Update from Tacloban

Update from Tacloban

Typhoon Yolanda Aftermath

By Karl Gaspar

UPDATE, TUESDAY, 19 NOV 2013:  Things are moving faster in terms of delivery of goods to the needy people of Tacloban and nearby areas, but this is not to say that the millions of peoples affected by the supertyphoon have what they need in terms of food, clothing, medicine and basic shelter.  After the harsh criticism that President Pnoy Aquino’s government got from international and national mass/social media, there has been an improvement in the delivery and distribution of goods to the people of Tacloban City. International aid agencies – of governments and private sector – have also reached the city and adjacent areas. The forces from the USA are present in the area in a big way which either elicited grateful responses from one side of the population, but also brought the other side (though the minority) to ask important questions as to the US interests in this part of the world. (Of course, when the dust settles down, this kind of debate will be further pursued by those who think this issue is important).

In our parish/church/convent in Tacloban City, the evacuees have been encouraged to start the move to rebuilding their lives by returning to where they resided before and putting up temporary shelter even as their immediate needs are still being responded to. The 3,000 evacuees who were there this past week may slowly now move out. Still our compound will continue serving as a Center for Relief and Rehabilitation.  There are doctors of the Dept of Health who are stationed there. One of our confreres, Fons Suico, who is a medical doctor himself texted us that there are enough doctors now in our Center to handle those with medical needs.

Because they have done what they could do, our community in Tacloban are reaching out not just to the surrounding areas but to the Ormoc and Tolosa parts of Leyte island.  In a meeting attended by the Tacloban Redemptorists, with Bro. Jun Santiago of VP Manila and representatives of the NGO who is our partner, they have decided that our Tacloban community will take care of Tacloban-Ormoc-Tolosa while the NGO handles the rest of Leyte, and VPManila will take care of Eastern Samar. Almost everyday this past week, we have been purchasing goods and packing them here in Cebu for delivery to Tacloban; as nothing can be bought in the affected areas.  As transport facilities improved, the trucks we’ve hired have reached Tacloban without any untoward incidents. Some of the goods delivered only yesterday could already be distributed in Ormoc and Tolosa, in areas not yet reached by government and big NGOs. But, after the relief operations could slow down and rehabilitation takes off, there will be shifts in this collaborative efforts of our two units.

Meanwhile, our efforts on behalf of those affected in the northern part of the Cebu island began as we discussed with our Salesian partner how we would respond to the needs of the Lourdes parish of Odlot, Bogo (c/o Fr. Dodong Desuyo, the parish priest). When we finally reached him, he was grateful that we could deliver goods there (which we just did as one truck left early for Odlot to deliver the goods) but he also informed us that he would not want the people to become over-dependent on outside help, so he will only welcome relief goods till Saturday. We agreed with him that indeed, the earlier the people can be encouraged to stand on their feet, the better. But information from the Archdiocesan Over-all in-charge of Disaster Response, Fr. Charles Jayme, indicated that there are inaccessible places (mainly islets off Bantayan Island) that need relief operations. We will be coordinating efforts with the Caritas of the Archdiocese to check into this and be part of the efforts for the people of the islets.

As in the past days, we have been heartened by the tremendous show of support coming from everywhere. In our own small way, we have become a conduit for the flow of this generosity from various corners of the country and the planet.  We are grateful to be able to serve in this modest manner on behalf of our needy brothers and sisters hit by this calamity.  There is a still a long road ahead, and we hope that we will still be able to do our share in supporting these people as they rebuild their lives.  The tragic consequences of the devastation will surely remain in the memory of those who lost their dearly beloved and whatever property they have.  We would like to believe that along with this memory is that of the tremendous generosity, kindness and solidarity offered to the victims from peoples all over the planet. And if memory is the architecture of our identity as human beings, may these memories prepare us for the coming of the Advent season!