Introduction

For weeks I have been thinking whether I should write my own written account about the typhoon; and now I have made this decision. For me, it was a first-time experience to deal with such extra-ordinary phenomenon and I believe it is worth sharing and remembering. It will be a tale that we would tell to future generations, a significant part of history that will always be remembered. To have experienced the world's strongest typhoon, I feel the responsibility in sharing my personal account on the Super Typhoon Haiyan. 

Ferocious Winds

I woke up at around 4 am. It was when the wind was already blowing through our curtains. Soon I realized that electricity had already gone out; but there was still phone signal at that time. I've been experiencing typhoons since I was young; usually during these times, I just stay inside the house and sleep. But this one was kind of different; it was still to dark and you couldn't hear anything but the eerie howling of the wind. I also had this peculiar feeling; I was feeling very uneasy. I was alert and I wanted to keep track of everything that was happening on my surroundings. So I went outside to light our lamps and candles. And as I opened the door from the kitchen, I heard something broke. It was the vase. Luckily, I wasn't hit by it. I immediately collected and disposed the debris. It was by that time that I realized the possible danger the storm could bring. I thought that was the worst damage that could happen, but I was wrong. 

At around 5 am, my parents and my sister were already awake. The storm's strength hadn't changed; and we thought it was already the signal no. 4 that the news said. We were all calm, thinking it was just like the typical storm we regularly experience. As they were taking breakfast, I took videos of the scenery during the storm. We also listened to the radio to know the latest news but there was no significant news then. I checked my phone and realized that phone signal was already out also. I went inside the room and on the outside, I saw our banana trees toppling over our clothesline. 

By 7:30, everything was normal until we saw our neighbor's mango tree slowly being ripped apart by the wind. Some minutes later, what my father showed us really shocked me. Another mango tree, in front of our house was totally decapitated; its huge branches laid on the ground and almost covered the entire road. Thank God it didn't hit our roof! Now we learned that the wind's strength was gradually increasing. There was a very great danger of going outside. I stopped taking videos because I felt like it wasn't necessary anymore; there were more important things to do.

At around 8 am, some rainwater had already entered our house through our windows - which were closed. So we placed rags on the wet floor. But the water kept coming in and we ran out of rags already. This never happened before; during typhoons, there's always strong rainfall and wind but this time was really odd. You couldn't hear the rain hitting the ground; you could only hear the strong howling of the wind. Rain wasn't pouring downwards; all the rainwater was being brought by the wind and they came in sideways. It was like a pail of water being splashed at our windows. Never had we experienced much rainwater getting inside our house. We had to move the desktop computer far from the windows where the water entered. At this point, I was almost in panic; but I kept myself under control. I always kept in mind that I had to do whatever has to be done to possibly reduce the damages in our house. So I started eliminating the water by putting them into containers and discharging them outside. However, water was coming in really fast; I couldn't cope up with its rate. I already had several containers full of rainwater and yet there was still much more coming in. I felt very frustrated and helpless. Yet I had to accept that there was nothing I could do. I was no longer in control of the situation.

Half-past eight, the storm’s wrath was already at peak-level. The wind wasn't howling anymore; it was already screaming! It was screaming so loud at a very high pitch, a sharp sound that would hurt your ears. The pain is like when you are inside an airplane that is gaining altitude; it had something to do with change in pressure. The wind’s strength was unimaginable. Outside, you couldn't see anything; it was really zero visibility. We couldn't even see the houses of our neighbors because almost everything was covered with mist. On our backyard, we saw something very astounding: our mountain bike was flying in a rotational manner and the tables outside were being flipped over. It was like there was a small tornado on our backyard.   

Around 9 am, the most dreadful thing happened. Our ceiling and our roof were already being raised by the wind. I never thought that this was possible. So this was signal no.4 then; the strength of the wind could blow our roof away, and even shaken the concrete walls of our house. All of us were taken aghast. Never have we expected that the storm's [pwer could reach this intensity; the winds were really raging. We were not prepared for this; it was like watching the world end in front of your eyes. But seeing the situation, my dad made a sudden and crucial decision - to open our main door. He rushed to the door and opened it. This allowed the wind to pass through our house. With the door left open, our ceiling and roof were kept intact. However, our beds and some of our things were soaked with rainwater.

Fear wasn’t the feeling that dominated me; I was more of agitated. I wanted it to stop already; but it didn’t. I felt so helpless seeing so much damages happening as time went by. In the midst of disaster, it took time for me to realize the gravity of the situation. It didn’t sink into me that this situation could bring a great impact on our lives. I was in the middle of danger itself. Even inside our own home, we were all vulnerable to danger. Every decision I would make would create a consequence. Then, I realized that the most important thing that time was our own safety and our lives; not our things inside the house. We needed to be safe, and so we gathered inside the masters’ bedroom and prayed. With the storm’s monstrosity, we lifted everything up to God, for we knew we were helpless. We prayed for our safety and for all those who were battling the storm.

