22APR2014 | Flying To See Tacloban Again
Eleven days after I flew in (also from Cebu), here I was again - on my second entry to Tacloban by air, after Yolanda/Haiyan ravaged the city - ah the whole region actually.
How did I get out of Tacloban anyway?
Ahehe, I thought you wouldn't ask. But I exited on the 16th via Calbayog. Remember this? Yep, I went home to Cebu by boat from Calbayog, after some Catbalogan gigs.
Let me tell you fellow travelers, that nowadays, it is not easy to quickly get flights to Tacloban - wherever from - unless you book them way in advance. Tsambahan lang!
Yep, that is the daily reality. So, for us who live on "spur-of-the-moment" decisions to fly into, or out of Tacloban, "luck, prayers and patience" becomes our next-best tool!
Next best? What's the best way then? Aw, travel by sea or land - nasa sa iyo na kung lalangoy o maglalakad ka hehe! Otherwise, you hunt for flights on tsambahan basis!
Why is that? Well, believe it or not, beacuse of Yolanda too!
And I'm not joking. I asked around and had the situation thoroughly researched. The number of flights to Tacloban have returned to their pre-Yolanda frequencies, but...
There are lately lots of development/humanitarian aid groups from all over the world with their officials, staff, contractors, etc., flying in and out of Region 8 via Tacloban.
Having learned that, I said: I cannot complain.
It's the global bayanihan still in full swing.
Imagine that, people of many colors, shapes or sizes, who do not even know us, are coming and going from/to far places, offering their time, talent and resources, free!
Just to alleviate the suffering brought by Yolanda. Still a wonderful world, di ba?
So okay lang ako with grabbing flights at unholy hours - if at all I can even have one. Buti nalang, by 2009 or 2010, I've been curious about sea travel - now an alternative!
Besides, I find fun and interesting things, whatever the situation and wherever I may be. Katulad kanina, I witnessed that beautiful sunrise before takeoff at Cebu airport!
Before that, I also found ang 'steel wool' pala, pwedeng sosyalin ang arrive!
Oist nga pala, the stewardess on my flight this morning told me napapalaban sila sa matinding englisan! Andami daw kasi foreigners flying into Tacloban. I said don't me!
I actually already walked towards the left end of the building, past the departure area, and turned around for those shots (those are 2 photos I stitched together). Why here?
Because I already went right (that area near the tower), and showed you the situation there, on my arrival 2 Fridays ago! That's vehicle exit, going around the parking area.
If I may refer you to that article I wrote in 2012 (more than a year before Yolanda), aw okay sige, let me instead bring that map illustration here for easy reference. Here na!
I shot the above photos between points F (departure entrance) & B (end of building), facing towards points H (control tower and eateries) & G (the arrivals area).
I was walking towards B, J, K, and L to ride a jeep to downtown Tacloban. Yes, jeeps usually wait for passengers in that area enclosed by those points I marked on that map.
If you were fetched by a private vehicle (like I was last 11APR) the exit route is G, H, I, K, L, C, D out to city proper.
Yes too, even before Yolanda, the delivering/waiting area for public utility vehicles (jeeps) has been returned to that area enclosed by B, J, K and L. I remember an airline friend told me "namati hira ha im mano" [that means CAAP listened to your 2012 rants]!
Teka intermission! Look at that map again, between L and B, sa baba ng J, you will see a hint of that big tree (actually dalawa yan - one Talisay and one Mango tree).
Those trees fare well in my stories!
Okay, padayon!
I purposely took this photo, as I remembered I had this same view in 2012.
You can refer to the map above again. For this shot, I stood at B (end of the building) looking out to point A, but you can also see D, while C is behind that rubble of ruins.
There's a jeep approaching, it would stop and drop-off passengers at where I stood.
Compare that to this. You will get a glimpse of what Yolanda has ruined in this area. Note that there had been no structure at right (it's a small, grassy, intersection island).
That heap of rubble, mainly red, was probably temporarily placed there by airport or airline staff while reconstructing - unless pushed by Yolanda's waves into that spot.
If it's the latter, all I'll say is: kamakaharadlok!
The canvas roofs at left are temporary services such as airline cargo terminals, etc.
Alright, still standing at the end of the building (B), I turned a bit to my right for this:
Compared to my map above I was still at B facing J (corner tip of airport's shadow), K (right edge of photo w/ a half-seen jeep) and L (the half-visible white van after the jeep).
That jeep is what I rode going downtown Tacloban. Yes mag-commute, danasin ang tunay na kaganapan bago i-kwento. Da! Hindi madali maging responsible blogger oy!
