Tacloban 2015: Making Things New

By: Lou Maningas Cabalona

 

“Bring back some news about Tacloban, ok?”, Joe Mauricio, our CPRTV Director, requested before I left for Manila.
We stayed in Tacloban for only a day and a half.

But, many thanks to our relatives who toured us around and the US Philippines Society for allowing us to tag along in their one-day visit, I have much news to share.

Tac is back in business!

With Tacloban reclaiming its position as the center of trade and commerce and the educational hub in Eastern Visayas after the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, the Daniel Romualdez Airport has been restored and is once again, fully functioning. A huge part of its entrance was cemented for the Papal mass last January and this is reportedly going to be the site of the airport’s extension in the next few years.

More hotels and restaurants have opened since we were there last year in February. A new SM Supermarket now serves Taclobanons, along with the re-opened Robinsons Mall. Weekends, locals and visitors fill the downtown restaurants such as Ocho Seafood and Giuseppe’s Italian – a good sign that things are nearly back to normal.

The numbers back it up too. According to City Treasurer Zosima Cordaño, gross income in 2014 Quarter 3 surpassed the target of P10 million over the goal. Of the 12,900 business establishments recorded in December 2013, 60 percent renewed their permits in December 2014 along with over 1,100 applications for new establishments.

Aid from Overseas and local efforts are helping boost the economy

Progress, of course, was catalyzed by the outpouring of help from individuals, organizations and companies that took the initiative to revive livelihood.

Along with US Philippines Society officials and representatives of the media, Ms. Veronica Gabaldon of the Philippine Disaster Relief Foundation (PDRF), toured our group around Tacloban to see some of the ongoing livelihood projects supported by the Society through the funds they had collected from donations.

We stopped by Cathy’s Store, one of the 20 recipients of an early recovery program that supplied store owners with 30,000 Php worth of goods from Proctor and Gamble, Coca-Cola and USAID. The store owners, on their part, need only pay 10,000 Php back after they have recovered their investment. Gabaldon happily shared that 19 out of 20 have already paid off their commitment.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its local representatives, are also working on jumpstarting their economy by promoting their locally made products. DTI Leyte Director, Ed Belas who organized a small display of local products that included Handicrafts, delicacies and other food products for the tour, shared that they have a big local products expo they will be participating in Manila in a couple of months.

Recovery and reconstruction is visible

A similar type of “Bayanihan” – the spirit of communal unity, work and cooperation to achieve a particular goal – is mirrored in other aspects of rebuilding.

While we still spotted a few tent homes, a lot have been replaced by transitional homes such as the ones in Baranggay 101, New Kawayan, Tacloban. Gabaldon explained, they employ a policy of “sweat equity” where future residents must help build homes to be granted one. Construction of permanent housing is also underway.

We also came in time for the official turnover of the newly constructed building of the San Jose Central Elementary School to their principal, teachers and students. Reconstruction of the school building was made possible by the US Philippines Society and PDRF.
Dr. Judy Gumagay of Tacloban City Hospital also shared over the phone that they are now able to fully serve the city’s 138 baranggays. Renovations of the badly damaged hospital and its future expansion are sponsored by SM Foundation.

Finally, Anibong became popular when pictures of flattened homes amidst huge ships washed inland exploded on the internet. February 2014, we still saw these massive vessels even as makeshift houses were being built around it. When we drove by Anibong this time, we saw the ships are now gone. Only the bow of the M.V. Eva Jocelyn, one of the ships that were cut up piece by piece remains as a reminder of the lives that were lost.

What’s in Tacloban’s future and how can we help?

Tacloban is on the right track but experts all agree it takes years to recover from a catastrophe as severe as Haiyan.
In a HuffingtonPost.com article, Stephen P. Groff, Vice President of Asian Development Bank, says long-term recovery from a disaster is divided into three stages: first is humanitarian relief; followed by recovery, involving immediate repairs to shelter and infrastructure. Reconstruction is the final phase, a time for rebuilding to pre-disaster standards or even better.
He is also confident that the Philippines, with all the resources given them – plans, building codes, funds, loans, and enhanced operational capacity, will be able to deliver it.

Nevertheless, there are still many opportunities where we, fellow countrymen, can help.

Books. Two of Baron’s aunts are teachers in 3 different colleges in Tacloban. We visited them at work and chatted in a small faculty room that still smells of a mix of new paint and moldy wood. Aunt Cleta, requested that if there were any money left over from our past fundraising, perhaps, we could consider giving Divine Word University some new books.

