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I usually refrain from reacting to national events. I feel I am not eloquent enough to express the joy, usually the sadness, sometimes the humiliation that goes with events that transpire in my beloved country.
However, the email exchanges I received last night prompted me to spend a few minutes to write this blog just to capture the dismay I felt. How disappointing that amidst the devastation, we put malice to an otherwise noble intention...
I was in Bohol this week. My organization was invited to talk about its POPs programme in the ASEAN region. I fondly remember Bohol. I was there at least twice in my previous 'life' - its century-old churches, its panorama of lush chocolate hills, its rich cultural heritage and the welcoming warmth of its people. On Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 8:12 AM (PST) , the province was hit by a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake destroying most of its infrastructures and killing hundreds of people. My heart broke upon seeing what remains of its churches. Everywhere, you see people lining up for water ration, there is no electricity. But you see, the earthquake did not take away the warmth, the smiles and the welcoming spirit of the Bojolanos!
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| What remained of the Dauis church |
I have not been to Leyte. My knowledge of the province is limited to the photos I see in the media and my miserable recollection of my HS History subject on Gen. Douglas MacArthur's famous line - I shall return. I am sure it was a progressive province. I am sure it has lovely people.
On November 8, 2013, the province was directly hit by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) - the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall setting records at sustained winds of 250km/h. Haiyan created a 5m storm surge causing the most damage. In a matter of minutes, the province was no more.
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| The devastation caused by typhoon Haiyan.... |
To say that the devastation was heartbreaking is an understatement. To date, 3,631 people are confirmed dead, still around 1,200 missing. Millions lost their homes. As aid came in trickles, the disaster tested the tenacity of the human spirit. Scared, hopeless, hungry and thisty - it was the lowest one can go.
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| ...its the lowest one can go.... |
My Facebook page is flooded with news of the tragedy,worried friends looking for loved-ones, urgent calls for help. Seeing the media coverage, I cried, silently offering prayers to the victims and the dead. I do not blame my government - it was not even done with Bohol yet. I was not angered by CNN's coverage and its anchors' opinions - for them, trabaho lang, walang personalan.
I rejoice in the outpouring of generosity, crucial aid from those who have more. I am grateful to the school kid in Japan who offered his piggy bank savings, to the little girls who sold lemonade in the US, to the PUP student who laid on the ground to send a message, the old lady who offered her opened-bag of Bear Brand - to provide help to the victims. So many told and untold stories of kindheartedness and heroism that restore your belief in the good of humanity....
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| Maraming, maraming salamat!! |
Then the email came.. I was not angered by the callousness....just disappointed because I have high respects for the senders. God bless!
Nonetheless, I take comfort in the fact that Filipinos are a resilient breed. We've had tougher times and EVERY TIME, we stood resolute amidst all, our faith in God unwavering.
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| We lean on prayers, our faith in God unwavering.... |
Kaya natin 'to!
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| Yes! The FILIPINO CAN!! |
*****
When
everything else is taken away, broken, battered, soaked, raw, stripped
bare, you see things. You see people as they really are. This week in
Tacloban, Samar and Cebu, amidst the hunger and thirst, the chaos and
confusion, we've seen the best in the Filipino people. Their strength,
their courage. I can't get it out of my mind. Imagine the strength it
takes for a mother to search alone for her missing kids, the strength to
sleep; on the street near the body of her child.
We've seen people with every reason to despair, every right to be angry,
instead find ways to laugh, to love, to stand up, to move forward.
A storm breaks wood and bone, brings hurt and heartbreak. In the end,
the wind, the water, the horror it brings is not the end of the story.
With aid and assistance, compassion and care, this place, these
people...they will make it through. They already survived the worst.
They're bowed, perhaps tired and traumatized, but they are not broken.
Mabuhay Philippines! Maraming salamat for all you've shown us. Maraming salamat for showing us all how to live.
- See more at: http://www.thepinoywarrior.com/2013/11/finding-strength-after-storm.html#sthash.XLo0ZpdX.dpuf
When
everything else is taken away, broken, battered, soaked, raw, stripped
bare, you see things. You see people as they really are. This week in
Tacloban, Samar and Cebu, amidst the hunger and thirst, the chaos and
confusion, we've seen the best in the Filipino people. Their strength,
their courage. I can't get it out of my mind. Imagine the strength it
takes for a mother to search alone for her missing kids, the strength to
sleep; on the street near the body of her child.
We've seen people with every reason to despair, every right to be angry,
instead find ways to laugh, to love, to stand up, to move forward.
A storm breaks wood and bone, brings hurt and heartbreak. In the end,
the wind, the water, the horror it brings is not the end of the story.
With aid and assistance, compassion and care, this place, these
people...they will make it through. They already survived the worst.
They're bowed, perhaps tired and traumatized, but they are not broken.
Mabuhay Philippines! Maraming salamat for all you've shown us. Maraming salamat for showing us all how to live.
- See more at: http://www.thepinoywarrior.com/2013/11/finding-strength-after-storm.html#sthash.XLo0ZpdX.dpuf
When everything else is taken away,
broken, battered, soaked, raw, stripped bare, you see things.
You see people as
they really are. This week in Tacloban, Samar and Cebu, amidst the hunger and
thirst, the chaos and confusion, we've seen the best in the Filipino people.
Their strength, their courage.
I can't get it out of my mind. Imagine the
strength it takes for a mother to search alone for her missing kids, the
strength to sleep; on the street near the body of her child.
We've seen people with every reason
to despair, every right to be angry, instead find ways to laugh, to love, to
stand up, to move forward.
A storm breaks wood and bone, brings
hurt and heartbreak. In the end, the wind, the water, the horror it brings is
not the end of the story.
With aid and assistance, compassion
and care, this place, these people...they will make it through. They already
survived the worst. They're bowed, perhaps tired and traumatized, but they are
not broken.
Mabuhay Philippines! Maraming
salamat for all you've shown us.
Maraming salamat for showing us all how to live.
- Anderson Cooper, CNN
When
everything else is taken away, broken, battered, soaked, raw, stripped
bare, you see things. You see people as they really are. This week in
Tacloban, Samar and Cebu, amidst the hunger and thirst, the chaos and
confusion, we've seen the best in the Filipino people. Their strength,
their courage. I can't get it out of my mind. Imagine the strength it
takes for a mother to search alone for her missing kids, the strength to
sleep; on the street near the body of her child.
We've seen people with every reason to despair, every right to be angry,
instead find ways to laugh, to love, to stand up, to move forward.
A storm breaks wood and bone, brings hurt and heartbreak. In the end,
the wind, the water, the horror it brings is not the end of the story.
With aid and assistance, compassion and care, this place, these
people...they will make it through. They already survived the worst.
They're bowed, perhaps tired and traumatized, but they are not broken.
Mabuhay Philippines! Maraming salamat for all you've shown us. Maraming salamat for showing us all how to live.
- See more at: http://www.thepinoywarrior.com/2013/11/finding-strength-after-storm.html#sthash.XLo0ZpdX.dpuf-------------
* Haiyan-related photos courtesy of Google images
