Yolanda breeds new species.
There is a blinding truth to the all-too-familiar belief that when one suffered an excruciating pain, one comes back a changed person. Ever-resilient. Ever-hopeful. Eternally optimistic.
Six months ago, TS Yolanda wreaked havoc to a small island-barangay of Malawig in Coron, Palawan. On the very island where survivors witnessed the merciless destruction caused by Yolanda, sat a group of young children singing along a Celine Dion hit, ‘My heart will go on’. Six months ago, volunteers could have been desperately holding their tears back upon hearing the painful experience told by survivors. Today, they could be clenching their mouth from chattering along the hit song and belting the chorus to an almost embarrassing degree.
Unbroken chain of support
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) revisited Malawig to distribute a Php2,750 cash assistance to 186 households that were completely damaged by Yolanda. The cash assistance was a payout to identified beneficiaries who had reconstructed their own house on a course of 10 days.
Robert Salva, 36, was one of the many individuals whose house were washed to the ocean. “Matapos yung bagyo, wala na kaming nabalikan na bahay, pero pinilit pa din namin magtayo ng bago (After the typhoon had passed, we were left without a house but tried to rebuild a new one anyway),” said Salva upon recalling his experience. His wife and two children are temporarily living with his in-laws until he finished the house he himself is rebuilding.
“Napakalaking tulong po ng halaga na naibahagi sa amin ngayon, kasi minsan kahit pako hindi kami makabili (this amount that were given to us is of huge help, this could help us afford to buy nails [for construction]),” said Senjen Capriano, 29, a resident who suffered the loss of his twins. Capriano added how his life has changed, and that most of his time is devoted to rebuilding his house and boat that were instantly smashed by Yolanda.
A leap of change
The residents of Malawig had been indebted with gratitude to various organizations that came and had been coming for support. ”Mabuti nga po at marami pa din tumutulong, kasi mahihirapan kaming makabangon kung wala kaming tulong na natatanggap (we are thankful for the outpour of assistance, we wouldn’t have been able to rise up from this if not for all these support),” said Virginia Viscara, 42, one of the beneficiaries.
There’s a glaring evidence of physical change in the island. Houses were rebuilt, standing solidly beneath the piercing heat of the sun. Streets were wiped clean paving way to sari-sari stores that re-opened. Schools were erected from rubbles and boats lazily docked on the shore.
The proof of what wreckage Yolanda brought gradually fades into history. If someone had not seen the island in the aftermath of the storm, he would not believe the kind of improvement Malawig had. Yet, somewhere along the faces of survivors are the remarkable indications of struggle and distress they experienced.
Malawig had gone through an indefinable force of change. A harrowing experience will forever be etched in the hearts and minds of all its survivors. “Kapag maiba lang po ng konti ang alon o lumakas ang hangin hindi na po kami makatulog, (we lose sleep when the waves and the winds’ strength heightened),” said one of the beneficiaries.
Beyond the reality of fear, these people had rebuilt their houses. Despite mourning for loved ones they had lost, they managed to grin and bear it. Change could come in imperceptible and blatant flashes, but the residents stayed on their island – painting resilience in different shades.
People are bound to suffer and survive at some point. Life is ever-changing. A cliché that individuals truly grow tougher through suffering is around for this reason.