Around half-past 9, we were still there; waiting for the storm to pass. It was like a never-ending agony; the winds were still raging. But inside me, there was a piece of hope. I knew that soon it will all be over; and we just had to be patient and careful. I then realized that I haven’t taken breakfast yet. With everything that had happened, that was already off my mind. Good thing I remembered. The truth was: I was just discharged from the hospital two days before because of food-poisoning; and there was a medicine I had to take three times a day until Sunday. I had to take that medicine every after meal. To be honest, I didn’t want to take the medicine any longer, but they urged me to. So my dad went outside and took biscuits and the medicine. The condition outside was still the same. However, the direction of the wind had changed; it was now blowing towards the opposite direction. After taking breakfast and my medicine, we stayed inside the room and talked. Water was entering through the windows but we didn’t mind it anymore. We were thankful that we still had our roof over our heads; otherwise it would be much worse.

By 11, the storm was almost subsiding. We could now see our surroundings well, yet there was still moderate wind. The view and the landscape outside totally changed. From our house, we could now see Isabel Bay and the opposite end of it. We saw boats which were already very near the coastline; several were not in balance, and one was totally capsized. What a massive disaster it was. On our immediate surroundings also, you could see really great damages. Different sorts of things were scattered everywhere.

It was by noon when the storm had totally subsided and the sky gradually turned back to normal.

Devastation and Uncertainty

The storm has finally subsided. I walked around the village to know what has happened to the other areas. Different types of debris like branches, garbage bins, parts of GI roofs, and pieces of wood scattered everywhere. Our surroundings have totally changed. A new world has unfolded upon us. Our place used to be clean, green and full of trees but now; most of the trees have fallen, and all the others have turned into twigs. Most of the roads were impassable because of the fallen concrete posts that have occupied the entire way. There were so many people walking around, surveying and taking photos. The devastation was huge; it was something no one hasn't seen before, something like a post-war scenery. 

There was no internet, no electricity, no phone signal, and no news about the other places that were also devastated. We have been cut off from civilization and knew only about our immediate surroundings. For the first time I have felt how it was like to be a victim of a calamity. I have often seen situations of calamity victims on the news. And yes, we become aware of their difficulties, yet we tend to ignore them and just let it pass. We choose not to be disturbed and we only want to go on with our own lives. But now, I've realized that it's totally different if you personally experienced it. To be in the midst of a reality you can't escape, there's no other choice but to deal with the reality itself. 

There was this feeling of uncertainty; you just do not know what would happen next since everything was unstable. You wouldn't know whether help was coming, and when everything would get back to normal. With all these drastic changes, I was saddened but not entirely downhearted. At times, I would question why it had to happen; of all the places that Haiyan would hit, why here? But there was no point in questioning. It has already happened and it was something out of our control. We were lucky that we still had our house, complete; and all of us were perfectly safe. Despite everything, there were still many things that we were thankful for. 

Everything inside and outside the house was chaotic and there were lots of cleaning up to do. However, it wasn't really a difficult problem for me. Instead of being distressed with all these, I was more of challenged and motivated. I do not know why; but in that situation, I only thought of going on, and to keep moving forward. I was enthusiastic enough to work. I took out the rainwater flooding a part of the house, and I did some cleaning outside. There were still much more things to do but we were already running out of daylight, and energy too. 

At night, our sources of light were candles and lamps. We took dinner and listened to the news from the radio. There wasn't really much news because all communications were down in Leyte, and in the northern part of Cebu. I also learned that Cebu City wasn't affected, and that there was no casualty reported.  

After a very long day, we finally rested. We had to gain energy, since there were so many house-rehabilitation activities for the next day.

Days of A New Reality

It was the day after Typhoon Haiyan struck. The sun had barely risen when I woke up. Like the usual early mornings in our place, the temperature was cold. The environment was again peaceful; yet everything outside was still a mess. With much rehabilitation works to do for the day - cutting the fallen trees, arranging the things inside the house, and lots more, I wasn't really troubled since I had enough hope and motivation to really work. I was even anticipating it. To see the sun shining brightly again was a good start for the day. Like everyone else, we dried our rain-soaked things under the heat of the sun. Every house that I have passed by had foams, blankets, carpets, pillows, and clothes laid out on their yards. A lot of people were walking around; and that's something very unusual to see in our place since people just stay inside the house most of the time. It was really good to see neighbors chatting, exchanging news, and even laughing while they share their own stories. I think that really is a character of a Filipino - being able to laugh despite all the misfortunes that fate has brought.

