Tormented Tacloban
Let us not even talk about the undying support of this country’s sitting president and his DILG head (and wife!), to the city of Tacloban. They'll only trouble the heart more.
They're now very popular on the web! Yun naman ang hanap nila, di ba? Merese!
But let’s continue my story and here are shots as I entered the devastated city. Note that these were right-side only where my van passed, not where/what I wanted to see.
Note too that this starts in Palo, after my van passed the main poblacion area going northeastwards to Tacloban proper. To say "depressing" is a gross understatement.
That is(was) a lovely residential compound I've admired-seeing way before Yolanda.
These are(were) their next door neighbors, exactly 22 days after the super typhoon.
From this shot, I could already see the Iglesia Ni Cristo of Brgy. Guindapunan, Palo.
To the left of my running van, before I clicked this photo, was the Mormon Church. I wanted to take a picture of that one too, but not a chance, I was at Seat No. 8! Argh!
They both looked fine, so I thought 'ah me pera kasi, so they were able to repair ASAP', which, I incidentally heard, was exactly, verbally expressed by one fellow passenger.
Okay na sana to believe our baseless presumptions, but our madaldaling driver loudly jokingly cracked "mas love sila ni God, kasi di masyado sinira ang mga simbahan nila"!
And I laughed loud when a lady passenger said "asya na, kasakit gad hit kamatuoran"!
By the way, that pink single level building seem to have also withstood Yolanda's ire. Di ko pa alam kung ano yan, basta the façade says Manila Teachers' tapos wala na!
Then ruble and ruins again. I don't (didn't) know what these buildings are (were).
I did see the mangled façade of that one at left, and saw a word that said "industry". Maybe it is/was the regional offices of the Department of Trade and Industry or DTI.
Probably so, as by all indications, we should have been passing at the "Government Center" which is still part of Palo, Leyte, but right by its boundary with Tacloban City.
So let me assume for now, subject to anyone's correction that, that is/was DTI 8.
Right next to DTI, this one is the regional office of National Food Authority or NFA.
There's their logo, kitangkita pa o! I think there's no warehouse in there. Offices lang.
So and by the way, for those who read or heard the news, that reported looting of an NFA warehouse did not happen here (Palo), and there's no known NFA warehouse in Tacloban City. I checked the facts, it happened in Alang-alang, 2 towns before Palo!
Which naturally means, I must have passed by that area earlier. Hmm, maybe that is why I saw police/military checkpoints along the way? To catch looters? Probably so!
I don't know yet (but I will, soon) as to what this big white block of a building is/was.
I was (in my mind) about to applaud that it was still standing proud after Yolanda, but next second I realized, that is what's left of a building - the middle of which collapsed!
Haruy gino-o ko. I hope there were no people in there.
I am (was?) familiar though, with that building with a curved (concave) roof. This:
It is/was a known place even before Yolanda. Many friends and colleagues refer to it as "lak" - meaning LAC for Leyte Academic Center. Well, the events building of "lak"!
Sorry na if you noticed. We were overtaking that trailer truck when I clicked. Okay na sana, but I missed a major detail at left edge of photo - covered by the truck's head!
Yes, that green roof at left.
So, I clicked again. Blurred but tanggapable na as proof or evidence hehehe. Andok's!
Yup, Andok's Palo was one of the first few establishments to have opened in metro Tacloban areas after Yolanda - to the relief of many relief/aid/recovery/media staff!
I remembered, a few days ago, a doctor-friend texted, that it took them more than 2 hours lining up for food at that same place. She said too ang pila hanggang kalsada.
The curious and interesting part was, she said "masaya ito, it looks like all the relief & recovery people from all over the world are also lining up with us. Pwede mag-meeting!"
Next to Andok's, this is the main entrance of Leyte Academic Center.
Just glancing quickly, the building does look like it wasn't ravaged that much. But if you look closely at my blurry photo, 'bugbog-sarado din sya', with roof portions gone.
A known intersection. Many consider this to be the "entrance" to government center.
At right (not in photo, only their fence) is BIR Region 8. That road goes to the regional offices of most government agencies - ending at the Leyte Landing Memorial Park.
