my experience in typhoon odette essay

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A Typhoon Odette Survivor’s Story: Rebecca from Negros Oriental

Stories from the survivors of the recent Typhoon Odette are coming in. Typhoon Odette, 2021’s strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines, cut a swath of destruction across the provinces where ICM has been holding Transform programs among ultra-poor communities. Too many of our communities are now suffering in the aftermath of the typhoon, including our own staff. Power in most areas is still down and communication lines are just being built back up, and stories from survivors are starting to come in.

Rebecca and her family were among the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who were greatly affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in Negros Oriental last December. Although her story has been translated, Rebecca’s own words describe what she and her family experienced when the typhoon hit.

“We had the most traumatic experience on December 16 when Typhoon Odette entered the country and left massive damage in many places, including my hometown.

We first heard the howling wind blowing off our roof at around 9:00 in the evening. Since we live in a nipa hut over the water, we could feel the whole house shaking. My husband tried to tie up our home to keep it from breaking down. The seawater eventually entered our house and left holes in our bamboo floor.

It was around 10 PM when we felt our house shaking again. We were shocked to see our bedroom walls starting to come down on us! Our neighbor let us into his house for safety. My family and I helplessly watched as the waves carried away what was left of our bedroom.

We had nothing with us. My family and I were holding each other’s hands, and while our youngest daughter was crying, I tried to encourage them and tell them to pray.

We’ve been living here at Sitio Batugan, Barangay Biñohon, for 15 years now, but this was the first time we encountered such a devastating experience.

I’m thankful that we were able to retrieve some clothes that were carried away by the waves, but most of all I am grateful that my whole family is alive and well. I realized how blessed we are. We can always rebuild our house and everything that was damaged, but our lives are irreplaceable.”

Send help to Rebecca and other families recovering from the aftermath of Typhoon Odette. Donate to ICM’s relief efforts here.

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Odette: My experience of a Category 5 super typhoon

Typhoon Odette was not the first time Philippines experienced a super typhoon, recent one prior to Odette was Yolanda (Haiyan) which wreck havoc also the Visayas but in the northern part. Odette’s path was the southern Visayas which the metro Cebu was badly hit too. I thought this typhoon was just the typical typhoon that the country usually expects. Warning alerts were very usual and did not provide much details of how intense it was.

Hours before it hit metro and southern Cebu the super typhoon hit first the North-East of Mindanao where Siargao is located and was badly hit too. However, because no news that reached us about it unlike those times where regional TV network reported to their mother network in NCR, we were blind.

It was Thursday, a working week and because I work at night I usually sleeps during day and my sleep schedule is every afternoon. After lunch I already slept and the next thing I know was I woke up because my AC was not working anymore due to power outage and Facebook messenger and texts singing in chorus. My neighbor texted me about my screendoor that keeps banging; I immediately went off from bed and went downstairs, there I saw flooded floor and the sound of the screendoor banging as if asking for help.

The sound outside was creepy and frightening, it was like there were souls screaming or a multi-headed giant cat purring weirdly. Beside from the screendoor it was also like there were hands knocking on my door and windows. The door was bleeding with water which causes the flood. I need to save my screendoor and the sanity of my neighbor so I opened the door lightly and slowly.. The wind and rain immediately gushed in and I used my right foot to help me hold the door, I cannot see a thing except that the sky was a little dim and gray. I focus myself in closing the screendoor, so I grab the handle and pull it. The screendoor seems heavy because of the wind pull and pushing it, the rain drops were like needles hitting my face and arms. I was terrified as I was closing the screendoor, what if a flying sharp object will fall or hit me? What if my right foot can’t hold it anymore and the furious wind and rain will get inside? What if my roof will ripped off or the glasses of my windows will break? It will be a total disaster for me.

I have finally pulled the screendoor and now I have to lock it but the lock bar or latch was not cooperating, it did not align and won’t shoot to the lock hole. The screendoor might have been misaligned due to the push and pull movement of the strong wind. The painful rain and the frightening wind panicked me plus it’s too dark and my only flashlight is from my smart watch. I continued locking the screendoor but as I was doing it I took a glimpse of the world as I’m confident that I won’t be hit by sharp flying object unless I will let go of the door. This time I can somehow saw what’s happening, my eyes adapted to the darkness of the night, I can see the wave-like rain, the corrugated metal sheets flying, the flying branches of the tree, and some other things I can’t identify anymore also flying around. I checked my motor-scooter, gladly its doing fine but the cover sheet of it was gone; neighborhood motorcycles were down already and the metal clothes rack was down too, plants are fighting for its life all their leaves were gone and they’re swinging all over.

