November 14, 2013 - By Sandra Bulling, Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines
The news reports really makes me cringe, when they show Filipinos as aggressive and that insecurity is the main theme. Yes, there are frequent lootings. Yes there are stores and shops being stripped bare of all items. But people are so desperate. They have lost everything.
Looting? Shops are closed. There is no water, food, or fuel. Shop owners are trying to take care of their own families and are mourning loved ones who died in the disaster. I can understand that opening their shop isn’t at the top of their mind. But looting? People are patiently lining up and sharing the food and water and fuel they are “looting”. And even now, the food and water in the shops is running out – or it’s gone already.
The people here are extremely traumatized. Every person I talk to has a horrible story to tell. Yesterday we met a woman who gave birth on the doorstep of a church. I spoke to a man who was trapped in his house on the coast, when the storm surge came. The tidal wave was so high, he fled to the second floor of his house. Being upstairs did not protect him either – the wind blew away the roof above him. Literally, policeman, government officials, doctors, nurses… they are all affected by this, all struggling to help others, while caring for their families.
So these are just a few examples of the desperation here. I think each of us would resort to pretty drastic measures if the survival of your child was at stake.
At the same time, I encounter friendliness. I see people helping each other. I see smiles and laughter amidst the chaos. Three times a day we have to stop to get new tires or old ones fixed because of the debris. Everyone who has tires, tries their best to help us. Whenever we lose our way amidst the rubble, people try their best to show us around. People help their neighbors who have to go to hospitals, helping them find their loved ones. People are helping each other repair roofs. They provide us with the information we need to plan our assistance. In Jaro we slept at an evacuation centre and the chief of the disaster committee quickly offered us his two hammocks to sleep in. So, there is another picture there: it is one of compassion.
Filipinos are strong people. They encounter disasters every year, be it typhoons, landslides, earthquakes. This disaster goes beyond our imagination. The people here deserve more than just being called looters – people are strong, and they are doing their best to get back on their feet and help each other with the few supplies that are left in the disaster zone.
Click here to learn more about CARE's emergency response in the Philippines or here to read our Typhoon Haiyan Factsheet. To donate, please click here.
CARE has worked in the Philippines since 1949, providing emergency relief when disaster strikes and helping communities prepare for disasters. CARE's past responses in the Philippines have included typhoon Bopha in 2012 and typhoon Ketsana in 2009.