Washed-out Dreams

Photo by www.philstar.net

Super Typhoon Yolanda was undeniably the most powerful storm system on earth formed this year. It had wreak unimaginable havoc in Visayas - Tacloban City had the worst of Yolanda's wrath in Eastern Visayas. I got really worried last Friday, knowing that the 320-kilometer an hour wind wouldn't  just bring just simple damages to a city of 220,000. Some of my relatives live in Tacloban and I can't imagine their ordeal. Imagine, waking up at 7 in the morning and your roof's already gone. Worse, after Yolanda struck Tacloban, communication lines were immediately cut-off aside from electricity. We patiently waited for some news or at least some raw footages about how Tacloban fared.

When daylight broke, the first images and scenes of Tacloban broadcasted on TV and social media was very depressing and graphical at the same time. Seeing the dead bodies along the streets was truly shocking. People in tattered clothes (some of them are even injured) walked along the ruins of what used to be a thriving city, looking for food and shelter, not minding the stench of rotting flesh. People there need food, water, and urgent medical attention but it took some time before the primary road connections in and out of the city got cleared up. Currently, there are no electricity that powers the city. But at least, the communication lines are being backed up by the telecom networks.

I am quite relieved though that all of my relatives were safe and sound; nothing bad had happened to them. I am still hoping that we will all get through this adversary.

My thoughts and prayers go to the Yolanda victims. Visayas will rise again. Philippines will rise again. The Filipino spirit is still stronger and more powerful than Yolanda or any calamity that would test us in the near future.