Sana ganoon lahat ang legislators and heads of government offices.
Anyway, enough na muna of the airport, let's go downtown!
Yep, I readied my camera. I knew we would be passing by the Tacloban Astrodome. Oh gosh, there were seaside restaurants and other establishments here. All gone...
Well I heard on the news, this place was in a 'direct trajectory' of Yolanda's big waves entering Cancabato Bay. If it's any consolation, there were no informal settlers here.
And here we go, I kept on clicking as the jeep moved along this strip on Real St.
As you can see, it's the open water at right, where the waves with debris came from.
I could see they've already done quite a feat of road clearing, at least on this area.
It was/is a promenade & park at right. I remember there were even little kiddie rides there during the 2009 Tacloban fiesta - with a 'mini-cable-car-ride' for the little ones.
Oh yes, this was the area pictured on the news that had a mountain-like heap of dirt, debris and the dead - shown to me by that military general at Camp Ebuen Air Base.
It was his way of discouraging me, when I attempted squeezing onto one of their C-130 flights to this place, on Day 3 after Yolanda struck. Yes I thank him, I salute him!
Here's my oh so needed photo of Tacloban Astrodome, taken today 22APR2014.
Part of the roof that was destroyed is already patched or still being patched. It didn't 'cave in' contrary to some irresponsible media people's claims in their news reports.
To me, 'caved-in' is something like this - gumuho ang bubong, dingding ang natira!
Anyway, tuloy ang biyahe, I was now in downrown Tacloban.
That's it? The big Sto. Niño Parish Church of Tacloban City? Yes, that is it, 'wag kang choosy, na-Yolanda eh! It's actually a makeshift. Part of the side of the entire church.
At 'wag mong pakialaman ang maleta at backpack ko, nagpapahinga sila hehe!
Here here... I went closer to the "altar", for a closer look at the "retablo" kunohay.
See the 'wall'? Behind it is the real church aisle running left (entrance) to right (altar).
Everything is being repaired (very systemarically, I should say) in chunks, so that altar is moving, and will keep moving, until all of the sections, plus the roof are remedied.
Okay alright.., just for clarity and to understand the extent of damage to this church, let us compare those 2 pictures above to this one below that I took in June of 2009.
The location of that 'makeshift altar' you see in the above photos is even barely seen in this picture I took in 2009. Nahagip lang sya ng konti. Which part? Rear right side.
You see a woman in pink at the right edge of the 2009 picture? That post beside her is the very same post in the 'makeshift altar' where the Sto. Niño image now stands.
Nasa other side si Sto. Niño and that makesift altar, at nakaharap doon sa labas, sa gilid. And everything we see in that 2009 picture was/is boarded for needed repairs.
That is how seriously ruined this Sto. Niño Church is. Nakakaawa, to say the least.
If you look at the ceiling of the 'makeshift altar', then try finding it in the beautiful old 2009 photo, you'll notice it's actually just at a side extension of the original structure.
Plus, to make more room, the church grounds at Juan Luna St. side, now have this.
I was surprised (with goosebumps all over) to have read and learned that nice reality. A Catholic Church is being rebuilt w/ help of Tzu Chi a Buddhist Religious Foundation.
Oist, I asked some workers, they told me it's not just about providing that temporary shelter. They say Tzu Chi has donated generous funds for repair of the whole church!
Grabe ang bayanihan of the world 'no? Even religions now help each other!
Maybe I just did not know that that's now the new world order! Nakaka-inspire!
Aba, fixing this big church will be major - not just for a few thousand pesos. Look:
Left panel of that collage is the right-side transept door (facing Juan Luna St.) - I see the altar in there, all under the sky, no roof. Narusdak an bubong? Kamakaharadlok!
The right panel of that same collage, a photo I took still from the same vantage (the right-side transept) I looked up and realized that the bell tower too has no roof grabe.
By plan, I intended to spend a few minutes in there for coffee, coke or cookies to 'kill nothing but time' hehe! Alas dimalas, 7:28AM they weren't open yet. So, I stayed put.
Stayed where? At the pews of the makeshift church, until about 8:45AM.
Hey I saw something interesting. That white old era house at left. Yes, I know that is the home of the owners of Jose Karlo's - in fact all 3 houses in that photo are theirs!
I saw that news in March. They're not a commercial bank. Parang World Bank yata.
It's just so inspiring to see these many entities coming down to the region to help in the recovery effort. As I said earlier, inspiring. I hope to work with any of them soon.
Kahit volunteer lang di ba? I think ang tawag dyan "philanthropy".