I’ve finally close my screendoor and all those struggles next thing I did was to get the mop at the back of the house or in the utility area to reduce the flood inside the house. It’s still frightening to go outside but at the back it wasn’t that dangerous since the utility area was kind of secluded and the wind wasn’t that harsh. I was busy removing the flood water when suddenly a large thud sound from above happened. An object fell on my roof, I immediately checked if there’s a leak, good thing there’s none and I’m hoping that the roof will stand the storm, I remembered some footages that roof were flipped over or ripped off by the strong wind.

According to my neighbors the storm started around 6PM. One of my neighbors said they noticed the sky keeps changing color from orange to violet to blue that it looks really a sign of an apocalypse in movies. By 7PM rain started to pour with wind slowly accelerating and getting stronger. On their end during the surge of the typhoon they hear like ocean waves crashing in front of their houses beside from howling and the flying tin sheets.

Personally I didn’t expect Odette was a powerful one, we were used by typhoons every last quarter of the year so I thought that it’s just another typical typhoon that rains hard then a typical strong wind, possible 2 to 4hr blackout then everything will be fine the next day. Odette halted everything and brought us back to 20 to 50 years ago kind of living. Where we don’t have lights, electricity, refrigerators weren’t working, no mobile signal, no water in our faucets, drinking water is questionable of where to find, gas stations, ATM, and water refilling stations were either out of order or blockbuster.

It’s an experience that I gained some learnings, take aways, and realizations. Thankfully my family were not badly affected, yeah my mother’s house were destroyed but that can be rebuilt what’s important is they are safe and alive and that’s what I am thankful and grateful for.

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Experiencing the Onslaught of Typhoon Odette in Siargao

Note: This is going to be a long story.

When I visited Siargao in 2018, there were so many things I didn’t do; surfing, renting and driving a scooter, partying, and swimming with the stingless jellyfish. Compared to my friends, I had a boring experience, who ticked all these things and came home with amazing stories to tell. Despite my lack of “interesting stories,” I loved Siargao and the overall vibe of the island. I have always wanted to go back, and I almost did mid-2021, but due to the pandemic, the trip was canceled. As soon as the restrictions had been lifted, I immediately rebooked my flight. This time, I told myself, I would have a different story to tell. What I didn’t expect is just how different that story would be.

A day before my flight, I saw the news that there was an incoming typhoon in Mindanao, and one of the areas that would be affected was Siargao. Of course, I wasn’t happy about it; my flights had been booked, all my hotels were paid for, and my manager approved my annual leaves. This would be my ultimate year-end vacation, and I looked forward to it. But like everyone else, I underestimated the typhoon and even took the fact that Philippine Airlines didn’t cancel the flight as a sign to go ahead and continue the trip.

I know how ugly typhoons can get in the Philippines; we get an average of 20 typhoons per year. And let me tell you that each one is never a fun experience, not when the power is out for the entire day, not when our homes get flooded, not especially when some of us need to be evacuated when things get bad. Yet, I wasn’t particularly bothered by the news of the impending arrival of Typhoon Odette. Looking back, I deeply regret not listening to the news.

I still remember Typhoon Ondoy, one of the most devastating typhoons that hit the country. I was at home back in Sampaloc . Our dilapidated house took the beating, our walls made with plywood were soaked in the rain, and the flood had entered our house downstairs, the water level reaching my upper leg. When we used the toilet, we couldn’t flush it down because even the water level inside that toilet had gone up over the bowl. We were soaked and dirty and couldn’t even wash our hands. It was horrible, and it was just one of the many that we’d weathered all those years that I was living there.

My typhoon experience had “improved,” if I could call it that, when I moved out of our house and lived in other cities. I didn’t experience getting flooded again; even if the power went out, I didn’t feel so miserable because my place was not damp and dirty. I really thought I’d left those miserable days behind until I went to Siargao.

15th December

I had a smooth direct flight from Manila to Siargao. It had started to rain, and the contact person from Lampara Siargao where I was supposed to stay, texted me about evacuating all of their guests to the Tropical Temple . Lampara is located by the beach area, and that’s the last place you want to be in the middle of a typhoon.

Tropical temple is beautiful, especially its lobby area. The ceiling is high, with a shape and design reminiscent of a temple (probably because it’s in the resort’s name). They put me in a dorm room with 10 capsule-type beds after learning that I was sent by Lampara.

There were two girls in the room with me named Jade and Ella. They are college girls; one is taking up Medtech, the other Pharmacology (if I remember correctly). At first, I thought they were also guests from Lampara, but they said they’d been in Siargao for a couple of days and had stayed in another hostel before moving to Tropical Temple .

