Some 'Yolanda' survivors start to rebuild homes

MANILA, Philippines - In the calamity-hit city of Tacloban, many survivors of the powerful typhoon Yolanda are desperate to leave the once-bustling urban area, flocking to the airports in an attempt to get into one of the scarce planes willing to transport residents to safer locations.

Others scramble for food and water, as even significant aid is pouring in, authorities are encountering setbacks in communication, transportation and organization in distributing relief goods and offering services to those who need them most.

Some, however, find strength to pick up hammers and nails to once again build the homes swept by the typhoon's unprecedented strong winds and the high storm surges it caused.

AP/Wally Santana

The victims rebuild despite unrecovered bodies lying underneath rubble and restoration of electricity seems a distant objective as 10 of the power utilities in the region are still without power.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said in a statement on Tuesday that different electric affiliates are still assessing the damage the cyclone caused on the facilities.

""Preparations included ensuring the reliability of communications equipment, availability of hardware materials and supplies necessary for the repair of damages to facilities, as well as the positioning of line crews in strategic areas, to facilitate immediate restoration work," NGCP said.

Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla also said that it might take a whole year to reconnect distressed areas to electricity.

“We are looking at initially two months, but as we see the extent of the damage, we are suddenly looking at more than six months ... It could take one year," he said.

Related: DOE: 1 year to restore electricity