There are events
in our lives that need to be engraved more permanently in history to always
remind us how they influenced and changed our lives. There are also those
moments we feel like sharing with the world, in the hopes that others will also
remember and do something about in the future. The wrath of typhoon Haiyan is
one of those moments in my life, and in everyone else’s who witnessed this
tragedy as either a victim in an afflicted town in the Philippines or as a
sympathizer from a distant community abroad. This tragic event clearly defines
our times, not just as members of the ESF community who are passionate about
environmental issues, but also as global citizens of a changing planet. I share
this blog post not just to provide my version of this piece of history, but
also to tell a story that would, hopefully, inspire others to act now and to
remember (and act more) in the future. I sincerely thank each and every one of you
for taking time to read this post. I hope this story will linger in you and
inspire you to think of ways to do something in the immediate future and in
many years to come.
Ominous Clouds Above
It was the
afternoon of November 6 (Wednesday) when Yasmin (my wife) and I heard about
super typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Yolanda) in the news. We were
in Metropolitan Cebu to do interviews for a research project when news erupted
about a super typhoon brewing in the Pacific and set to take a path across
where we were at. Born and raised in the Philippines, Yasmin and I are used
tropical cyclones. On average 20 typhoons visit the Philippines every single
year, most pass by quickly while a few leave a more lasting impression. But
there was something about super typhoon Haiyan that worried us. Yasmin was set
to fly to Manila the following day, but I had plans to go to a nearby province (Iloilo)
to continue my data gathering. I could tell she was uneasy about my plans and
was constantly reminding me to check with my contacts if the event would still
push through. At the last minute my plans got cancelled and I had to rebook my
flight back to Manila. While waiting at the boarding gate, flights to and from
neighboring provinces were quickly being cancelled. We flew off away from
typhoon Haiyan’s destructive path in the nick of time. We were lucky to be in
Manila, away from harm.
Early morning of
November 8 typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the province of Eastern Samar with
sustained winds of 315 km/h (195 mph), making it the strongest tropical cyclone
to ever made landfall in history. Haiyan’s strength is equated to a category 5
hurricane, 1.5 times more powerful than Katrina, a category 3 hurricane (at
landfall) that caused the loss of at least 1800 lives in the United States in
2005. Haiyan remained a powerful storm when it struck the province of Leyte and
gradually weakened when it made four additional landfalls in central
Philippines. Haiyan left the Philippines area of responsibility on November 8,
2013, more than 12 hours after it made its first landfall.
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| Typhoon Haiyan’s Path. Source: mapsofworld.com |
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| Size of Philippines and Typhoon Haiyan relative to the United State. Source: American Red Cross |
The Calm After the Storm?
It was not as
bad as we expected, at least from where we were in Manila. We were expecting
torrential rains with harrowing winds, just as how we experienced super
typhoons before. But it was surprisingly weaker that we imagined. The last
typhoon that hit Metro Manila, we thought, was several orders more powerful.
Apart from a few hours of power outage, the day Haiyan came was largely
uneventful for us, Manileños
(people living in Metro Manila.)
The calm we
experienced in Manila did little for us to understand what it is like to be in
Haiyan’s path. On November 9 (Saturday), a few news clips made their way to the
giant television networks in Manila. Indeed, the images were very different
from what we experienced. Winds were much stronger and there were flying debris
and flooding. However, the first images shown did not reflect the damages we
imagined a super typhoon would bring to a development country like the
Philippines. Even a local news anchor was amazed how the first estimated death
toll did not even reach 20. Yasmin and I breathed a sigh of relief, saying,
“thank God we were spared,” but at the back of our heads we knew it was too
soon to thank our lucky stars. Come the following day we realized that we spoke
too soon.
