I read that it was a long dawn for the whole Visayas last November 9, 2013 as people felt the gust of wind coming towards each home. People feeling a bit nervous, the region is known to experience a lot of storms annually, but this time Typhoon Haiyan (Local name Yolanda) impressed fear as waves came toward coastal homes as high as 20 feet pummelled through with anger.
There was a presence of swirling clouds in the area, as light broke through from the skies, every eye caught witness of devastation; they saw how the wind was tearing away iron roofs and waves swallow every single infrastructure around their beloved city. This must have been the strongest of storms ever recorded by history.
When people went down from roofs and posts the next day, they saw was a show of mother nature turning man-made structures into scrap, even finding their main evacuation centres as mere death trap.
In Bogo, northern Cebu, thousands of residents had taken refuge in the blue-roofed sports complex, where they set themselves up a few days before the storm’s planned arrival with catering and card games.
“But the wind started howling and the rain started coming, and soon the babies and the children were screaming that the roof was going to blow off,” said the mayor, Celestino Martinez. “I was trying to tell people to be calm. I had to shout over the noise, saying: ‘No don’t worry, the roof won’t blow off, the panels are too big.’ But they did blow off, piece by piece. (Source: The Guardian)
Those unfortunate ones were swept away by the tidal wave, displaced far away from their original place, lying as if they were oversized dolls. Some even had arms that positioned as shields for protection. It was an ugly scene.
To make things worse, communications and electricity was down; posts bowed down, powerless to withstand. Airports especially in Tacloban was swept flat and clear while harbours were filled with rubble. Many people unaffected by the storm had no reliable source of how bad the damage was yet everyone was still hoping for the best. If the need arise, many are here to help including the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Force just waiting for that snap of order for deployment.
It was initially estimated that about 10,000 lives were lost. Families were looking for their love ones. Thousands hurt and wounded. Many grieved while aide came with a critic. When I was tucked in Manila; me and my fellow reserves participated in relief packing and loading and transferring goods. Volunteers worked round the clock. The 'Bayanihan' spirit was born again yet we were never deployed given that the government already spent money to train us for emergency response. While waiting we packed, carried relief goods in our backs, and gave out instructions as to how other people could help.
A week passed after Yolanda tore Visayas into devastation and tears. A group of five Philippine Air Force reserves with Nurse and EMT certification decided to fly out to Tacloban for three days leaving our snappiest BDA's behind. Staying home was never our call after hearing out that nurses and doctors were already aplenty in those stricken areas. We never agreed. We still hear people calling for help.
On November 16, 2013 the group started a humanitarian mission entitled 'Helping Hands for Tacloban'. Initially planning to leave Manila via PAF C-130 Hercules, it never materialised. Thankful with Air Asia Zest who gave out free seats a day after. The twenty of us arrived safely but in teary-awe at Tacloban Airport last November 17, 2013.
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| The HHCL (Helping Hand Central Luzon) group headed by President Ivy Tejada. A Philippine Air Force reserve assigned at 2nd ARCEN, Clark Air Base, Pampanga. |
The Airport Chaos
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| A passenger of the Air Asia Zest Humanitarian flight to Tacloban takes a glance outside the window assessing the destruction brought by the Typhoon Yolanda. |
Tacloban Airport during that day was busy. We were asked to fly around Tacloban for about thirty minutes before we were cleared to land. It was a smooth descent, Captain Olfado was gentle with his A320; he even advised his passengers where to look outside just so we could analyze what we are about to see. I can hear passengers grieve, "Oh God!", "Dios ko". Some were just silent, trying to keep it in but obvious in their eyes. It was also never a good sight to our fellow passengers who grew up in Tacloban.
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| An Airbus A320 owned by Air Asia Zest and queuing passengers outside the airport. |
When the plane got into a complete stop and doors slid open. We were asked by the flight attendants to carry Unicef-labeled containers upon disembarking. The passengers did not hesitate carrying two or three. A display in Bayanihan is here.
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| A policeman carrying a Unicef-labeled container from Manila. |
Standing beside the door of the plane, I can see the length of the damage. The airport was like a wasteland yet very busy with many uniformed men from different countries worked overtime.
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| The team of Helping Hands standing aside while waiting for the baggages. |
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| Uniformed personnel from other countries are typically found in the airport of Tacloban. |
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| Putting brawns into use; everything is manual on this airport. No baggage conveyor. Everyone needs an extra hand. |
You will never see a baggage conveyor within the area. Everything was self-service or "kanya-kanyang kuha". While going out, arrival signs seemed like graffiti.