Tricycle lang yan, just in time for a brunch meeting, me konting 'work as usual' lang!
FYI, after learning I was Tacloban-bound again (teka, kahapon lang yata yan ah!), I got a flight, and started calling hotels in the city, this was 1 of them. But none available!
Before, During and After brunch, I checked again with their front office - wala talaga! Well, as I said earlier, nowadays, hotel rooms in Tacloban are grabbed like hotcakes.
No issue, stick to Plan A, after the meeting, proceed to Catbalogan. Work din yun e!
Let's talk about that in my next sotry.
For now, let's recap: I saw how the Tacloban Airport is; the Astrodome; the Sto. Niño Church; Jose Karlo's; ADB; Hotel Lorenza; and some few other things along the way.
More stories coming!
How did I get out of Tacloban anyway?
Ahehe, I thought you wouldn't ask. But I exited on the 16th via Calbayog. Remember this? Yep, I went home to Cebu by boat from Calbayog, after some Catbalogan gigs.
Let me tell you fellow travelers, that nowadays, it is not easy to quickly get flights to Tacloban - wherever from - unless you book them way in advance. Tsambahan lang!
Yep, that is the daily reality. So, for us who live on "spur-of-the-moment" decisions to fly into, or out of Tacloban, "luck, prayers and patience" becomes our next-best tool!
Next best? What's the best way then? Aw, travel by sea or land - nasa sa iyo na kung lalangoy o maglalakad ka hehe! Otherwise, you hunt for flights on tsambahan basis!
Why is that? Well, believe it or not, beacuse of Yolanda too!
And I'm not joking. I asked around and had the situation thoroughly researched. The number of flights to Tacloban have returned to their pre-Yolanda frequencies, but...
There are lately lots of development/humanitarian aid groups from all over the world with their officials, staff, contractors, etc., flying in and out of Region 8 via Tacloban.
Having learned that, I said: I cannot complain.
It's the global bayanihan still in full swing.
Imagine that, people of many colors, shapes or sizes, who do not even know us, are coming and going from/to far places, offering their time, talent and resources, free!
Just to alleviate the suffering brought by Yolanda. Still a wonderful world, di ba?
So okay lang ako with grabbing flights at unholy hours - if at all I can even have one. Buti nalang, by 2009 or 2010, I've been curious about sea travel - now an alternative!
Besides, I find fun and interesting things, whatever the situation and wherever I may be. Katulad kanina, I witnessed that beautiful sunrise before takeoff at Cebu airport!
Before that, I also found ang 'steel wool' pala, pwedeng sosyalin ang arrive!
Oist nga pala, the stewardess on my flight this morning told me napapalaban sila sa matinding englisan! Andami daw kasi foreigners flying into Tacloban. I said don't me!
Arrival
Still the same as 11 days ago. But I shot these upon emerging from arrival area.
Because I already went right (that area near the tower), and showed you the situation there, on my arrival 2 Fridays ago! That's vehicle exit, going around the parking area.
If I may refer you to that article I wrote in 2012 (more than a year before Yolanda), aw okay sige, let me instead bring that map illustration here for easy reference. Here na!
I was walking towards B, J, K, and L to ride a jeep to downtown Tacloban. Yes, jeeps usually wait for passengers in that area enclosed by those points I marked on that map.
If you were fetched by a private vehicle (like I was last 11APR) the exit route is G, H, I, K, L, C, D out to city proper.
Yes too, even before Yolanda, the delivering/waiting area for public utility vehicles (jeeps) has been returned to that area enclosed by B, J, K and L. I remember an airline friend told me "namati hira ha im mano" [that means CAAP listened to your 2012 rants]!
Teka intermission! Look at that map again, between L and B, sa baba ng J, you will see a hint of that big tree (actually dalawa yan - one Talisay and one Mango tree).
Those trees fare well in my stories!
Okay, padayon!
I purposely took this photo, as I remembered I had this same view in 2012.
There's a jeep approaching, it would stop and drop-off passengers at where I stood.
Compare that to this. You will get a glimpse of what Yolanda has ruined in this area. Note that there had been no structure at right (it's a small, grassy, intersection island).
That heap of rubble, mainly red, was probably temporarily placed there by airport or airline staff while reconstructing - unless pushed by Yolanda's waves into that spot.
If it's the latter, all I'll say is: kamakaharadlok!
The canvas roofs at left are temporary services such as airline cargo terminals, etc.
Alright, still standing at the end of the building (B), I turned a bit to my right for this:
That jeep is what I rode going downtown Tacloban. Yes mag-commute, danasin ang tunay na kaganapan bago i-kwento. Da! Hindi madali maging responsible blogger oy!