The Devastation Unfolds
More news started
to trickle in on November 10 (Sunday) when communication lines were being
reestablished and more media personalities made their way to the affected
areas. The first few images on the newspapers and television screens were
shocking. Cities and towns reduced to rubble, remains of those who perished lie
on the streets, and survivors scramble to find loved ones. A few towns were
constantly featured, including Tacloban City, a once vibrant economic center of
Leyte and the Eastern Visayan region. At least 90 percent of the city is believed
to be destroyed, with very little man-made structures and trees remaining
standing. Public infrastructure has been severely compromised: electricity and
fresh water services indefinitely suspended; roads and bridges leading to the
city impassable due to serious damages and large debris; the airport completely
wrecked; and all communication lines down. The local government has been
completely paralyzed, as civil servants, such as medical workers and police,
have become victims themselves, with quite a few injured, missing or confirmed
dead. Even the media could not find the right words to describe the magnitude
of devastation in Tacloban City. But one correspondent did say, “this place is
like a war zone, as if a bomb had been dropped here.” One survivor cried out
loud to confirm, “there’s nothing left here. Tacloban is no more!”
The human drama
narrated on the ground was too heartbreaking to watch. Local government
officials burst into tears as they described their peoples’ traumatic
experiences of surviving the powerful winds and storm surges. The mayor of
Tacloban City recounted how he and the people in his home had to punch holes in
the ceiling and climb to the second floor to avoid being swept away by the
ravaging waters. Many detailed how they grabbed on to whatever they could as
they watched family members being engulfed by the monster storm. Others did not
even have to talk to news correspondents – the lifeless bodies they carried vividly
conveyed their tragic encounters with Haiyan. I still cannot forget that Sunday
when we saw the local paper’s front page photo of a father carrying his
lifeless child on the streets of Tacloban City. It was a melancholic Sunday for
me, my Dad, and Yasmin, and for every Filipino family across the nation.
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| Extent of destruction in Tacloban City, Leyte. Source: Associated Press |
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Ships dragged inland by the storm surge in Tacloban City. Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
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A resident in Tacloban City carrying his lifeless daughter. Source: Reuters
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The Tragedy Continues
After the clouds
cleared up to reveal the devastation in hard-hit towns and cities, the
situation on the ground seemed to have gotten worse day by day. The absence of
basic public and commercial infrastructure in afflicted towns and cities has triggered
confusion, panic and despair. It is chaos on the ground. Survivors have rushed
to leave their towns, only to find out that most of them are unable to do so.
Some have anxiously waited for military planes to take in evacuees, while
others have attempted to walk to other towns hoping for a better situation in
those places. Meanwhile, communication has been down and victims are constantly
findings ways to let their loved ones outside of their communities know of
their situation. But it is not the inability to move out of afflicted areas or communicate
with loved one that describe the seemingly worsening tragedy on the ground. It
is the lack of food, fresh water and medical attention.
Supervisors have
become desperate as they scramble to find food, water and medical assistance.
In Tacloban City, survivors amass outside the airport to cry out for basic aid
to be delivered. The rush for food and water has also caused deadly stampedes,
adding to the already growing number of casualties. Those injured have flocked
to nearby hospitals and wrestled with others to get the attention of the
already lean medical staff and to secure the remaining medicines. Victims in
Tacloban are becoming increasingly frustrated, as the flow of relief goods and
aid barely keep up with the incredible number of people who suffer and perish
because of dehydration, starvation, and infections. Many resorted to “looting”
grocery stores and supermarkets in frantic attempts to feed and save their
families and friends. On top of the chaotic atmosphere is the horrific stench
of decaying remains of people that are still lying uncollected on the streets
and under the debris. Even those who have food could not bring themselves to
eat because of the overpowering smell of decaying flesh.
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Incidences of “looting” in Tacloban City. Source: EPA
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Conflict and
violence on the ground have also escalated. There have been reports of aid
operations being attacked by rebels and even armed starving survivors. During
relief operations, the Philippine Army has also been reported to engage in
firefights with the members of the New Peoples Army, the militant armed wing of
the Communist Party of the Philippines. Conflict has also reached areas
unaffected by the typhoon. Sympathizers from Manila and other unaffected provinces
have become frustrated and angry. Lately the social media has been inundated
with “hate messages” towards the government because of the perceived slow
delivery of aid. Even the news media is now rife with finger pointing and
blaming. Unfortunately the tragedy has been reduced to ugly
politicking, polarizing debates and coercing people to choose sides between
anti- and pro-government. As one commentator said, “either you defend this
man [the Philippine President] or you defend the people that this man is
ignoring.”
