Jon Effemey : Freelance Writer

ivyemaye's comment was picked on Life after typhoon Haiyan: Cebu's struggle to rebuild lives and homes.

05 Feb 2014 5:03am

 

 

Mark thank you for your account. I live in Metro Manila and have been keeping an eye on post Yolanda/Haiyan super typhoon developments.

President Aquino III has promised a lot of help and I have seen accounts of reconstruction on GMA TV here. But the extent of the damage cause by this Typhoon was of a whole different order from those that previously experienced.

Your account is a really good picture of everyday life here in the Philippines for many people and how they are able to cope. It also shows the importance of outside help.

I have seen the direct transfer programme at work in the Barangay where I live and it is pretty impressive method, money going straight to the Barangay and then to the people.

There are some wider political problems that may hold up future help.

Much of the disaster area is under the Romualdez "sphere of influence". They are the ruling family in this region, Imelda Marcos is part of this family as well I think. They are rivals to the Aquinos. There are moves to investigate the preparation for the Typhoon in Tacloban City by President Aquino, Alfred Romualdez is the mayor. There are sensible moves to try and police vulnerable areas next to the sea and prevent the return of informal settlers. This has given the Romualdez family an opportunity to clear the land at Tacloban for an airport extension.

Also there are already cases of substandard buildings be erected and corners being cut to save costs. International agencies have been critical of plans to move survivors into substandard “bunk houses” as temporary structures.

This has to be put against the ordinary Pinoy and their attempts to rebuild their lives as outlined in this account.

A lot of positive reconstruction has been started and Mark has stated this here.

My primary concern is the future. There seems to be a consensus that there will be more Super Typhoons in the future. The Philippines and the world community as a whole have to be ready for this. Filipinos bounce back quickly they are highly resilient, but successive storms of this nature will be very trying.

Two final thoughts. The Philippines is trying to sort itself out. The "Pork Barrel" hearings are continuing on major corruption and scamming. Yes the micro level is important but a real national framework is needed, free of "family feuds" and "back handers"

What if a Super Typhoon hit Metro Manila, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, if not the most densely populated mega cities with an estimated population of 25 million, most of the city being pretty close to sea level? There are probably similar cases to this around the world.

Mark, once again thank you for this article. I do not want to be too negative about politics here. I am from the UK and looking back I see the "posh boys" in control, here it is the families.

Ordinary people with help can achieve a lot as you have reported here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ivyemaye's comment was picked on Typhoon Haiyan won't keep us Filipinos down for long.

11 Nov 2013 7:06am

 

 

Rachel, thank you for this article and thank you Guardian. Kate Hodal's articles are usually very good and informative but I know you are a real Pinoy by the way you have written this article.
I live now in Valenzuela City north west of Manila. I saw GMA news this morning.
This update showed large parts of Cebu flattened....I only hope and pray your father is ok. Many poor people must have died!
Typhoons are common here during the rainy season, I have experienced a few Typhoons. I saw this one moving quickly away on the horizon. A number of things strike me.... This one moved very fast...and the internal speeds of 200 mph were really exceptional. The ones I have experienced are associated with heavy down pours which cause real problems where I live here, but with this one it was the power of this Typhoon that was different.
I do regularly blog here on the Philippines, and you do represent a true Pinoy spirit Rachel! I do not want to answer specific bloggers but I want to make some general points.
There is a very organized disaster system in place here. Relief areas are available and it works very well...I have seen it here. When the slum dwellings were flooded at the end of the road here, every body was move quickly and efficiently into the Basket Ball Court. This was organized jointly with the local Barangay, (local council) City and Red Cross.
My real worry now is, that given the power of this super typhoon and the speed in which it moved then had it hit here the basket ball court would be ripped to shreds... A huge task but the Government here will need to up rate this provision and that will not be easy...robust shelters will be needed.
Predicting where it moved was not easy.....When I first saw the warning a very large path was marked out....the typhoon could have veered north or south, but I think it kept to its main path. Decisions to move people will have to be made very quickly.
Housing, to repeat what I have already blogged and I saw a very good blog from someone who explained this in detail, robust housing, based on concrete and large blocks...cheap to rent...this is starting here...but the costs are still too high.
Civil planning...Kate Hodal, if you are still in Manila and read this, go along to Pasay..by the bay and notice the new super mall and condos build right next to the bay just above sea level...a few are on pillars...I saw a modern hospital flooded last year. There are very good skills here but there is a lack of joined up thinking which is a puzzle to me...if these Super Typhoons become the norm then urban planning across the Philippines needs to be a lot sharper.
Yes Aquino belongs to a "family", and this is a feature of political life here...but isn't Britain run by a narrow posh boy elite? There are plans to put a bill through congress banning this...well? 
The Pork barrel scandal rumbles on....there was a televised Pearson type court session where Janet Lim Noples sat saying she wouldn't comment, the whistle blow explained all the scams in detail and a senator squirmed around on his seat.
Yes, corruption is a fact here....many Pinoy are tired of this...there is positive movement ...but again this Super Typhoon serves notice that things do need to move a lot quicker than standard "pinoy time".
Money can not end up in the back pockets of Senators and Congressmen or party parties for Janet Lim's daughter in the states!
Please fellow bloggers look up the W.E.F report of the Philippines...not a failed state by any means. Rachel you are a pinoy, a warm friendly and positive country...I have outlined the problems as I see them.
Immediate aid is needed and the situation thoroughly assessed. I am afraid that with Global warming there will be more of these Typhoons.
The Pinoy have coped with much. They know how to survive. As I have stated already the future task is pretty daunting....these "meat grinder" super typhoons are truly terrifying....Outside initial help is really needed, again the reports here are really bad. Then build on what does work here and it does...address key issues...planning and corruption (or how the money is spent)...this will be needed. May be a state based response...if local barangays and even cities are over whelmed as it seems here!
The Philippines is now experiencing the consequences of Global Warming.
Please up date us Rachel on your father's situation.