11APR2014 | Only Then Did I Fly to Tacloban
That's five months and two days after Yolanda/Haiyan.
Or this could have been Only then was I able to wing air tickets to Tacloban, I'm not so sure na. Basta, I knew regular commercial flights have returned sometime ago, yata!
As you would have read from my previous posts, I've been in and & out of the region after the storm (since 29NOV), but by boat to Hilongos, Catbalogan, Calbayog, Ormoc.
Thus, I was curious 'how would Tacloban look from above', 5 months after Yolanda.
A mere 11 minutes after takeoff from Cebu, here I was above Tanauan, Leyte as the plane banked left, positioning for approach to Runway 36 of Tacloban's DZR Airport.
Too many new silvery roofs, reflecting sunlight glare as our plane pass above them. I have seen those on my recent (land) travels, but they are more evident from above.
These days, we have to be cognizant of 'roof colors' while traveling in Region 8. It is an indicator of what happened to them, to understand what may be happening now.
Touch down! Blue, cream, white, gray - the usual colors of 'aid temporary shelters'.
Well those civil aviation and military structures were mostly colored blue long before Yolanda came, but easy to see that everything has been devastated. As in lahat sila!
Some buildings have even totally disappeared. How much more mere residences?
A bit of comedic curiousity... did that wind cone (the orange thing waving) withstand Yolanda's wrath? I mean, not only strong winds but the storm surge too. Kinaya nya?
Hehe, I asked my self that, because it doesn't look new to me! Ibig sabihin, nandyan na sya before Yolanda, at andyan pa rin sya ngayon? Woh, if it can only tell its story!
My air-side view of the passenger terminal building (at left, yung matingkad na blue).
Sorry folks na-excite lang po, but I have more photos below of the terminal building! My plane was still on the runway about to turn right at the corner to enter the apron.
Yes apron = tarmac, we've covered that before, right? Here we were on it, and hmm!
A private plane and a private polopokter, hmm!
I thought: at sino nanamang pulitiko ang nag-e-epal dito? But it shifted to: sige na nga, kung sino man yan, basta makakatulong talaga! Because this place really needs help.
And here it was... a real, actual, present-look of the airport to which I was arriving...
The 'nothing-but-ruins' at right (behind the train of pushcarts), all the way left to that green roof and the unpainted part (midle of pic) were airline cargo and ticket offices.
It included public toilets, a 'pasalubong center', and CAAP's VIP ek ek lounge.
And then we were in front of it - still in a ravaged state, 5 months after Yolanda.
Right-most (blue roof) is the arrival area. Well, it has been 'open-air' like that, but this far I could already see the baggage conveyor belt, ah even the public area beyond it!
The middle portion (green roof and that big WELCOME signage) is the check-in area. I could see that they've boarded it with whatever they have - against the morning sun!
Left-most portion (newer blue roof) is the pre-departure area, where passengers wait comfortably (pun intended) before being boarded unto their respective airline flights!
That's THE real, actual, live view ng airplane mo. No doors nor windows, open lang!
Okay, airplane making a final right turn so it could stop and park for us to get off na.
As discussed many articles, ago our plane's nose wheel must be on that yellow line to stop and rest. The "air marshall" at the end is already signalling/guiding our pilot.
That's it? Yes, and No. Let's have a closer look at my arrival, plus a little bit more.
Many foreigners on a regular flight to Tacloban. Unfortunately they do/did not come as tourists. They're here to bring aid, help, assistance - for the region's fast recovery.
Before going down the airstairs, I already took a picture of TAC's pre-departure area.
Kawawa is an understatement, right? But after that understatement, all I should say is bahala na you to say, kung mabilis or mabagal ba ang recovery, at least ng airport!
Oist! At least bago na yung signage sa taas. This is airside - meaning tarmac view!
I could see in that picture that there's the same signage on the other side (landside). Obvious that both are temporary tarpaulin banners. Kairo man. But oks na yan muna.
More important that the terminal is operational - not only for travelers & wanderers like us but more so for those humanitarian aid groups to be able to reach this place.
At least we can now depart-from (the area above) and to arrive-at TAC, like this...
Makalolooy gad as they say. But let's just hope this airport can still be 'reconstituted' even just to what it already was, before Yolanda came to wreak havoc in the region.
Ah, not that this was a grand, fantabulous, hi-tech, world-class airport worthy to shout to the whole world about! This was already the worst busy airport and quite wanting.