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| The arrival signage found at Tacloban Airport. |
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| Little kids play and rode their bikes outside the airport while asking for food. |
Meeting at night.
After supper, we proceeded to our minutes of meeting so we could plan well the next day. At the same time, our fellow reserve got reunited with his mother who stayed at San Jose Central School after Typhoon Yolanda. Unfortunately, his father didn't survive the physical ordeal. We were a day too late for the mass burial. We sure had hoped we greet his father a hopeful birthday.
Decided to sort our goods further so we could share more to families, we repacked at night with no electricity but the team showed exemplary spirit of Bayanihan once again. Every torch' was tied into the clothes line to at least light the room while the other used candles to assist.
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| An HHCL member sorts every medicine according to their action. One bag is full of fever medicine while the other contains for cough and colds. |
In order to make sure the quality medicine we will be providing for the victims, Pres. Tejada re-inspects them for any damage brought by the rigorous cargo transportation from Manila.
Serving our fostered home.
Momentarily waiting for our transport. The group decided to provide health services at the locality that fostered us a home.
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| A man with crutches due to an accident prior to the typhoon seeked out aid for dressing and medicine since all of the hospitals were shut down. |
After an hour of aid to our fostered locality, our transport to Barangay Anibong arrived.
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| The team filled with Bayanihan spirit joined together wishing for a successful operation. |
Helping Barangay Anibong
A night of repacking and meeting, the group decided to Barangay Anibong upon hearing that the devastation was sky-high. We were not really the people who knew the area since most of us haven't even been to Tacloban. The abundance of news isn't really that much specific either. Barangay Anibong, for us, became a surprise and to the recipients of these health goods as well.
There were about four boats displaced in the harbour. Violent waves threw these giant vessels to the residents of Barangay Anibong. A resident shared that approximately a thousand people were still lying underneath us.
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| A man carrying a scavenging a broken door at Barangay Anibong. |
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| A boy sitting beside a pile of debris which used to be his home. |
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| Children still find the experience amusing of having been able to bath beside a boat. |
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| The hot sunny weather in the Philippines means that these fellow used the boat as a shelter. |
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| A cargo ship displaced in Barangay Anibong is riddled with vandalism. "Lord Patawad" means 'Lord forgive us' was among the words written on its hull. |
Helping Hands Central Luzon in action
Walking from our rented transportation towards our area of care was a trek of danger. Danger was just lying around the corner with rusted nails and iron roofs waiting for a bait.
We positioned ourselves more feasibly in an area where not much medical services has been provided while approximating the number of families we can only provide. We are not a large-scale group, limited with resources, yet we treaded onwards to making people smile.
Overall, the group treated about twenty wounded including minor surgeries. Community health teachings were provided best by community-loving Air Force reservists'.
About two hundred relief packs were given to the families in the area. The group also brought clothes for all ages to keep everyone warm and fresh at night.
Most common illnesses were cough, colds, and diarrhea. These were the first medicines that ran out of inventory; we wished we brought more. Mothers who sensitively think of their children asked for vitamins to strengthen their immune system.
The experience was like no other.
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| Children selling food and soda in the streets. |
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| Inside the little house of hope. |
We felt our love for our country and people not by the things we bring, but as to how many smiles we've received. We know it's funny but some people do get it.
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| Children never ceases to be part of a picture. I asked them to pose and jump; still they were honored. |
The days wasn't enough. Our resources wasn't enough. But our training as reservists' gave us the capability to do more. It is a balance between compassion and dedication; putting our warrior learnings aside.
I do hope that the relief around the country and the globe may reach the Filipino people who are victims of this calamity. Their utmost needs are food, water, shelter, and medicine. This is not a capability showdown among different organizations rather a joint effort to show how 'hand-in-hand' works to benefit a greater difference.
I had no idea I would be doing anything close to this. Many of those who belong at Ground Zero acknowledge us as heroes, I simply cannot recognize that. After all, they're the one's who survived in the middle of this, yet still have the duty to put up a hole and raise the Philippine flag.
We were the first responders to be there to distribute medicines.
Say 'Oooyah' team!
Disclaimer: We are proud reservists from Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Army. We were not deployed as soldiers in Tacloban but pressed on to find a way to help as civilians.
Addendum:
A reporter who flew with us, Rjhay E. Laurea, shared a link to her radio talk. Below are embedded videos of the report.