She showed us a thick paperback calculus book whose pages are now glued together because of mold. The school library got completely flooded but is still lending books that they could salvage. I can just imagine the same is happening in schools all over the typhoon affected cities.

Would you be interested in supporting a virtual book drive? Message me.

Good Urban Planners. We noticed a number of “No Build Zone” signs displayed by the coastal areas in different cities in Leyte to disallow building any structure 40 meters from the shoreline, as written the Philippine Water Code. Some experts, however, say topography must be carefully considered in the delineation. According to Tecson Lim, former City Administrator who co-led the tour, “Tacloban needs (good) Urban Planners”, emphasizing property zoning and working towards a climate change resilient community as their top priorities.

This might be a great opportunity for Filipino Americans who want to use their expertise in something that would benefit thousands of lives back home.

Livelihood Seeders. This was a topic that often came up at the tour and especially, during our Lunch meeting with Congressman Martin Romualdez at his Tacloban home.

Addressing lunch guests — US Philippines Society Officers, Amb. John F. Maisto (Ret.), Executive Director Hank Hendrikson with wife, Amb. Anne Derse (Ret.), Amb. Tom and Jackie Hubbard, George Sycip, Henry Howard, PDRF’s Veronica Gabaldon, Tacloban Vice-Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin, Tecson Lim, Educator and Radio DJ Mark Santos, Baron Cabalona and myself, Louella Cabalona, from FYLPro (Filipino American Youth Leadership Program) — Congressman Christina Gonzales Romualdez and Councilor Romualdez encouraged visitors to come and invest in Tacloban.

Sycip, who serves as Director for MacroAsia Corp, cites the Leyte Coconut industry as a viable source of livelihood if exporting and distribution is infrastructure is further developed.

We also discussed that because fishermen and their families are being relocated further away from the shorelines to their safer, permanent homes, one critical challenge is providing them with a livelihood program that is accessible and sustainable.
Last year, DTI, US Philippines Society and PDRF launched a Livelihood Seeding program that will initially benefit around 400-500 dressmakers, food makers, food vendors and small eatery operators and other beneficiaries in the hardest hit areas of Leyte and Samar.

This is a good start and something that I hope could be emulated in other affected towns across the country.

Have you been thinking of starting a business, creating an industry or investing in the Philippines?

The best time is now.

Our Resilient Hope, most important of all.

During Pope Francis’ visit in Tacloban, he reminded us that “…even amid disaster and suffering, our God is constantly at work, making all things new”. We, too, should see this disaster as a way of creating new and better things, further, a new and better life.

Despite news of donation abuse or misuse, we should keep positive that many of countrymen truly are helping themselves have a better life.

We should trust that many in government – both local and national – are sincerely working towards the interest of our people.
And finally, believe that we, each of us, have the capacity to contribute significantly in rebuilding our typhoon ravaged cities and rebuilding our nation, as a whole.

So we must act now.
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Louella Maningas Cabalona is a singer, actor, and a business intelligence consultant. She is the co-founder of the Filipno Folk band, SamaSama Project, ILPRO (Illinois Philippines Recovery Operations) and the soon to be launched FilipinoAcademy.org. One of the 10 inaugural delegates of the FYLPro Immersion program of the Philippine Embassy in DC in 2012, she is currently pondering on starting a virtual book drive campaign for Tacloban while planning the next series of 2016 medical missions to the Philippines with her husband, Baron. If any of these adventures sound interesting to you, email louellarose@gmail.com.

 

Salvatierra Family Dinner at Ocho Seafood Restaurant to welcome Louella and Baron.

Left – Louella in between 2 ships parked on land in Anibong (Feb 2014); Right – MV Eva Jocelyn’s bow is kept as a reminder of the lives lost due to Typhoon Haiyan.

With US Philippines Society Officials and staff (from L-R), Henry Howard, Executive Director Hank Hendrikson, Amb. Anne Derse (Ret.), Amb. John F. Maisto (Ret.), Jackie and Amb. Tom Hubbard, George Sycip, and Lucille Ferraren.

Lunch at Congresman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Louella and Baron with (counter clockwise) Congressman Romualdes and Henry Howard, Jerry Sambo Yaokasin and Councilor Cristina Romualdez.

 

Veronica Gabalon (far left) with US Philippines Society officials, students, teachers, FYLPro representative Louella and Baron Cabalona and Lucille Ferraren of UPS (far right).