Super Typhoon Haiyan - Northern Cebu, Philippines (I)
the adventure
"I just cannot believe the scale of destruction!"
Super Typhoon Haiyan made landfall on 5 Nov 2013, and rapidly cut a path of massive devastation across the entire Central Visayas. While much of the world's attention focused on Tacloban, many other places had also been devastated on an unprecedented scale. Together with a small Rapid Assessment Team (RAT), we quietly made our way to Bantayan Island, Northern Cebu.
The devastation on this resort island appeared very serious. Everywhere we looked, we saw topless coconut trees, collapsed wire poles, blocked roads, destroyed homes and distraught locals. For many, Typhoon Haiyan had taken away everything they possessed.
As we moved towards the seaside, we saw whole fishing communities completely destroyed. Boats, shacks, trees...everything was mostly unsalvagable. When we spoke with some of the fishermen, many shed tears. It was difficult to find the appropriate words of comfort for those who had suffered greatly in this disaster.
In this RAT mission, we were very blessed to have dedicated and resourceful local partners from REACT Philippines. And, our hearts were constantly warmed by the cheerful and often cheeky disposition of the many Filipino kids that we had the privilege of meeting. They showed us how to remain upbeat, optimistic and undeterred by disasters.