That memorial by the shores of Red Beach, is commonly called MacArthur Memorial or MacArthur Shrine by locals, drivers, or even tour guides. It's a national monument!
You will want to know many accounts telling that Yolanda's storm surge reached up to this corner - which is about 1 and a half kilometer from where MacArthur stands.
Oist, I want to go back there, hopefully to see some of the statues knocked down by Yolanda's waves. They are 'bigger-than-human' statues made of steel and concrete.
Tas natumba ng alon? Eh, at a high elevation ang memorial na yan ah! Mas mataas pa sa kalsada. Hmn, if it was the wind, grabe ang lakas, if it was the wave, mygaad!
Okay, back to that photo above, the structure in the middle is DOST 8, while that one at left is one of the buildings of "Pisay" or Philippine Science High School or PSHS.
This is now the roadside view of this 'nerd school' - which was hardly seen before.
Ahw, passing by this campus before Yolanda, you'd just to have imagine how things looked inside since it was beautifully covered by big trees everywhere front to back.
I silently said "parang sa DTI building, warak lahat". But, I do know that many of those buildings will be up faster than other government edifices. Educational institution eh.
Alright. We were in Tacloban, I took this pic, yet I still don't know what it is or was:
All I could say was grabe ito! Not only the roof but even its concrete parts collapsed. Maybe one of the olden bodegas (warehouses) common to this area of Marasbaras.
Unfortunately, I was on a van's Seat No. 8, with no chance of looking to the left side, where other would be interesting to see places are - like City Hospital, Robinsons etc.
The next click-worthy sight was this GSIS Building when someone alighted here.
It was actually a fellow passenger who first noticed when he said "napeke kita, yerro manla ngay-an iton" referring to the roof! I smiled hearing that, and took that picture.
I silently agreed to his comment! That building is one of those sturdier, squat-looking buildings in the area, and yes, I too thought its roof was concrete! Ayun, natuklap la!
A prominent corner with nothing but a gas station, and now there's nothing. Look:
Only a skeleton of the roof is left. Every structure on ground, including the pumps are gone - whether swept-away by the big wave or removed-just-the-same by the owners.
That is an important corner for us who like commuting to TAC airport. That is where the peninsular land mass of San Jose District, and the Airport Road (~5kms) starts.
Sakayan at babaan yan to/from the airport for passengers from southern areas, like Robinson's Place (na actually pwede lakarin), Palo and other towns - even Maasin pa!
Well, commuters from all of Leyte and Biliran! They ride buses, jeeps or vans to that corner, then hop unto jeeps coming from Tacloban city proper headed to the airport.
Even a few who know, ride jeeps from EVSU, Abucay Terminal or V&G to this rotunda, then hop to those San Jose/Airport jeeps that only come from downtown via Real St.
So dear commuters, there is your corner. Wala nang masisilungan!
The corner across is even a more known landmark - Coke & San Miguel Beer plants. This is where you get off your jeep from the airport, when reversing the above route!
Ah if you've seen this corner anytime in the past (before Yolanda), your heart would bleed at that scene. Where'd all the rubbish come from? At 22 days after the storm?
At bakit me baha? Kelan pa nagkabaha sa rotunda na'to? It's already the sea behind this plant. Water just flows out to Cancabato Bay. 'Di na nakalabas dahil sa debris?
Grabe. Look, it's not only trash or debris that the storm brought. Ayan o, there's mud and muck! Aw, the glass walls seem to be still complete. But, will the plant still run?!
Memories memories... as children, even standing where those vehicles now are, we could watch the thousands of bottles running fast on their production belts in there.
Even if I now live near the Mandaue Plant, I still wish to see this facility operating as before. It is/was here I could watch actual bottling runs even from the road outside.
Oh, the van didn't go straight to Real St. but turned left to pass via Maharlika Hiway.
Driver told us there is always heavy traffic along Real St. due to a lot of debris being cleaned up. And he pointed to our right while saying "parehas hiton" [just like those].
A fellow passenger who seemed to be in-the-know (maybe an engineer) was telling others that it would take a long time for the city to clean up those rubble and debris.