Tapos ginanyan pa ni Yolanda, di na naawa!
Well, lets wait and see. Yolanda's cruelty might have been a 'blessing in disguise' for this airport. Who knows, the silver lining might be: ire-repair na rin lang e di ayusin na!
That would be suntok sa buwan, but let's still hope. Why? Eh, you know how it works in this country, "patronage development". Kesehudang nangangamatay na ang mga tao, uunahin ng mga naka-upo ang kanilang political pursuits. Itong airport pa kaya?
The leaders of Tacloban aren't in the good graces of the leaders at Malacañang, we have seen that on the news, remember? So good luck sa DZR Airport, hindi Aquino!
Haaay hehehe, ganyan yan, kaya suntok sa buwan!
Anyway, outside, though I was being rushed, I saw the public front of this airport.
Green roof would have been the Cargo and Airline Offices I mentioned earlier above.
To the left of that pic above, continuing to this one below, was the CAAP VIP ek ek!
This is the 'nothing-but-ruins' I saw as the plane taxied in earlier. But as you can see (even at just a glance), halatang 'in better progress' sya, than the passenger terminal.
Syempre government e! Uunahin yan ni CAAP para me tambayan ang kanyang mga diyos sa national government na nunka makihalubilo sa public kapag hindi election!
Pag di mo inuna yan, sige, papalitan ka, bukas agad. Like that yan! You want?!
After turning left in front of the new and already done CAAP Office, I saw this:
I smiled and said "wow, si Jet Setter me signage na, at me hashtag pang nalalaman o"! Oh, the one beside is/was Happy Landing, and at least it is about to rise again soon.
Turning left again, to ford the way to the city, I remembered this area was all trees & bushes. Now we see that Yolanda has revealed some of them, in devastated state.
That area is part of the vast police regional training center, that most of us, civilians, never really saw. I would assume that tent was also 'pitched' by them after Yolanda.
I could see knocked concrete electrical poles, surely done by the super typhoon too.
Alright. Exiting the airport area, eateries here looked erased too, but rising back up.
But this container van at right, yep, it's a shipping container, is now PAL's ticket office.
I'm still guessing though, why that airstairs truck is there. Hey, the airport terminal is way at left, after the parking area. That truck couldn't have been blown by the storm winds nor even washed by the tsunami-like storm surge across so many structures!
My hunch is, PAL placed that there for some "McGyver-like" panandaliang solusyon! Maybe to provide weight or anchor (in case mag-Yolanda uli) since the container van is very light. Maybe even to provide power as that truck can produce energy, ambot!
Beside, and after that airstairs is the Cebu Pacific/Tiger Air "ticket office". Don't look for anything much, it looks just like an open air desk. Yung transacting 'al fresco' ba!
Hah, I'm just making it look funny and fun, but really, everything is a feat here.
After that Cebu Pacific makeshift desk is the row of eateries, also re-emerging. Sige padayon la! Bangon Tacloban! Resilient. That is what Warays are known for anyway.
But some of the eateries and other businesses in the area are not as fast. Sige la!
It's been 5 months since Yolanda, exactly 154 days today. Most of everywhere I look are still struggling even with help from all over earth. Nag-bayanihan na ang mundo.
Ah I can see & sense, this won't be fast & easy.
I looked left as we exited the parking lot, oy the big Talisay & Mango are still alive!
An lanyog ha butnga ada pa liwat! Pruned to minimum, yet they are all still standing.
Those trees are/were already part of many an air traveler's story. Aside from they've been my tambayan yosi-an before entering the airport, many have sought protection from sun and rain under them, while waiting for their various rides (public or private).
As you can see, that area is like a roundabout, the farthest that airport jeeps can go, (some 150m from arrival area) so that's where they pick passegers going downtown.
Back to my right side as we sped out (nagmamadali going to Pastrana), mostly trees were the typhoon victims since this was/is being developed to be the future tarmac.
I have not seen or heard reliable talk about it, but it looks like the coming passenger terminal will be somewhere to the right facing Cancabato Bay and the city across it.
This here where we were driving-by would soon? be the tarmac (aka apron, where all planes park and wait). The 'concreting work' was already in progress before Yolanda.
The question, ang tanong, an pakiana is... when, kailan, san-o... pa?
After that airport vicinity, the sight of San Jose district residences made me silent.
There are really no more real houses, since all of them are only temporarily patched here and there with those materials handed out by humanitarian aid groups. Totally.
