Ormoc To Palo
Let's continue from the previous story.
Uneventful frastcraft ride from Cebu, on what turned out to be a bright sunny day in Ormoc. A Grand Tours van was at Ormoc port's parking lot, seats 1 and 2 available!
So I climbed-in. Wow! Oops, then I asked if this was going to Tacloban hahaha! Yes it was, buti na lang. No need to walk about 500 meters on Rizal St., to their terminal!
Noted for me and you me dear fellow travelers. Grand Tours (like many other VHires) are back to deploying some vans right at the port area - in time for fastcraft arrivals.
Convenient!
[it was stopped sometime ago, I don't know why, but good that they are allowed back]
Off we were at 11:15AM. Yes odto na! But I didn't feel hungry - more of sleepy hehe! Yet, I still had the presence of mind to shoot pictures of interesting scenes like this:
No no no, wala koy labot sa trapik as this is Bonifacio St., laging matrapik dito, ever! I was looking at that truck ahead, loaded with a humungous thing it blocks the road.
There even had to be the manong (in blue shirt) atop the whole contrivance (can you see him?), to parry electric wires away, as that miserable truck slithered on the road!
Ah hehehe, I only see that kind of "act" during the Sinulog or Panagbenga festivities with floats getting taller each year. But that thing is no float. It is probably a 'genset'.
Yep, Yolanda has caused so much trouble in Region 8, that many of those who can, had to purchase power generator sets big or small, for their respective businesses.
Oist, naalala ko lang, some aid groups donated gensets to some barangays too. Oh yes, the "bayanihan of the world". I saw the Italian Red Cross doing that in Marabut.
I mean the small portable gensets. Not like that. I think that one is "industrial size"!
Ayay, I overheard a fellow passenger saying sana naman malagpasan natin ang truck na yan! Aruu, hindi sya obvious hehehe! Halatang nagpaparinig sya sa driver ng van!
Agree naman ako ke fellow passenger... but did he really need to say that? No driver would be that dumb, di ba? Masikip lang ang daan. That's Bonifacio cor Osmena St.
That huge load occupied almost the width of Bonifacio St. but moving! Yet, I wasn't at all bothered by how slow we were moving. My brain dwelt on "recovery". Bangon!
Yes, in my head I was all along saying if that thing will help this region rise up form the ruins, sige go, magtiis muna tayo sa trapik - lalo na kung bigay yan ng aid organizations!
Speaking of "aid", after overtaking the truck and crossing the big bridge, I saw this:
It says: "Ormoc is now hopeful and we are thankful to you generous people". Unclear if it was the gown store, the building owner or whoever else put that signage up there.
Touching just the same, right?
I think it is the same building that had the "roofless but not hopeless" message, that I took a picture of, during my first entry to this place after Yolanda in December 2013.
Those messages inspire me more, to join volunteer activities.
Onwards, while exiting Ormoc northwards to Kananga, there were more trucks, that slowed traffic on the highway. But all were welcome sights & scenes to me. Like this:
Driver told me these heavy cement bags could weigh up to one ton (1,000 kgs) each.
He further educated me that most trucks in the Philippines, howsoever big and new, could only carry 30 of those bags (30 tons yon) due to road and bridge weight limits.
New learning. Imagine that, I wouldn't have known those details if I wasn't traveling!
This was another test of patience for both driver and us passengers. The 'whiner' at the back was murmuring again but none seemed to entertain his discourse hehehe!
Unheard by 'Mr. Whiner' (buti nasa likod sya), driver intimated to me that it's not easy to overtake long and heavy vehicles on this ascending 2-lane part of the natioal road.
Oy, Mr. Driver even told me, there's an unwritten rule that PUVs have implemented in the whole region: "give-way-to or assist trucks involved in recovery and reconstruction".
He said that's their little "ambag". I think that is a noble enough contribution.
That coincides with the relaxing of truck bans in Region 8, to facilitate movement of vehicles involved in the rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery from ST Yolanda.