I listened - especially the part where he was saying "buti pa ang binomba o nasunog" [since a lot of things would have been reduced to ashes - and easier to scoop away]
He was saying: in this situation, everyone must contend with ruined materials from their houses or buildings (wind caused), and those things swept ashore by the sea.
"You cannot just push or tug at those downed or leaning heavy electrical posts and wires". "They could cause a chain of reactions that may harm people or structures".
He further said "more equipment than what the region already has will be needed". And a lady said 'Diosko asa man na pangitaon'. It dawned on me, nothing here will be easy.
So our van circled via city outskirts, entering at Mate Ave., down to Avenida Rizal.
That meant I haven't really seen the middle part of the city, which, I heard, wasn't as ruined, compared to those by the seaside. Kaso, 3 sides of Tacloban are by the sea!
Anyway, I told my self, if this van was going to its terminal, I'd definitely see water.
But I immediately noticed, there were so many people here (Avenida Rizal), plus so many vendors on the sidewalks - which does not happen unless fiesta ng Tacloban!
Others noticed that too. Driver told us, vendors were even requested to sell here, as the public market (a block to the left) was still in ruins & full of that muddy sediment.
Yuck! Okay I am learning something new. But I'll bet, if you're Pinoy, this is also a 1st time you've seen or heard about that black, muddy, smelly thing brought by a storm!
Basta, pangit sya. The pangitest I've seen and smelled after a typhoon!
Aha! This Jollibee was on the news! Di daw inabot ng tubig ang 2nd floor!
When I heard that news, I even said dapat lang - because that is the only Jollibee on earth, na ayoko umakyat sa 2nd floor. It's so high, parang 3rd floor with steep stairs.
In my mind I said, if water reached that Jollibee's 2nd floor, grabeng tsunami yun!
And aha this McDonald's! This was also on the news that made me cringe.
People interviewed on news reports said: only that white upper part of the roof was seen during the deluge. How could they have seen it? From 2nd floor of Jollibee daw!
Anyway, looking at those people on the ground now, we could already imagine, how high the rushing wave was. From behind it, that is already part of the Tacloban port.
Although this photo is a bit overexposed, here's a view of the rest of Avenida Rizal.
At left (not seen) is McDonald's and the port for small boats. The building at right is Shopping Center -in the middle of it (entrance at that far end of the street) is Gaisano.
That far end of the street, with a blue fence, is the SaveMore Building in the making. I wonder how it is. If at all, only scaffoldings should've been blown or washed away.
That white and brown building at left is where this van should make a slight left turn and proceed onwards, for behind that building is GrandTours terminal our final stop.
As we made a slight left turn, McDo is at left, that's the port area on Panalaron Bay.
That other side of the bay (near the hills, I can see the INC church) is Anibong District.
It's a long coastal area, maybe 2kms. That's where many deaths were also reported, and where some of the big ships & barges were pushed ashore by the storm surge.
Oy, not plainly "ashore" as if they were simply "beached". They were pushed to areas on shore where hundreds or thousands of informal settlers along the coast resided.
I heard some deaths were due to those ships trampling on dwellings. OMG 'no?
Anyway, here was my van entering Trece Martires St., the road nearest to the port.
Buildings mainly warehouses so they look somehow fine - just with heaps of trash or debris already swept to the sides of the street, awaiting pickup by whoever will/can.
I got curious why this big old house is still standing - even the windows seem fine.
Not that I wish it was ruined by the storm too, just wondering what made it survive.
It, and the other big old house beside it (middle of this picture below). Survivors!
If you've been frequenting this area (e.g., riding Grand Tours), you would also wonder like I did - I still do. In fact, even before Yolanda, I already called them "shell houses".
They are just "shells" really. Not anymore real big homes - just roof and walls. I think that other one was not even anymore totally roofed. Nothing inside but blank space.
Before Yolanda pa yan ha? They were actually just bodega or copra warehouses!
Era-old & beautiful outside, but hollow inside, as in no vertical nor horizontal partition. That was why I called them 'shells' - just the case, carapace, balat, parot, binalok-an!
That was how I described them in 2010 or earlier! Bodega nga eh!
Yet they survived. Amazing, especially that their backs were first to be slapped hard by the big waves - since behind them was/is already the sea - the Port of Tacloban.