Signs of Hope
The first five
days after Haiyan struck the Philippines were disheartening and frustrating for
many Filipinos, especially those directly affected by Haiyan’s full fury. Just
when many of us are about to lose hope, stories of encouragement have started
to reach mass media. Government agencies, religious groups, non-government
organizations, schools, and home owner associations in Manila and elsewhere in
the country have mobilized to get as many relief packages prepared and
delivered to afflicted areas. This has included 24-hour repacking of relief
goods in both governmental and non-governmental institutions. Evacuees from
afflicted areas are also being attended by volunteers in several centers in
Manila. Many creative endeavors have also been organized, such as the “art for
a cause” and “dine for a cause” programs to rally the support of the elite.
School organizations have also come up with novel ways of helping by building
on their strengths. The National Institute of Physics, for example, recently
started Project Lightline to make emergency mobile phone chargers out of
donated electronic wastes. The organizers hope that Project Lightline would
help survivors contact relatives and friends to let them know of their
situation. Medical schools are also sending volunteers to assist in beleaguered
hospitals and do forensic work for bereaved families.
Support from
overseas is likewise uplifting spirits here in the Philippines. Countries all
over the world have begun pledging and donating funds for immediate response
and reconstruction. Countries like Japan, Canada and the United States have
sent their disaster experts and military forces to aid in distribution of
relief goods. Even non-governmental organizations and private citizens abroad
have made efforts to raise funds for the typhoon victims. A case in point is
the story about a six-year old Japanese girl who gave up her savings to donate
5,000 Japanese Yen to the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo. The messages of concern
Yasmin and I receive from friends and colleagues in the United States and
Singapore are testament to the overwhelming support Filipinos receive from
across the world.
An even
inspiring set of stories is that of the courage and support that survivors
share amongst each other. For some time, narratives of survivors “looting”
shops and robbing other typhoon victims permeated media. These narratives
conjured images of chaos and desperation, with some observers unfairly judging
the character of Filipinos in these affected areas. There are now stories
vividly recounting the resilience of families and communities and the kindness
and compassion they share with each other. As recalled by one survivor, in the
height of despair a stranger offered to her the food and water he “looted” from
a nearby grocery store. There are also numerous reports of how some families
have taken in their shelter other survivors and how many have risked their own
lives saving those of others.
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Relief repacking centers in Metro Manila. Source: DSWD
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Mobile clinics provided by corporate foundations. Source: Rappler
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Japanese Relief and Medical Workers in affected areas. Source: Associated Press
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| The Empire State Building shining the colors of the Philippine flag to raise awareness about typhoon Haiyan’s destruction. |
More Help Needed
Although the
delivery of food, water and medical supplies has recently hastened and the
influx of aid and donations continue, the survivors of typhoon Haiyan in the
Philippines still need more assistance in the next months and years to come. It
will definitely take time for survivors to get on their feet, recuperate from
the trauma they experienced, and rebuild their lives. In disaster management,
the assistance given months and years after a tragedy is just as important as
the immediate response. Although we have been receiving generous assistance
locally and abroad, we hope that help will continue to be available in the
future. Certainly there is still a lot of work to be done.
Thank you for
the concern and support you have given us these past few days. Please do not
hesitate to contact me (mfmontef@syr.edu) should you want to know more about the
Haiyan disaster and/or offer some help. Yasmin and I will organize a short
forum to talk about Haiyan, its aftermath and its implications when we return
in Spring 2014. I will be posting a few more follow up blog posts in the next
few weeks. Once again, thank you for your kind support.
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