Narrow Escape: A CI Staff Member Recalls Typhoon’s Wrath

The devastation of Typhoon Durian is apparent in one neighborhood.

Time may heal wounds, but the scars of Typhoon Durian may last a lifetime…

When news that Typhoon Durian was about to come ashore in the Philippines, Tony Lorcha, communications coordinator for our Legazpi, Philippines, agency, and his family did the only thing they could...they faced the storm.

This is his account of that fateful event just a few months ago.

News about Durian had been spreading and it made my family fretful. First, we live in a village located in the typhoon belt and near a volcano, which places us in the path of flooding and threats from volcanic eruption. Second, our house is near the waterway and in case water rises, our place would certainly be flooded. And third, we were anxious on the stability of our house, since the wall is made only of plywood and the roof is made of corrugated metal.

When Durian made a landfall, it caused severe damage to infrastructure, houses, crops, and other properties. The storm battered our village for seven hours. It left our house completely destroyed, including the small vending store that served as my parent’s source of livelihood. We were lucky to get out before it collapsed.

Left with no other option, my family faced the wrath of the roaring winds and heavy rains outside. We crossed the already flooded area in our village and we managed to move to our new but only small concrete house, which is still under construction. We felt a little relief when we got there.

At one point, we heard cries from outside as people were screaming about the flood. The big volume of water triggered a loosening of the volcanic ash and it came tumbling down toward us along with water, sand and boulders, causing people to panic.

I went outside to have a look. I was shocked at what I saw. And I felt fear. A number of people were running fast along the streets, terrified. My parents, siblings, and the rest of our neighbors were deeply frightened by what was happening too. From our house, I could see the raging floodwater heavily flowing down from the rice fields and riverbanks.

One of my relatives, who went along with the crowd, returned and told us that the bridge that connects our village with another was destroyed. We were trapped.
……………………

Luckily, the waters and debris moved in a different direction and we were saved. But for two days we were isolated in our village. We had no food but several fathers salvaged pigs that had been carried away by the floods and that saved us from hunger.

Some of my colleagues were worried about us because they had heard the bad news. One friend told me I was listed as missing on the radio. For two days, I could not confirm that my family and I were safe because all communications were down. As soon as I could, I sent a text message to several people to let them know that we were safe…that we were alive!

Their worries for my family and me were finally over. After that, I joined other staff to begin helping sponsored families and gathering data about the destruction of our communities.

I thank God that my family is safe and nobody was hurt. We’re now starting to cope with what has happened, and trying to leave behind whatever scars this disaster has brought to us.

Losing one’s house, especially a source of livelihood, is depressing. But we won’t lose hope. Amidst these things, I strengthened my resolve to be stronger for my family and for the other families who suffered the loss of loved ones and property.

With the help of many generous donors from around the world, the affected people, including my family, are now starting to rebuild.

Tony Lorcha, upper right corner, with his family.

In My Own Words: Prudence Lewis

Ginabel's friends welcomed me.
The wonderful natural resources of the Philippines are the children.

What a blessing it was to be able to visit the children I sponsor through Children International in the Philippines.

I have sponsored two children in Metro Manila for at least 15 years. I visited Children International there the first time 8 years ago and I can see many changes.

The most exciting changes are in the child and his family. When I visited 8 years ago, Michael was a small boy and appeared fearful of me and unsure. Today he is a confident young man of 18. He has a construction job to help earn money for a college education. He hopes to be a math teacher. His mother has an air of confidence also. The father stayed home from work to see me. He was unemployed 8 years ago. Their home is somewhat expanded. Michael’s younger sister (also a sponsored child) is outgoing and joyous and instantly eager to take my hand and take charge of Cheska Joy, my other sponsored child. Cheska is 9 and has similar characteristics that Michael had 8 years ago.

Michael spoke English with me, asked questions, and quietly mentioned to me more than once that he would play basketball at the local basketball court on Sunday at 2 p.m. We all went to watch him play, and he is an excellent, fearless and fast player. What a testimony to the work of Children International.

The contribution of Children International to the individual lives of the children and their families is significant, but that is not where it stops. One of the changes since my last visit is the Children International community center. These are beautiful, clean buildings that stand out against their surroundings. The children and their families now come to these centers for most of their interactions with Children International. They are expected to help keep these buildings clean and free of trash. Thus, each beneficiary who enters feels that they are special. In the case of Michael’s family, this has carried over into all aspects of their lives.

The children I sponsor in the name of my cousin’s two children are newly sponsored. They are in the Tabaco area. They and their families tell of the hope for a brighter future. Leo is an only child who is 5. His father and mother are devoting themselves to Leo’s future. As a farmer, the father struggles to make enough to provide for Leo. But the assistance from Children International makes them optimistic for their son’s future.

In the case of Ginabel, the home where she lived with her younger siblings, her pregnant mother and her father was blown away by the typhoon that hit their island of San Miguel. The family’s new dwelling is makeshift. Her father is a fisherman, but the money paid for the fish they catch is very little. Hopefully, involvement with Children International will make it possible for Ginabel to finish school and make a better life for herself.

I visited the new Children International community center that will provide benefits for thousands of additional sponsored children in this remote but beautiful area. They assist over 1,000 children now and will soon have 5,000 sponsored children, to bring the total number of sponsored children in the Tabaco area to 23,000.

Just a few of the programs include teaching nutrition, values, and leadership skills for older sponsored children. All of these programs are invaluable. In the long run, Children International hopes to help raise the standard of living so that Filipinos can stay and make the Philippines a more prosperous country, where all people have the prospect of earning a reasonable standard of living.

There are so many more children in need of support. Hopefully, children like these can be part of Children International efforts in the future.

Typhoon Durian Update

I had a chance the other day to chat with Vicki Medrano, our regional director for Asia, regarding our ongoing efforts in the Philippines to help the survivors of Typhoon Durian. As you may recall, this was the natural disaster that brought incredible death and destruction to an area where many of our sponsored children live.

It’s hard to convey with mere words or even photos the suffering that people living in the area around Tabaco and Legazpi, in Albay province, endured as the typhoon raged through the countryside. But the outpouring of support from our sponsors left no doubt about how much you care.

The situation remains grim for many displaced families, thousands of whom remain sheltered in schoolhouses – which they must vacate early each morning so children can attend classes. They wait in the sweltering heat under the meager shelter of thin plastic tents until they can re-occupy the only slightly more comfortable classrooms at the end of the day.

This typhoon survivor was photographed by Anthony Lorcha, a Children International staff member who lost his own home to Typhoon Durian.

Children International is working closely with local government officials and our donors to provide sturdy, typhoon-resistant homes for many of these survivors. Thanks to your contributions and other funds released by the Board of Directors of Children International, much can and will be done to help.

If you’d like to know more about the tragedy in the Philippines and how our sponsors are helping, go to http://www.children.org/ and click on the “Typhoon Durian Relief” button under “Latest News and Features.”

I think you’ll be impressed by what you learn!