Anyway, we arrived, I got off the van, and...
I also noted that Trece Martires St., is already clear of major obstructions. Probably because it's the main thoroughfare that big vehicles use (for aid, relief and recovery).
But for the smaller transversal streets, more work needs to be done, like at this:
The orange-and-white building at left is the post office. Next to it is probably another government office. That grey thing out there (middle of pic) is a Philippine Navy ship.
Yes, the armed forces and other entities from all over the world are here to help too. Nagbayanihan na ang buong mundo. I think this was the point of a fellow passenger who earlier said Yolanda-hit areas need professional help on the aspect of cleaning up.
Same perspective, I just backed away to capture the bigger scene on this street.
Yep, same everything like in the above photo. Just add in part of the VS Grant Tours Terminal at right, and a maroon car that opted to park like that under a leaning post!
Aw, speaking of maroon...
GrandTours drivers & staff told me water was up above the terminal's maroon paint.
I saw traces of that waterline as I walked around. Just a little above that, nag-marka doon sa yellow paint! At 2nd level, their drivers' quarter, nabasa lang daw ang sahig!
We might say it was not really that high a water level, right? But I tried imagining, if I was here, and there was black, smelly, water with debris rampaging in this area? Da!
Note: this area is a higher elevation than the McDo store (photo above) that is about 200 meters to the left. If water reached the post's maroon paint, lulubog nga si McDo.
Not a nice feeling standing here -as I waited for my friends- ha! Napapa-imagine ka ng kung anu-ano eh! I interviewed a manang vendor instead, at the sidewalk at left!
The ticket counter windows of Grand Tours terminal has lampara, sulo, serilya!
Staff told me that is what they use when it gets dark (to light their evenings), or when it's still dark (to brighten up their mornings) - since their genset was also submerged.
Oh well, everyone is picking up the pieces. I started asking, soliciting, hearing many stories along the way, even from drivers and vendors. Almost everything is very sad.
But there are also funny recollections, stories of bravery, resilience and triumph.
Every local I talk-to, howsoever they were affected by Yolanda, usually ends up with "unsaon pa man, padayon lang"; "pag-aanhon ta man, padayon na gad la an kinabuhi".
That roughly translates to "What else can we do anyway? We have to live on"!
I will probably lump all those tales of woe or wonder at the end of my many stories - I'm sure there will be a lot. I hope I was a better storyteller and better photographer!
For now, let me continue roaming around! Let's go to Samar.
For a chronology of this trip's stories, click these numbers:
They're now very popular on the web! Yun naman ang hanap nila, di ba? Merese!
But let’s continue my story and here are shots as I entered the devastated city. Note that these were right-side only where my van passed, not where/what I wanted to see.
Note too that this starts in Palo, after my van passed the main poblacion area going northeastwards to Tacloban proper. To say "depressing" is a gross understatement.
These are(were) their next door neighbors, exactly 22 days after the super typhoon.
To the left of my running van, before I clicked this photo, was the Mormon Church. I wanted to take a picture of that one too, but not a chance, I was at Seat No. 8! Argh!
Okay na sana to believe our baseless presumptions, but our madaldaling driver loudly jokingly cracked "mas love sila ni God, kasi di masyado sinira ang mga simbahan nila"!
By the way, that pink single level building seem to have also withstood Yolanda's ire. Di ko pa alam kung ano yan, basta the façade says Manila Teachers' tapos wala na!
Then ruble and ruins again. I don't (didn't) know what these buildings are (were).
Probably so, as by all indications, we should have been passing at the "Government Center" which is still part of Palo, Leyte, but right by its boundary with Tacloban City.
So let me assume for now, subject to anyone's correction that, that is/was DTI 8.
Right next to DTI, this one is the regional office of National Food Authority or NFA.
Which naturally means, I must have passed by that area earlier. Hmm, maybe that is why I saw police/military checkpoints along the way? To catch looters? Probably so!
I don't know yet (but I will, soon) as to what this big white block of a building is/was.
Haruy gino-o ko. I hope there were no people in there.
