Long Term Initiatives to Typhoon Haiyan Victims

            Living for her family is what inspires Estineli to go an extra mile just to provide their needs. She was preparing breakfast when we arrived at their humble abode. Her older sons were preparing for school while the youngest child, Bibo, 5 years old was following her around.

            When she handed him his food, he readily sat down and began eating his sunny side-up and rice. Estineli was still cooking, stirring a green liquid in a hot casserole. She was making a fruit jelly which she will sell later while Bibo is in school. In another pot was cooked pasta, the spaghetti sauce she still had to prepare. She delivers packed spaghetti to different public schools in their area. While she was busy, her husband, Lito, talked about how Haiyan destroyed their house leaving only their bathroom intact.

            He narrated that the moment the strongest wind hit their place in Barangay Nula-Tula, he ordered his family to rush to the bathroom and hide. He made them wear helmets to protect their heads from falling debris when he saw the angry wind blowing everything around them including their roofs away. Donning jackets and covering themselves with blankets, Estineli and her children slept peacefully in the bathroom oblivious of the intensity of the havoc Haiyan wrought upon the entire Tacloban City.

            Estineli added, “Unya pag haw-as namo sa CR nahawan naman pati didto sa bukid , didi na bukid hawan na na. Unya taod-taod kanang among atubangan nagbalita na , na didto na side ang tanan nilang pamilya namatay ang usa gyud ka pamilya. Aroy ko pa kakusog pa ngay- an han bagyo! Mura laman tung wala lang kay didto man mi sa CR wa man mi didto maunsa (When we went out of the bath room the next day, everything was cleared including the uplands. Then our neighbor later informed us that a whole family was killed in the deluge. How strong the typhoon was! It seemed like nothing to us because we were inside the bathroom.”

            After Bibo ate, he motioned her older sister to help him take a bath. Estineli prepared and gave her other sons their lunch boxes and their cash allowances. They kissed their parents and before leaving I noticed that both boys stopped near a cabinet and dropped coins into a piggy bank. When I asked her about it, Estineli explained that they are saving to buy their school needs for the next school year. I was impressed. At an early age, the boys know how to save money for more important things in the future.

            After they left, she then hurried to the kitchen and transferred the green jelly liquid onto the molders to cool down. With that done quickly, she excused herself to change her clothes. She would accompany Junior to the day care center. Her husband, a freelance driver, bid goodbye to go to work.

            My eyes wandered around the house, a faint coughing sound of their sick grandmother in the background. I realized that even two years after the catastrophe, the family has barely recovered based on the condition of their dwelling place. Things were strewn here and there. Thick ropes secured the roofs to the posts to prevent them from flying should another storm hit. Parts of the wooden walls were missing. However, I realized that the family was greatly blessed to have survived the storm. Lost in my thoughts, I did not notice Bibo tugging my shirt. He was ready for school. Soon, her mother came out of the bedroom, all set to send her youngest son to the day care center.

            We walked several blocks to the learning facility. The moment Bibo got in, Estineli talked about how he has improved through the day care program. “Kamao-mao naman na siya mag-drawing, magsurat-surat ug bisan unsa, bisan asa lang pud manurat- usahay sa bungbong, sa papel. (He can draw. He can also write anything wherever he wants to, sometimes on the wall, on a paper.),” she shared, laughing loud.

            Good natured as she is, Estineli always looks at the bright side of life. She is always thankful for her family’s safety during the calamity. She is also grateful for all the help that they had received. “Nagapasalamat kog dako sa Global Giving ug Children’s Joy nga ang amo diring day care center naayad, among mga bata naka-eskwela ngari, duol ra. At least naka-save mi. Damo nga salamat. (Thank you so much, Global Giving and Children’s Joy, for providing this day care center for our children. It is also close to our home. At least, we are able to save. Thank you so much.).”  

            Travelling back home, I cannot help but admire the way Estineli live for her family. She hurdles every trial with optimism and never fails to teach her children the values they would need when they face their own trials in the future.