worst that can be imagined. Families were separated, young dreams were shattered, and worst of all, hundreds of lives vanished. All around the then-progressive City of Tacloban and its neighbouring towns were dead bodies, devastated homes and buildings, and other remnants from the very strong typhoon. These and other things happened that abominable day back in November because of Typhoon Yolanda with international code name, Haiyan. Nobody would have imagined that such an awful natural disaster would drastically strike the country particularly in the Central Philippines.

Yes, it was the worst natural calamity recorded in the Philippines and the strongest typhoon in the history of mankind. Yet, it was also an opportunity to show the world that once and for all, the Filipinos are proven resilient and strong. And in the aftermath of “the” disaster of magnanimous proportion; the Filipino spirit has risen on its feet and treaded the road for yet another successful journey.

 The devastation left by Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines strengthened our connection with the rest of the world. It paved the way to prove that men from any races all over the world can unite in the spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood. People from all over the word, governments from various countries including Japan and some other Asian nations showed equal sympathy though some may have taken more effort by sending troops and aids. Several other countries also reached out including the United States, the members of the ASEAN nations, and Europe.

About the Typhoon

                In the early morning of Friday, November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Yolanda), the strongest typhoon to strike land on record, slammed into the Central Visayas region. Over a 16-hour period, the super typhoon directly swept through six Philippine provinces with estimated wind speed of 195 mph at its peak and 155 mph as it weakened and moved west, with wind gusts up to 235 mph. (Max Fisher, “47 Statistics that Explain Typhoon Haiyan.” Washington Post)

The Damages, Fatalities

                The typhoon was the deadliest natural disaster ever recorded in the Philippines.

                Tacloban, the capital city of Leyte was the hardest hit of the typhoon and the scene of the most concentrated destruction and death. Thousands of Tacloban, Leyte residents reportedly drowned in a “two-storey-high” storm surge, including people seeking safety in a sports stadium that served as a shelter. Many others were killed by flying debris.

                According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), as of March 6, 2014, there were 6,245 identified dead, 28,626 were injured and 1,039 are still missing as of this writing. The government reported a total of PhP 39, 821, 497, 852.17 ($894, 865, 120.27) in damages brought about by Typhoon Haiyan.

                To this date, United Nations agencies reported that 14.1 million people had been affected, with more than 4.1 million displaced. In addition, assessments revealed that an estimated 1.1 million houses had been damaged or destroyed and nearly 5.6 million people required food assistance. (Congressional Research Report, www.crs.gov)

                Even so, the estimated number of dead and missing is often fluid and subject o change in the days, weeks and months following a natural disaster, particularly one on the scale of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

Bayanihan

               

                Thousands of Filipinos reached out and worked  hand-in-hand for the reparation of what were left and destroyed by the disaster. Several organizations including churches both from local and national communities joined forces to provide medical and food supplies to the survivors. Filipinos all over the country gathered whatever they can offer including food, clothing, water, and many other things. Radio stations and TV networks continued to encourage people to donate and contribute. Several business establishments also answered to the call. The church also played a vital role as it continued to encourage prayers and many other things they can gather to aid those who need them most. Truly, the spirit of “Bayanihan” was once again enlivened.

                Funds were raised through various sources. Even the simplest Filipino or the common Pinoy willingly donated just to be able to help in alleviating the suffering of those ailing typhoon victims.

I know of an account of generosity that was relayed to me by a friend. Tricia, a 5-year old daughter of my friend, one day told her mom that she’ll keep her candies and lollipops and send it along with her parent’s package so she can contribute to other children affected by the typhoon. Other children from Manila also gathered their toys such and many other things. These and other simple acts of kindness and compassion can be felt and the same temperature of sympathy dominated the entire Philippine nation.

Another account that showed the essence of Bayanihan not only in the Philippines was a video clip I happen to view featuring a young Filipino-American based in the US. This video showed the young man ushering hugs from anyone and in return, the person hugged donated any dollar amount. The proceeds were sent to the Philippines.

To date, government efforts to extend relief operations to the affected areas are still implemented. Taking the lead in the disaster response, the Philippine government formed a high level national task force to ensure fast track transition from relief efforts to the rehabilitation and rebuilding of affected areas. The Aquino administration also launched a web portal that allows the public to track international disaster funds, the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub (FAITH).

                In the same manner, various organizations abroad reached out and answered the call to hopefully help the people out from this ordeal. From simple donations to large sum of donations, these acts of generosity helped a lot. Many people around the world witnessed through international news and broadcasts including that of CNN’s Anderson Cooper. The world had seen the faces of suffering people. Many children and other people who were separated from their families didn’t have an assurance that they would find their way back to their own homes or ne reunited with their families.

               

Such publicity moved many people all over the world, young and adults alike, to reach out. In the midst of this tragedy in the Philippines, it was very remarkable how the international communities reacted to the situation. Financial aids and medical assistance including food and clothing were solicited and were sent to the Philippines and distributed amongst the people.

International Response

               

                On November 10, 2013, President Obama made a statement expressing sympathy and support to the people of the Philippines. Philip Goldberg, the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines visited Tacloban and announced $40 million in military assistance and $25 million in additional humanitarian aid (on top of roughly $60 million in disaster assistance already provided).

               

                A number of international actors are providing relief to the Philippines either through financial contributions to the government or aid organizations or by directly providing relief supplies and emergency personnel.

                Additional pledges and contributions from several countries including Japan, ASEAN members, and many other governments have provided assistance in the form of direct contributions of items such as food and tents, or through the operation of relief flights and logistics support. As of January 31, 2014, $662.9 million has been contributed to the overall Typhoon Haiyan response. (More details of each country’s contribution can be provided by the Government of the Philippines at http://www.gov.ph/faith/full-report).

Lessons

If there are lessons that can be derived from the strongest typhoon in the country, I could divide these lessons into:

               

1.       Intensify efforts to take care of Mother Nature. Earth is where we live. It is where we grow and Mother Nature has sustained all forms of life on it. It is our responsibility to take care of her in return. Browse through the internet on how else you can help in taking care of the environment. You might also want to engage in activities like run-for-a-cause organized by environmentalists, or even join environmentalist organizations and support their causes.

2.       Be prepared in what to do and where to go during threats of a natural disaster. It is always important to be ready when threats of calamities arise. First aid kits, survival kits and the like are a must. Make sure that those are accessible in cases of emergencies.

3.       Take Actions. If we want to prevent something like what happened to Tacloban from happening again in the future, we need to make a stand against climate change. All of us, young and adults alike, have an obligation to make sure a tragedy of this magnitude does not happen again.

In closing, Yolanda’s severity was caused by climate change. We’ve been warned about this, time and time again, but we never listened. It is hard to accept, but in reality, the consequence of our non-action was this tragedy. After all, Earth is where we live. It is the planet where we live, and the only planet by far inhabited by mankind.

 Shall we wait for another Typhoon Haiyan before we make the move?