Of agonies and ecstasies: A tale of two calamities

These are indeed, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, in his immortal A TALE OF TWO CITIES, the worst of times, and yet the best of times. The bad news was that, having been  hit by an earth-shaking  (both literally and figuratively ) earthquake in October, and then, in rapid succession, being hit again by devastating super typhoon Yolanda in early November, might have been too much to bear by our suffering people, most especially the poor working class. But the good news is that, it is, in fact, in times like these, that we, the Filipinos, do come together and put aside our politics, our social and economic differences, problems and issues, and join hands to help the victims of those twin disasters.

It is the greatest irony, or is rather our tragic destiny as a people,  that it is precisely  during such worst of times, that the best in us do come out quite naturally and spontaneously, as instinct or second nature among us, Filipinos. To see the devastation of Tacloban, of Ormoc, of our own Bantayan Island, and of Capiz, Aklan and Palawan has been a heartbreaking experience. Thousands of dead bodies were all over the streets, the shores and under fallen trees and ruined buildings. These are very traumatic experiences to all especially the children. Images of death, destruction, decay and devastation are too much for people to take. And then hunger, disease, the anguish and the pains led many to lose their equanimity and balance, led to anger, crimes like looting and robbery.

And yet, over and above the ruins and the debris, the garbage and the stinking smell of decomposing bodies, the kindred spirit of oneness and fraternal bonds that bind all Filipinos and even foreigners, have proven to be stronger than all the conflicts and frictions that fragmented us for so long. The worst of times have gathered Filipinos from almost all provinces and social strata, have led political leaders regardless of political colors to join hands and cooperate in the long and difficult process of healing a broken land, and have reunited members of clans and families that used to be ruined by petty skirmishes and bickering.

The historic and cultural richness of Bohol, its centuries-old churches that contained relics of our glorious past, the land of Sikatuna and Dagohoy, the island of the magical chocolate hills and the gentle tarsiers, all these were reduced into rubles and debris in a matter of minutes. The historic landing site of McArthur and President Osmeña and General Carlos P. Romulo in Palo Leyte, the site of the longest and perhaps most charming bridge in the Philippines, the famous San Juanico Bridge, the beautiful Leyte Park Hotel on top of the hill overlooking the shores of Tacloban, the Cathedral and many other well-appointed landmarks, were overshadowed by the gloom, the doom and the black images of death and destruction all over the land.

But then again, such a tragedy has inspired no less than 35 countries, including the USA, China, Japan, Germany, UK and the Vatican, and no less than the United Nations, the UNICEF, the WHO, and many international bodies and individuals who have all contributed money and other forms of assistance. Even Taiwan and Hong Kong, with whom our country figured in some nasty diplomatic rows have come forward to help. The Ms. Universe Organization and the World Boxing Federation, foreign actors and dignitaries have all helped. Donations poured in and pledges in millions are being made every minute. Truckloads of goods arrived and thousands of doctors, nurses and paramedics came in droves. The famous and powerful men have been shown to be powerless. And the poor and the powerful have been led to embrace each other as brethren. These are the best of times indeed.

And so, when the final account of all these pains, out of such calamities, shall have been written and reported by journalists and historians, the future generation will surely  remember not so much the faces of death and destruction, but rather the beauty of a nation and its people who are all united by a common tragedy. Indeed, God, in all His wisdom and love, allows pain to come to our lives, not really to inflict suffering for its own sake, but rather to give us an opportunity to express the love that we have always opted to keep within us. It is indeed the worst of times that yields the best in us.