Thy wrath
It was November with its typical cold pre-Christmas breeze. I strolled the sidewalks of Gorordo Avenue looking for a place to catch my late afternoon snack. A colleague of mine forewarned me of a coming typhoon and that classes were to be suspended. I nodded and gave my gratitude for the information.
That night I felt uneasy. I grabbed the keys to our house and headed toward the nearest grocery store to buy the goods I needed in case power broke down. The wind was already starting to howl so I cooked rice that would last me for two days. Just in time, the lights went off and I went to sleep bundled up in my Malong.
The next day I woke up to the sound of then windows banging from the strong wind followed by a huge downpour. I hugged my knees tight wishing and praying that the storm would just pass. By the afternoon it did but little did I know that as it left our island, it destructed another town far more than we have ever imagined.
The following day was filled with reports about Tacloban. On social media, #YolandaPh was trending. Photos of wrecked homes and villages accompanied with people who have lost their loved ones started to fill the news feeds. Just almost immediately, organizations started to offer help by cash or by goods. International efforts started to pour in as well. The whole world's eyes were on us.
Soon after, issues about social services, airport availability and power play of politics erupted. It was reported that dead bodies were piling up one after another while looting by the survivors was rampant. There was total chaos.
But the Filipino spirit never faltered. Apart from relief operations with food and water, there were those who welcomed others into their homes. Others sacrificed their Christmas parties just so their fellowmen may have enough to even spend Christmas.
In about a few days from today, we look back at this Typhoon that hit our country. Yes, Cebu (except some northern provinces) may have been lucky that they were spared but at that moment we all saw how everybody felt like they were affected too. It felt like the whole nation and the world were offering all that they could to see Eastern Visayas and Northern Cebu rise again.
Apart from reminiscing, the question that we should be asking is that have they stood up already? A year is just so short, who would have thought. But time is of the essence and rehabilitations should have been made by then already especially that the President himself has approved a rehabilitation plan for the affected areas.
Have the victims built their new homes on the same land that wrecked a part of their life? Or would they rather move to another area and start over? At that time most of the reports tagged the incident as an "exodus" were people were already desperate to immediately move out of the town.
But lastly, the mind-boggling question that we should ask is, "Have I truly done my part in letting my nation rise again?" Apart from the repacking of goods to be shipped and the voluntary programs that we have done and after that, what else have you done to make the Philippines a better place?
In this time and age, it has become so easy to do everything out of publicity. The line between authenticity and compliance has now become very thin especially with social media. Guilty are those who have used the tragedy as a vehicle to forward their personal advocacies but those with the true heart of service will have a sense of fulfillment that nothing can replace.
Yolanda may have gone but the memories live on. The best lesson that we can pick is to never be complacent in any time and any place.
- Latest