After settling in, I went outside to find a place to eat. The road has no lamp posts, so I used my phone to light the way. I could hear the croaking of frogs from the other side of the street and prayed that I wouldn’t stumble into one as I have this unreasonable fear of these slimy creatures. I reached the restaurant that the hotel staff recommended, but it was dark and seemed closed. So I walked back to where I came from and decided to go to bed with an empty stomach.

16th December

The next day, the deluge has come. I was still able to message my friends and use the Internet at around 7 in the morning in the lobby, and that was the last time I was able to do so. At around 11:00 a.m., the power went out. The rain had been pouring nonstop, and it started to flood the lobby. We could hear the wind howling and the sound of things breaking and falling. I kept checking my phone, willing the network signal to return, but it didn’t.

There was no running water, so we had to collect rainwater so dark it looked like a carabao had bathed in it to wash and flush the toilet. I was getting paranoid that the water had flesh-eating bacteria, but I had no choice but to use it. It was one of those rare moments I wished my menstruation was irregular because this was the worse time to be having a period. This played a huge factor in my mood and stress level. I had zero energy to socialize, and I was very annoyed at the other guests who seemed to be taking things in stride while the world was burning.

All of a sudden, the dorm rooms were filled with people as they moved the guests who were staying at the villas. The private villas were more exposed to the elements, so to keep everyone safe, they had to sit out the storm with us in the shared rooms.

A small flood had seeped into our room from the door and the rainwater leaked through the light fixtures on the ceiling. My fellow guests started working together, cleaning the floor with mops and their feet. I, on the other hand, sat dejectedly on my bed. I felt so powerless and hopeless, burdened with thoughts of people back home. I wondered if they knew what was going on with us right that very moment and are they worried. I had no way of telling them what was happening, which was amping up my stress.

That night, I had difficulty getting some sleep from all the noise the other guests were making. I wish I could be like them, making friends and laughing at the situation we were in, but I couldn’t get myself to do it. I was worried about many things, and all I wanted was for the storm to be over.

17th December

The damage that Typhoon Odette had caused was a lot worse than I’d thought. When I checked the lobby, I was horrified to see all the broken pots, glasses, and furniture. The diamond glass fixtures by the entrance had collapsed. That’s when it dawned on me that the vacation I had been looking forward to these past few months was no more. The only consolation is that none of us were hurt.

We heard from the resort staff that all roads were unpassable. Fallen trees, electric posts, and other infrastructures were blocking the road. So I stood outside, wondering what I would do. I was supposed to transfer to another resort that day. Do I go and find it, or should I stay at Tropical Temple ?

The staff and the male guests opened the huge concrete slabs that were covering the well so we could get clean water. I was so happy when they opened it because I didn’t get to shower the day before. I chatted with one of the guests, a tall guy who talked in Taglish while fetching water. We used a small gallon tied to a rope that we had to throw at a certain angle so it would be facing down and start collecting water when it hit the water below. If you don’t do it this way, the gallon would just float on its butt, and you’d have a hard time tilting it over, and it won’t catch some water.

I managed to fill up three pails to use for bathing. I heard the same guy saying that bathing was the best feeling ever after he was done showering. In my head, I was like, “100% yes, especially in this situation.”

After that much-needed shower, I dressed and went on a mission to find Palaka Resort . I heard all homes and establishments had been greatly affected by the typhoon, but I wanted to see if Palaka Resort fared better than Tropical Temple . I left my two suitcases and only brought the essentials, e.g. wallet, phone, and laptop.

With no mobile data to rely on, I went at it blindly and just asked people along the way for directions. I had to cover over 1.8 kilometers on foot under the midday sun. I started the journey around 10:00 a.m., stepped over fallen trees, ducked under electric cables, and stopped to take photos and videos every now and then.

Everything—homes and businesses—was destroyed overnight; it was such a depressing sight.

My heavy bag was straining my shoulders and back, adding to my misery. Tired and hungry, I approached a family hanging out in front of their house on the side of the street. They told me that Palaka Resort was still far from where we were. I moved under the shade and muttered under my breath that I needed to take a little bit of rest. I told them I had been walking for almost 2 hours and kept losing my way. Apparently, there’s another place called Palaka, and some people mistakenly gave me that direction, adding to my travel time.

The mother suddenly instructed her daughter to drive me to the resort with their scooter. I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d passed by other residents who had motorbikes, including this guy whom I talked to for directions, but they never offered to give me a ride. I even saw the same guy after half an hour of walking; he was already at home and clearly drove his way there. I know it was not his responsibility to give me a ride, but it would have been nice if he did. Anyway, the girl with long, orange curly hair started the scooter, and I rode behind her. Five minutes later, we reached this property with concrete walls and wide wooden gates. This was it; I’d finally reached my destination.