I am (was?) familiar though, with that building with a curved (concave) roof. This:
Sorry na if you noticed. We were overtaking that trailer truck when I clicked. Okay na sana, but I missed a major detail at left edge of photo - covered by the truck's head!
Yes, that green roof at left.
So, I clicked again. Blurred but tanggapable na as proof or evidence hehehe. Andok's!
I remembered, a few days ago, a doctor-friend texted, that it took them more than 2 hours lining up for food at that same place. She said too ang pila hanggang kalsada.
The curious and interesting part was, she said "masaya ito, it looks like all the relief & recovery people from all over the world are also lining up with us. Pwede mag-meeting!"
Next to Andok's, this is the main entrance of Leyte Academic Center.
A known intersection. Many consider this to be the "entrance" to government center.
That memorial by the shores of Red Beach, is commonly called MacArthur Memorial or MacArthur Shrine by locals, drivers, or even tour guides. It's a national monument!
You will want to know many accounts telling that Yolanda's storm surge reached up to this corner - which is about 1 and a half kilometer from where MacArthur stands.
Oist, I want to go back there, hopefully to see some of the statues knocked down by Yolanda's waves. They are 'bigger-than-human' statues made of steel and concrete.
Tas natumba ng alon? Eh, at a high elevation ang memorial na yan ah! Mas mataas pa sa kalsada. Hmn, if it was the wind, grabe ang lakas, if it was the wave, mygaad!
Okay, back to that photo above, the structure in the middle is DOST 8, while that one at left is one of the buildings of "Pisay" or Philippine Science High School or PSHS.
This is now the roadside view of this 'nerd school' - which was hardly seen before.
Alright. We were in Tacloban, I took this pic, yet I still don't know what it is or was:
Unfortunately, I was on a van's Seat No. 8, with no chance of looking to the left side, where other would be interesting to see places are - like City Hospital, Robinsons etc.
The next click-worthy sight was this GSIS Building when someone alighted here.
I silently agreed to his comment! That building is one of those sturdier, squat-looking buildings in the area, and yes, I too thought its roof was concrete! Ayun, natuklap la!
A prominent corner with nothing but a gas station, and now there's nothing. Look:
That is an important corner for us who like commuting to TAC airport. That is where the peninsular land mass of San Jose District, and the Airport Road (~5kms) starts.
Sakayan at babaan yan to/from the airport for passengers from southern areas, like Robinson's Place (na actually pwede lakarin), Palo and other towns - even Maasin pa!
Well, commuters from all of Leyte and Biliran! They ride buses, jeeps or vans to that corner, then hop unto jeeps coming from Tacloban city proper headed to the airport.
Even a few who know, ride jeeps from EVSU, Abucay Terminal or V&G to this rotunda, then hop to those San Jose/Airport jeeps that only come from downtown via Real St.
So dear commuters, there is your corner. Wala nang masisilungan!
The corner across is even a more known landmark - Coke & San Miguel Beer plants. This is where you get off your jeep from the airport, when reversing the above route!
At bakit me baha? Kelan pa nagkabaha sa rotunda na'to? It's already the sea behind this plant. Water just flows out to Cancabato Bay. 'Di na nakalabas dahil sa debris?
Memories memories... as children, even standing where those vehicles now are, we could watch the thousands of bottles running fast on their production belts in there.
Even if I now live near the Mandaue Plant, I still wish to see this facility operating as before. It is/was here I could watch actual bottling runs even from the road outside.
Oh, the van didn't go straight to Real St. but turned left to pass via Maharlika Hiway.
A fellow passenger who seemed to be in-the-know (maybe an engineer) was telling others that it would take a long time for the city to clean up those rubble and debris.
I listened - especially the part where he was saying "buti pa ang binomba o nasunog" [since a lot of things would have been reduced to ashes - and easier to scoop away]
He was saying: in this situation, everyone must contend with ruined materials from their houses or buildings (wind caused), and those things swept ashore by the sea.
"You cannot just push or tug at those downed or leaning heavy electrical posts and wires". "They could cause a chain of reactions that may harm people or structures".
He further said "more equipment than what the region already has will be needed". And a lady said 'Diosko asa man na pangitaon'. It dawned on me, nothing here will be easy.