That day, we realized that there was no water; and what a great trouble it was. Having no electricity was manageable; but having no water was such a dilemma. We couldn't take a bath, wash our hands, wash the dishes, or flush our toilets. But later, we came up with the idea of getting water from the swimming pool just for flushing purposes; and many people did the same. (Water was restored on the afternoon of the next day) From our neighbor passing by our house, we learned that Isabel town proper became inaccessible due to many fallen concrete posts on the road. If you were to go there, the only choice was to travel on foot. Our family actually had prepared much food stock by buying from the market and stores the day before the storm. However, we learned that everyone was rushing to the company cooperative's store in the village to buy food supply. My father said that it was because we would never know when this uncertainty would end or when help would be coming. That is why we also bought a great amount of food supply like canned goods and kilos of rice. Aside from this, we also roamed around  the village to know if we could buy a gallon of drinking water but we weren't able to find one.

Day by day, we tried clearing the path in front of our house by chopping of the branches of that colossal mango tree that stumbled there. It was blocking our garage and our car couldn't pass through; so we really tried our best by manually cutting the branches using a saw and a bolo knife. We cleared our backyard by cutting the other fallen trees and we fixed our clothesline so that we could hang our washed clothes. I also swept our front yard because dead leaves were scattered everywhere. Those activities were really energy-demanding; and at times, the sun's heat was scorching. However, these were nothing because there was never a time when we didn't have enough food to eat.

On the second day after the typhoon, I strolled around with my bike to see the damages on the different areas. Haiyan totally deforested our place; the mango trees that lined our roads either fell or turned into twigs. And there were still lots of concrete posts on the road; sometimes I pass through the sidewalk and sometimes I really have to lift the bike just to get through.  I visited our school and I could barely recognize it since it was almost in ruins. One building, our library, was totally de-roofed and all of the books there were soaked. Pieces of jalousie windows scattered everywhere and a lot of debris littered the grass and road. The glass doors of one building were shattered and the wooden doors were ripped. All of the covered walks were also gone. The huge old acacia trees in the school had no more leaves but they were still standing strong.

Through the radio, we learned about the great tragedy in Tacloban and its neighboring towns - Tanauan and Palo. Those places are actually familiar to me since I have been there a few times. I have even experienced a typhoon in the town of Palo when we stayed there for the 2012 provincial athletic meet. I remember seeing flooded ricefields; and water overflowing on the road. According to the villagers there, it is really flood prone since the town is coastal and the topography is mostly plain and not mountainous. From what I've heard on the news, the city was engulfed in raging seawater - or what is called the storm surge. I was more astounded when they said around 10,000 have died in Tacloban and its neighboring towns. I heard stories of survivors interviewed; I could even hear their voice trembling when saying they couldn't believe that they were still alive. Even though I don't have that actual picture of the post-disaster scenery in Tacloban, I guess the devastation there was really dreadful.  I have also heard that victims were already seeking refuge in Manila or Cebu because of their unlivable condition.

The next two days, we caught news from other residents that there was phone signal on areas near the sea. We thought it was just a joke; but when we went to an area near the sea, we actually saw a few people calling and texting. We brought phones of different networks to maximize the possibility of establishing communication to our two brothers and our other relatives in Cebu. All of us were anxious; because from what they have probably seen on the news, they might think that we were very seriously affected or suffering greatly. There was signal however, it was weak and you could only find it on certain spots. But thank God, we were able to communicate with our brothers and then our relatives. We didn't know what they were thinking that time but what's important was they were aware of our real situation. We told them that we were all safe, and that we had enough food to eat. We couldn't call them since we had to save our phone batteries.

The following days after the storm, life turned entirely different. It's not just about the physical changes that it has brought. I know it may seem odd to hear; but for me, life became more meaningful on those days. Before, I used to spend the most of the day on the internet. And as every day passes, it's just the same routine over and over again. It was something meaningless. But this time, I always woke up with that goal in mind - to do the best I can in bringing back the normal condition of our home and our environment. Everyday I always tried to find something to work on. And when I finish working on something, I  would feel satisfied because it serves me an achievement; it's a step closer to my goal. I also find it good to be productive, rather than wasting time and taking it for granted.