Well I recalled this (San Jose), is the area where big waves hit from two sides as this is a peninsular land mass, sandwiched between two bays (Cancabato & San Pablo).
This area is called Costa Brava, the narrowest land between the two bays.
That's only about 300 meters from one side to the other, with the road in the middle. I can't even imagine how the storm surged here, coming from both left & right sides.
I requested to have a little detour towards Yolanda's (Eatery) just for a quick glance, as I remembered it (circa 2012) to be right on the beach facing San Pablo Bay. OMG!
Too many houses literally gone...
Tent at left: where Yolanda's Eatery was. Structure in the middle: what is left of their barangay hall. House being built at right: what will soon become a Yolanda's Eatery.
Onwards, nearing the city center, I saw Burayan Creek. Nothing grand nor fancy. It is just a creek but was "news" because the surge purportedly rushed inland through it.
I heard that due to many shanties along the creek, surging water killed many people.
I could just imagine, it must've been sudden and in vast volumes, for it to end many lives. Sorry po, hanggang imagine lang tayo, I haven't yet seen nor felt a 'storm surge'.
I also heard: Burayan Bridge was damaged by heavy things washed to it by Yolanda.
This time, 154 days after Yolanda, it is supported by steel plates, beams, posts, etc.
A big part of their covered court isn't only "uncovered" but crumpled to the ground!
Driver told me, the long line of people in there, is probably for distribution of various forms of aid, from various donor groups. Good to see that assistance is still around.
And we reached the roundabout in front of the Coca-Cola bottling plant.
Recovery and reconstruction might not be done yet, but I see there is improvement.
Alright, we didn't go straight or right to the city. We were heading for Pastrana.
But that should be another story.
Or this could have been Only then was I able to wing air tickets to Tacloban, I'm not so sure na. Basta, I knew regular commercial flights have returned sometime ago, yata!
As you would have read from my previous posts, I've been in and & out of the region after the storm (since 29NOV), but by boat to Hilongos, Catbalogan, Calbayog, Ormoc.
Thus, I was curious 'how would Tacloban look from above', 5 months after Yolanda.
A mere 11 minutes after takeoff from Cebu, here I was above Tanauan, Leyte as the plane banked left, positioning for approach to Runway 36 of Tacloban's DZR Airport.
These days, we have to be cognizant of 'roof colors' while traveling in Region 8. It is an indicator of what happened to them, to understand what may be happening now.
Touch down! Blue, cream, white, gray - the usual colors of 'aid temporary shelters'.
Some buildings have even totally disappeared. How much more mere residences?
Hehe, I asked my self that, because it doesn't look new to me! Ibig sabihin, nandyan na sya before Yolanda, at andyan pa rin sya ngayon? Woh, if it can only tell its story!
My air-side view of the passenger terminal building (at left, yung matingkad na blue).
Yes apron = tarmac, we've covered that before, right? Here we were on it, and hmm!
I thought: at sino nanamang pulitiko ang nag-e-epal dito? But it shifted to: sige na nga, kung sino man yan, basta makakatulong talaga! Because this place really needs help.
And here it was... a real, actual, present-look of the airport to which I was arriving...
It included public toilets, a 'pasalubong center', and CAAP's VIP ek ek lounge.
And then we were in front of it - still in a ravaged state, 5 months after Yolanda.
The middle portion (green roof and that big WELCOME signage) is the check-in area. I could see that they've boarded it with whatever they have - against the morning sun!
Left-most portion (newer blue roof) is the pre-departure area, where passengers wait comfortably (pun intended) before being boarded unto their respective airline flights!
That's THE real, actual, live view ng airplane mo. No doors nor windows, open lang!
Okay, airplane making a final right turn so it could stop and park for us to get off na.
That's it? Yes, and No. Let's have a closer look at my arrival, plus a little bit more.
Before going down the airstairs, I already took a picture of TAC's pre-departure area.
Oist! At least bago na yung signage sa taas. This is airside - meaning tarmac view!
More important that the terminal is operational - not only for travelers & wanderers like us but more so for those humanitarian aid groups to be able to reach this place.
At least we can now depart-from (the area above) and to arrive-at TAC, like this...
Ah, not that this was a grand, fantabulous, hi-tech, world-class airport worthy to shout to the whole world about! This was already the worst busy airport and quite wanting.