So our van circled via city outskirts, entering at Mate Ave., down to Avenida Rizal.
Anyway, I told my self, if this van was going to its terminal, I'd definitely see water.
Others noticed that too. Driver told us, vendors were even requested to sell here, as the public market (a block to the left) was still in ruins & full of that muddy sediment.
Yuck! Okay I am learning something new. But I'll bet, if you're Pinoy, this is also a 1st time you've seen or heard about that black, muddy, smelly thing brought by a storm!
Basta, pangit sya. The pangitest I've seen and smelled after a typhoon!
Aha! This Jollibee was on the news! Di daw inabot ng tubig ang 2nd floor!
In my mind I said, if water reached that Jollibee's 2nd floor, grabeng tsunami yun!
And aha this McDonald's! This was also on the news that made me cringe.
Although this photo is a bit overexposed, here's a view of the rest of Avenida Rizal.
That far end of the street, with a blue fence, is the SaveMore Building in the making. I wonder how it is. If at all, only scaffoldings should've been blown or washed away.
That white and brown building at left is where this van should make a slight left turn and proceed onwards, for behind that building is GrandTours terminal our final stop.
As we made a slight left turn, McDo is at left, that's the port area on Panalaron Bay.
It's a long coastal area, maybe 2kms. That's where many deaths were also reported, and where some of the big ships & barges were pushed ashore by the storm surge.
Oy, not plainly "ashore" as if they were simply "beached". They were pushed to areas on shore where hundreds or thousands of informal settlers along the coast resided.
I heard some deaths were due to those ships trampling on dwellings. OMG 'no?
Anyway, here was my van entering Trece Martires St., the road nearest to the port.
I got curious why this big old house is still standing - even the windows seem fine.
It, and the other big old house beside it (middle of this picture below). Survivors!
They are just "shells" really. Not anymore real big homes - just roof and walls. I think that other one was not even anymore totally roofed. Nothing inside but blank space.
Before Yolanda pa yan ha? They were actually just bodega or copra warehouses!
Era-old & beautiful outside, but hollow inside, as in no vertical nor horizontal partition. That was why I called them 'shells' - just the case, carapace, balat, parot, binalok-an!
That was how I described them in 2010 or earlier! Bodega nga eh!
Yet they survived. Amazing, especially that their backs were first to be slapped hard by the big waves - since behind them was/is already the sea - the Port of Tacloban.
Anyway, we arrived, I got off the van, and...
I also noted that Trece Martires St., is already clear of major obstructions. Probably because it's the main thoroughfare that big vehicles use (for aid, relief and recovery).
But for the smaller transversal streets, more work needs to be done, like at this:
Yes, the armed forces and other entities from all over the world are here to help too. Nagbayanihan na ang buong mundo. I think this was the point of a fellow passenger who earlier said Yolanda-hit areas need professional help on the aspect of cleaning up.
Same perspective, I just backed away to capture the bigger scene on this street.
Aw, speaking of maroon...
GrandTours drivers & staff told me water was up above the terminal's maroon paint.
We might say it was not really that high a water level, right? But I tried imagining, if I was here, and there was black, smelly, water with debris rampaging in this area? Da!
Not a nice feeling standing here -as I waited for my friends- ha! Napapa-imagine ka ng kung anu-ano eh! I interviewed a manang vendor instead, at the sidewalk at left!
The ticket counter windows of Grand Tours terminal has lampara, sulo, serilya!
Oh well, everyone is picking up the pieces. I started asking, soliciting, hearing many stories along the way, even from drivers and vendors. Almost everything is very sad.
But there are also funny recollections, stories of bravery, resilience and triumph.
Every local I talk-to, howsoever they were affected by Yolanda, usually ends up with "unsaon pa man, padayon lang"; "pag-aanhon ta man, padayon na gad la an kinabuhi".
That roughly translates to "What else can we do anyway? We have to live on"!
I will probably lump all those tales of woe or wonder at the end of my many stories - I'm sure there will be a lot. I hope I was a better storyteller and better photographer!
For now, let me continue roaming around! Let's go to Samar.
#EasternVisayas #TravelPhilippines
For a chronology of this trip's stories, click these numbers:
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