Lahat umaambag. Eh ikaw at ako, ano'ng sa atin? Gosh, we have to do something.
Anyway, inaantok... nakaidlip...
Fast-forward to 83 mins (or about 90 kms) later, we reached Brgy. Libertad, Palo.
Though I haven't been there yet, I have often heard about those buildings on the hill. The San Damiano Retreat House at the Franciscan Handmaids of the Lord Convent.
People say it's a serene Catholic religious compound on a hill called Mt. Laverna.
Hey on foreground of the photo, before the blue waiting shed, there's a signage that says Typhoon Yolanda Emergency Response by UNICEF, Caritas and CRS (I think)?
Not very clear on my shot/angle, but I think those are the implementors of whatever aid they brought to the place. We can see the ruined roofs include the waiting shed's.
The bayanihan of the world again. I do hope government authorities are accounting for, or at least listing all the entities, who are suddenly around to help in many ways.
We as a country will need to at least formally thank them in whatever way, di ba?
Sige sige.., on my own, I'll try to list them - as encountered during my travels. It's the least that I could do. Aba, as of now pa lang, I have already seen soo many of them.
Around the circular bend of the highway (still the same Mt. Laverna yata), I saw this:
Maybe those two structures are still part of the same compound as in the 2 photos above, because I previously heard, it is a big wide picturesque compound up the hill.
Well, I could tell those 2 structures were also badly damaged. Kawawa naman.
Approaching another hill about 2kms onwards (Brgy. Arado?), I also saw this:
Ah this time, I overheard one of my fellow passengers say The Archbishop's Palace.
She was telling her companions that entrance to that beautiful place is on the other side of the hill, that our van would also pass. I readied to take a pic of that entrance.
Aruu, when the van passed by that entrance gate, it was running so fast. So I wasn't able to shoot. Hmm, maybe I should go see that place nalang mismo. Ah sige soon.
Obviously though, even from afar, it was also ruined by the storm. I think it was that same building I saw as the van passed-by on my first arrival last 30 November 2013.
Anyway again, 2 minutes after that archbishop palace, we reached downtown Palo.
Everywhere I looked was still a sad state of devastation. Makalolooy, to say the least.
Well, their Municipal Hall is by-and-by rising again... they have to, they need to...
All I could think of was a silent scream saying "go Palo, pagpatigayon, kaya nyo yan"!
Beside this jeep (left) is the municipal plaza - still full of makeshift tents, etc...
Those are (I think) for various assistances or services to the people. Unless they are also evacuation centers. 'Di naman siguro, or not anymore. It's been almost 6 months.
Oist I am not very sure, but I think those artsy colorful lamp posts at right have been already there even before Yolanda struck. Still standing - wala pa nga lang kuryente!
Okay. So I arrived, and immediately went to do what I needed to do - meetings hehe!
I still think I should do something to help. Just not sure what!
Uneventful frastcraft ride from Cebu, on what turned out to be a bright sunny day in Ormoc. A Grand Tours van was at Ormoc port's parking lot, seats 1 and 2 available!
So I climbed-in. Wow! Oops, then I asked if this was going to Tacloban hahaha! Yes it was, buti na lang. No need to walk about 500 meters on Rizal St., to their terminal!
Noted for me and you me dear fellow travelers. Grand Tours (like many other VHires) are back to deploying some vans right at the port area - in time for fastcraft arrivals.
Convenient!
[it was stopped sometime ago, I don't know why, but good that they are allowed back]
Off we were at 11:15AM. Yes odto na! But I didn't feel hungry - more of sleepy hehe! Yet, I still had the presence of mind to shoot pictures of interesting scenes like this:
There even had to be the manong (in blue shirt) atop the whole contrivance (can you see him?), to parry electric wires away, as that miserable truck slithered on the road!
Ah hehehe, I only see that kind of "act" during the Sinulog or Panagbenga festivities with floats getting taller each year. But that thing is no float. It is probably a 'genset'.