Tapos ginanyan pa ni Yolanda, di na naawa!
Well, lets wait and see. Yolanda's cruelty might have been a 'blessing in disguise' for this airport. Who knows, the silver lining might be: ire-repair na rin lang e di ayusin na!
That would be suntok sa buwan, but let's still hope. Why? Eh, you know how it works in this country, "patronage development". Kesehudang nangangamatay na ang mga tao, uunahin ng mga naka-upo ang kanilang political pursuits. Itong airport pa kaya?
The leaders of Tacloban aren't in the good graces of the leaders at Malacañang, we have seen that on the news, remember? So good luck sa DZR Airport, hindi Aquino!
Haaay hehehe, ganyan yan, kaya suntok sa buwan!
Anyway, outside, though I was being rushed, I saw the public front of this airport.
To the left of that pic above, continuing to this one below, was the CAAP VIP ek ek!
Syempre government e! Uunahin yan ni CAAP para me tambayan ang kanyang mga diyos sa national government na nunka makihalubilo sa public kapag hindi election!
Pag di mo inuna yan, sige, papalitan ka, bukas agad. Like that yan! You want?!
After turning left in front of the new and already done CAAP Office, I saw this:
Turning left again, to ford the way to the city, I remembered this area was all trees & bushes. Now we see that Yolanda has revealed some of them, in devastated state.
I could see knocked concrete electrical poles, surely done by the super typhoon too.
Alright. Exiting the airport area, eateries here looked erased too, but rising back up.
I'm still guessing though, why that airstairs truck is there. Hey, the airport terminal is way at left, after the parking area. That truck couldn't have been blown by the storm winds nor even washed by the tsunami-like storm surge across so many structures!
My hunch is, PAL placed that there for some "McGyver-like" panandaliang solusyon! Maybe to provide weight or anchor (in case mag-Yolanda uli) since the container van is very light. Maybe even to provide power as that truck can produce energy, ambot!
Beside, and after that airstairs is the Cebu Pacific/Tiger Air "ticket office". Don't look for anything much, it looks just like an open air desk. Yung transacting 'al fresco' ba!
Hah, I'm just making it look funny and fun, but really, everything is a feat here.
After that Cebu Pacific makeshift desk is the row of eateries, also re-emerging. Sige padayon la! Bangon Tacloban! Resilient. That is what Warays are known for anyway.
But some of the eateries and other businesses in the area are not as fast. Sige la!
Ah I can see & sense, this won't be fast & easy.
I looked left as we exited the parking lot, oy the big Talisay & Mango are still alive!
Those trees are/were already part of many an air traveler's story. Aside from they've been my tambayan yosi-an before entering the airport, many have sought protection from sun and rain under them, while waiting for their various rides (public or private).
As you can see, that area is like a roundabout, the farthest that airport jeeps can go, (some 150m from arrival area) so that's where they pick passegers going downtown.
Back to my right side as we sped out (nagmamadali going to Pastrana), mostly trees were the typhoon victims since this was/is being developed to be the future tarmac.
This here where we were driving-by would soon? be the tarmac (aka apron, where all planes park and wait). The 'concreting work' was already in progress before Yolanda.
The question, ang tanong, an pakiana is... when, kailan, san-o... pa?
After that airport vicinity, the sight of San Jose district residences made me silent.
Well I recalled this (San Jose), is the area where big waves hit from two sides as this is a peninsular land mass, sandwiched between two bays (Cancabato & San Pablo).
This area is called Costa Brava, the narrowest land between the two bays.
I requested to have a little detour towards Yolanda's (Eatery) just for a quick glance, as I remembered it (circa 2012) to be right on the beach facing San Pablo Bay. OMG!
Too many houses literally gone...
Onwards, nearing the city center, I saw Burayan Creek. Nothing grand nor fancy. It is just a creek but was "news" because the surge purportedly rushed inland through it.
I could just imagine, it must've been sudden and in vast volumes, for it to end many lives. Sorry po, hanggang imagine lang tayo, I haven't yet seen nor felt a 'storm surge'.
I also heard: Burayan Bridge was damaged by heavy things washed to it by Yolanda.
A big part of their covered court isn't only "uncovered" but crumpled to the ground!
And we reached the roundabout in front of the Coca-Cola bottling plant.
Alright, we didn't go straight or right to the city. We were heading for Pastrana.
But that should be another story.
#EasternVisayas #TravelPhilippines #TaclobanCity
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