As you noticed its been a while since I wrote here.Partly because walking back into those memory lanes bring about an array of emotions I have trouble understanding sometimes. Two had to take time off and reflect what to write here to put to justice a topic of such personal and historical significance.
While I wrote this a passage from the Bible from Isiah 61:03 keep popping in my head. It's the passage which takes about beauty from ashes.
One, Typhoon Yolanda brought about the worst and the best of humanity. Truth be told, in the chaos many stole stuff then wont even need to survive. Others stole for the fun of it knowing with no police visibility they won't be held liable. Few others capitalize on people abandoning their homes due to intolerable smell decomposing bodies to steal whatever they can lay their hands on. Some sold their stuff three times or even five times the regular price. I even paid more than three times I will normally pay an air-conditioned van when I rode a dirty non air conditioning fruit vendor truck just to get the medical supplies I need in another town. Yes despite surviving a tragedy like this many survivors were still greedy.
But few others were compassionate and heroic even. Few days after typhoon struck my home I was one of the few who were flew by C130 from Mactan air base to Romuladez airport. I met there two theologian students who were bound to Guian another severely devastated area of Samar.They were kind enough to escort me for three days walk as roads were unpassable.Together,we slept side by side in floor, bathe and eat with strangers .It was surreal to find survivors letting in strangers and sharing such limited food supply considering the uncertainty of the supply chain and fugitives were on the run.
Instead of letting hardcore prisoners drown in the big flood the jail guards let them escape. It was to me out of compassion. So even if they somehow heightened the fear and made necessary check ups and curfew everywhere I think this as an act compassion at its best rather than unnecessary inconvenience for such a choice. Whether they voluntarily surrender or not or whether they renewed their ways or not is completely up to them.Yolanda was a life test and people get to choose what's best for them
While walking we passed by survivors helping fellow survivors so it makes me think indeed good Samaritan ate everywhere. Heroes aren't just imaginary.
When donations pour in months after Yolanda my cousin and I volunteered to repack food supplies here in Cebu. As our way of passing forward the miracles we had witnessed .Out of many thousands who for weeks without shelter food electricity and water my family were those lucky few who were transported via ferry to Cebu.As my nephew recounted it was jam packed liked sardines and inconvenient as it is yet to see the city lights and be warmly welcomed by Cebuanos at the port with relief goods was worth it. So yes, it was soul crushing but humbling experience. Since then I taught myself to be grateful and how little do I know of God's grace, or the extraordinary strength of human character.
These are not my pictures yet since these were used on the first anniversary as an art museum I think I am not infringing any copy right. When the world come together it is worth immortalizing.
Yolanda damage was comparable to an atomic bomb yet in this darkest times the most sublime of all virtues were evident.
If Tacloban was able to get back to its feet it was because if the generosity of too many. It was the shared intentions of thousands that made it a reality. Looking back it was inconceivable to get through this traumatic event yet by God's grace we all pulled through.