Yep, Yolanda has caused so much trouble in Region 8, that many of those who can, had to purchase power generator sets big or small, for their respective businesses.
Oist, naalala ko lang, some aid groups donated gensets to some barangays too. Oh yes, the "bayanihan of the world". I saw the Italian Red Cross doing that in Marabut.
I mean the small portable gensets. Not like that. I think that one is "industrial size"!
Ayay, I overheard a fellow passenger saying sana naman malagpasan natin ang truck na yan! Aruu, hindi sya obvious hehehe! Halatang nagpaparinig sya sa driver ng van!
That huge load occupied almost the width of Bonifacio St. but moving! Yet, I wasn't at all bothered by how slow we were moving. My brain dwelt on "recovery". Bangon!
Yes, in my head I was all along saying if that thing will help this region rise up form the ruins, sige go, magtiis muna tayo sa trapik - lalo na kung bigay yan ng aid organizations!
Speaking of "aid", after overtaking the truck and crossing the big bridge, I saw this:
Touching just the same, right?
I think it is the same building that had the "roofless but not hopeless" message, that I took a picture of, during my first entry to this place after Yolanda in December 2013.
Those messages inspire me more, to join volunteer activities.
Onwards, while exiting Ormoc northwards to Kananga, there were more trucks, that slowed traffic on the highway. But all were welcome sights & scenes to me. Like this:
New learning. Imagine that, I wouldn't have known those details if I wasn't traveling!
This was another test of patience for both driver and us passengers. The 'whiner' at the back was murmuring again but none seemed to entertain his discourse hehehe!
Unheard by 'Mr. Whiner' (buti nasa likod sya), driver intimated to me that it's not easy to overtake long and heavy vehicles on this ascending 2-lane part of the natioal road.
Oy, Mr. Driver even told me, there's an unwritten rule that PUVs have implemented in the whole region: "give-way-to or assist trucks involved in recovery and reconstruction".
He said that's their little "ambag". I think that is a noble enough contribution.
That coincides with the relaxing of truck bans in Region 8, to facilitate movement of vehicles involved in the rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery from ST Yolanda.
Lahat umaambag. Eh ikaw at ako, ano'ng sa atin? Gosh, we have to do something.
Anyway, inaantok... nakaidlip...
Fast-forward to 83 mins (or about 90 kms) later, we reached Brgy. Libertad, Palo.
People say it's a serene Catholic religious compound on a hill called Mt. Laverna.
Not very clear on my shot/angle, but I think those are the implementors of whatever aid they brought to the place. We can see the ruined roofs include the waiting shed's.
The bayanihan of the world again. I do hope government authorities are accounting for, or at least listing all the entities, who are suddenly around to help in many ways.
We as a country will need to at least formally thank them in whatever way, di ba?
Sige sige.., on my own, I'll try to list them - as encountered during my travels. It's the least that I could do. Aba, as of now pa lang, I have already seen soo many of them.
Around the circular bend of the highway (still the same Mt. Laverna yata), I saw this:
Well, I could tell those 2 structures were also badly damaged. Kawawa naman.
Approaching another hill about 2kms onwards (Brgy. Arado?), I also saw this:
Aruu, when the van passed by that entrance gate, it was running so fast. So I wasn't able to shoot. Hmm, maybe I should go see that place nalang mismo. Ah sige soon.
Obviously though, even from afar, it was also ruined by the storm. I think it was that same building I saw as the van passed-by on my first arrival last 30 November 2013.
Anyway again, 2 minutes after that archbishop palace, we reached downtown Palo.
Well, their Municipal Hall is by-and-by rising again... they have to, they need to...
Beside this jeep (left) is the municipal plaza - still full of makeshift tents, etc...
Oist I am not very sure, but I think those artsy colorful lamp posts at right have been already there even before Yolanda struck. Still standing - wala pa nga lang kuryente!
Okay. So I arrived, and immediately went to do what I needed to do - meetings hehe!
I still think I should do something to help. Just not sure what!
#EasternVisayas #TravelPhilippines #Leyte
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