Sana ganoon lahat ang legislators and heads of government offices.
Anyway, enough na muna of the airport, let's go downtown!
Astrodome
In my previous arrival, we turned left at the Coke rotunda as I was going to Pastrana. This time, I was on a regular commuter jeep from the airport, that turns-right there.Yep, I readied my camera. I knew we would be passing by the Tacloban Astrodome. Oh gosh, there were seaside restaurants and other establishments here. All gone...
And here we go, I kept on clicking as the jeep moved along this strip on Real St.
I could see they've already done quite a feat of road clearing, at least on this area.
It was/is a promenade & park at right. I remember there were even little kiddie rides there during the 2009 Tacloban fiesta - with a 'mini-cable-car-ride' for the little ones.
Oh yes, this was the area pictured on the news that had a mountain-like heap of dirt, debris and the dead - shown to me by that military general at Camp Ebuen Air Base.
Here's my oh so needed photo of Tacloban Astrodome, taken today 22APR2014.
To me, 'caved-in' is something like this - gumuho ang bubong, dingding ang natira!
Anyway, tuloy ang biyahe, I was now in downrown Tacloban.
Sto. Niño Church
With heavy luggage, I don't know why I opted to get off the jeep at Sto. Niño Church.
At 'wag mong pakialaman ang maleta at backpack ko, nagpapahinga sila hehe!
Here here... I went closer to the "altar", for a closer look at the "retablo" kunohay.
Everything is being repaired (very systemarically, I should say) in chunks, so that altar is moving, and will keep moving, until all of the sections, plus the roof are remedied.
Okay alright.., just for clarity and to understand the extent of damage to this church, let us compare those 2 pictures above to this one below that I took in June of 2009.
You see a woman in pink at the right edge of the 2009 picture? That post beside her is the very same post in the 'makeshift altar' where the Sto. Niño image now stands.
Nasa other side si Sto. Niño and that makesift altar, at nakaharap doon sa labas, sa gilid. And everything we see in that 2009 picture was/is boarded for needed repairs.
That is how seriously ruined this Sto. Niño Church is. Nakakaawa, to say the least.
If you look at the ceiling of the 'makeshift altar', then try finding it in the beautiful old 2009 photo, you'll notice it's actually just at a side extension of the original structure.
Plus, to make more room, the church grounds at Juan Luna St. side, now have this.
Oist, I asked some workers, they told me it's not just about providing that temporary shelter. They say Tzu Chi has donated generous funds for repair of the whole church!
Grabe ang bayanihan of the world 'no? Even religions now help each other!
Maybe I just did not know that that's now the new world order! Nakaka-inspire!
Aba, fixing this big church will be major - not just for a few thousand pesos. Look:
The right panel of that same collage, a photo I took still from the same vantage (the right-side transept) I looked up and realized that the bell tower too has no roof grabe.
Elsewhere Tacloban
Only two more places I intended to see/encounter in Tacloban today. These were:Jose Karlo's Coffee
From the same vantage as above, I looked across Juan Luna St., to see this:
Stayed where? At the pews of the makeshift church, until about 8:45AM.
Hey I saw something interesting. That white old era house at left. Yes, I know that is the home of the owners of Jose Karlo's - in fact all 3 houses in that photo are theirs!
ADB
But the gate of the white one has an ADB logo. Yep, Asian Development Bank - yung malaking compound sa tabi ng Megamall. They're also here to help in Yolanda relief!I saw that news in March. They're not a commercial bank. Parang World Bank yata.
It's just so inspiring to see these many entities coming down to the region to help in the recovery effort. As I said earlier, inspiring. I hope to work with any of them soon.
Kahit volunteer lang di ba? I think ang tawag dyan "philanthropy".
Hotel Lorenza
Ah okay, this was an important destination. So at 8:45 I went there from the church.
FYI, after learning I was Tacloban-bound again (teka, kahapon lang yata yan ah!), I got a flight, and started calling hotels in the city, this was 1 of them. But none available!
Before, During and After brunch, I checked again with their front office - wala talaga! Well, as I said earlier, nowadays, hotel rooms in Tacloban are grabbed like hotcakes.
No issue, stick to Plan A, after the meeting, proceed to Catbalogan. Work din yun e!
Let's talk about that in my next sotry.
For now, let's recap: I saw how the Tacloban Airport is; the Astrodome; the Sto. Niño Church; Jose Karlo's; ADB; Hotel Lorenza; and some few other things along the way.
More stories coming!
#EasternVisayas #TravelPhilippines #Tacloban
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