And with Haiyan taking away our access to luxuries - electricity, internet, cellphones, and gadgets, our life became simple. We have developed a lifestyle adapting to our condition. We slept early and woke up early. In that post-disaster situation, you wouldn't really want to sleep late because when the sun sets, your actions are limited because of the darkness. That is why you really need to make the most out of the day before it reaches night. There's also this kind of awful feeling when your surroundings are dark. It's not that I am afraid; but I'm the type of person who turns on almost all the light switches in the house because it's seems depressing when there is not sufficient light inside the house.  Sleeping the night away is an escape to that dreary feeling. Before I sleep, I am always in anticipation for the next day because when I wake up, I know my surroundings would already be bright again.

On those days, we take breakfast in the morning and drink coffee, then we work inside the house. We take lunch then rest in the afternoon, play cards, or just talking. When I would already run out of things to do, I'd usually just sit outside and sometimes observe the helicopters as they pass by our place. There was even a time when I saw three military helicopters; and another was a military plane which was surveying.  I have also seen a C-130 plane which was travelling towards Cebu. 

Haiyan may have caused us great disturbance and inconvenience; however, there were still many reasons to be thankful about. I was happy that even though after that great disaster, we could eat three times a day with the family. There was never a problem on food; it was almost overflowing since we had to finish all the food stock inside the refrigerator before they would get spoiled. The company also provided us our necessities and it was really a relief since we feared that we might run out of food and drinking water. We were also thankful that we still had a beautiful home and a good community around us. As time passed by, our fears and uncertainties were gradually lost; and we had already accepted the fate and adapted to the changes brought by this underestimated typhoon. 

Back to Civilization

November 19, 2013, almost two weeks after Typhoon Haiyan's onslaught, we have finally returned to Cebu. We were in Leyte to spend our month-long semestral break.  Our return was not an easy process; we were supposed to leave two days before, but every port was filled with thousands or hundreds of stranded people wanting to embark for Cebu. In Ormoc City port alone, news reached us that around 4,000 people were lining up for boat tickets; some have been lining up for days. We also tried Palompon port and we lined up among many people from 4 in the morning until 8. It turned out that our efforts of waiting were worthless since the ticketing officer did not arrive. Under those circumstances, we had no choice but to stay indefinitely. However, after two days, fate granted us our wish and we were lucky enough to get boat tickets. It was not our typical Ormoc-Cebu route, but a different one. We left from Pingag port at 7 am in the morning, and around noon, the ship docked on Danao City - which is some 37 kilometers north of Cebu City. From Danao, we rode a jeep to Cebu City and finally arrived in the afternoon of that day.

It was indeed an exhausting experience. But thank God we were already on a land with electricity and internet; but those weren't the only things I was anticipating for on our return. For how many days, we were blind about the happenings on our larger environment, our only source of news was the radio. From what I have heard, the intensity of the damage was really huge, and casualties have reached up to almost ten thousand.  I couldn't be contented by just hearing the news and  just visualizing everything they describe of the aftermath. As I checked on the internet, I have learned about the real gravity of the situation; it was far more worse than what i have imagined. The images I have seen were entirely disheartening. I couldn't believe what had happened to Tacloban City - an entire city wiped out with almost nothing left. That explained why so many survivors were fleeing to Cebu and Manila; the city's condition was unlivable. I have also seen a before and after satellite photo of Tacloban city; the changes that Haiyan induced were indeed drastic.

The Philippines has really caught a lot of attention from the media and the international community because of this disaster. I couldn't believe big news agencies from different nations were in our soil and that we were being broadcast on world news. Aside from that, the support from the international community was truly overwhelming. A lot of foreign volunteers, military, and medical personnel have decided to help in recovery operations, medical treatment, and relief operations for the millions of victims of the typhoon.

There are still a lot of things that I would want to write about regarding the impact of the typhoon; however I prefer to post it on my another blogpost - which would be the last. It would be about my final personal insights on this catastrophic event.

Isabel Town Aftermath Photo Slideshow

After I came back for college, I met my high school friend, Tito Beniga Jr. , who also happens to be from the same town as I am. I learned that he had photos of the storm's aftermath and this made me interested. I then asked his permission to post it on this blog and he willfully agreed. 

The photos were taken from his home, which is nearer to Isabel town proper.

The Lessons We Learned: Preface

Eight months after Typhoon Haiyan, all the mess that the storm left has already been cleared out and things are now back to normal. Life here have already re-sprung but the memory of the great storm is still implanted in the minds of those who have experienced it. Indeed, Haiyan has induced unimaginable damage and casualties to various regions in the country. It has traumatized thousands who have lost their homes, livelihood, and their loved ones. Pondering on these things still saddens us; but we must also realize that this catastrophic event left us with many valuable lessons – lessons that would prepare us for the future, lessons to avoid the mistakes of the past. To conclude this blog, I have decided to compose "The Lessons We Learned" - which would be a series of essays reflecting on the different realities brought upon by the great storm.