Apart from the fallen palm trees and the collapsed ceiling in the kitchen, Palaka Resort was pretty much intact. I met the other guests, two couples named Louie, Audrey, Laiza, and Mark. The staff was nowhere to be found, so they took it upon themselves to assign me the remaining available room upon learning that I was booked at this resort for two days. The room was spacious, with a king-sized bed and its own bathroom. Nothing was destroyed in the room, but there was a small pool of water on the ground left by the typhoon. I picked up a mop to dry the floor so I wouldn’t accidentally slip on it.

Mark took me back to Tropical Temple via a rented scooter to pick up my luggage. We both realized just how far I had walked, and to be honest; I don’t even know how I did it when the weather was hot that day. My skin had even grown darker; so much for getting a tan without hitting the beach.

I had a more comfortable place to sleep at Palaka Resort, but unfortunately, it doesn’t have a well like Tropical Temple. We had to walk a couple of minutes to another resort; there was a well where Audrey, Laiza, and I collected water so we could shower.

Around 9:00 p.m, we went out to meet some of their newfound friends who were having a drink outside their hotel. The moon was so bright we didn’t have a hard time seeing our path. The last time I remember seeing a moon this bright was in Romblon over a decade ago. But not even the beautiful moonlight can lighten up my mood. I went to the drinking sesh feeling spent and stressed that I refused to drink when they offered it. Instead of explaining that I didn’t want to pee all the time, which is not ideal considering the lack of water, I lied and said I don’t drink alcohol. Thankfully, they didn’t push and just let me sit with them as they chatted and drank shots of gin.

My snarky side had let out a little bit when they mentioned that an attorney ordered them to kill the bonfire earlier that evening. I made a comment about where in the law did it say that having a bonfire is illegal. It was good that I wasn’t there when the attorney approached them because when I’m in a foul mood, I cannot control my temper. I might have said something inappropriate or rude if I had been there.

When Mark and Laiza decided to call it a night, I went back with them to the resort. It was completely dark, and we only had candles as our source of light in our rooms. I’m used to traveling alone, but it was the first time I wished I wasn’t. I was so lonely and envied the couples because at least they got each other to rely on in a desperate situation like this.

A strange noise kept pulling me back to consciousness as I fell asleep. It was a weird clicking sound, and I wondered where it was coming from. I let my eyes roam inside the room but didn’t catch anything unusual. I shrugged and thought it might be coming from outside, so I went back to sleep.

I woke again to a dark room feeling all sweaty; the candle that was my sole source of light had been extinguished. I got up and tried to relight the candle several times, but the fire kept dying. I realized the wick had grown so long that it was drowned in melted wax. It meant I had to cut it, so I got up from the bed and fumbled for my scissors inside my luggage.

Suddenly, I heard the same weird sound that had been rousing me from sleep all night. I caught a movement from the corner of my eyes, and when I looked down, I saw something huge crawling against the wall. I jumped to my bed in terror, not knowing what it was, until my eyes adjusted to the dark. And then I realized what it was; it was a huge fudging crab!

What the hell was a crab doing in my room?! I’d expect to see a frog, a gecko, even a snake but a crab?! Did the typhoon sweep it from the sea to our resort? Is it a would-be dinner that managed to escape the pot?! I don’t know; all I knew was that I sat on my bed and watched it crawl sideways, with its claws making that clicking sound like it was telling me not to move until it completely left the premises. Moments later, I let out a small laugh; man that was an interesting encounter.

18th December

The next day, I and my fellow guests plotted a plan to exit Siargao. Mark and Laiza were supposed to fly back home that day, but we didn’t know the situation at the airport.

Louie and Audrey talked to some people they know while I walked with Mark and Laiza to find the LGU office to obtain some information. On the third day, the mobile signal was still out; nobody knew what had happened to us. My new friends were worried about their families, who were most certainly sick and worried about them. I thought about my family and friends and wondered if they were looking for me. My family, in particular, is so used to not seeing me regularly and not knowing about my whereabouts I could be dead somewhere, and they’d be none the wiser. To be honest, this isn’t their fault; I’m not very open about sharing my business with them.

The LGU building was closed, so we asked locals for information. It’s hard when you want to get news and updates but have no way of getting them. All we were hearing was second-hand information from different people, and the only way we could confirm them was if we went to the place ourselves. It was like we were back in the early 90s when mobile phones and the Internet were not widely available yet. Now that I remember it, I’m not sure how we were able to live back then.

My return to Manila was scheduled for the 24th of December, but given the situation, there was no way I’d stay there until then. The other group that the couples met during the storm seemed to be taking the situation much better than us. We even saw them buying groceries, and they planned to surf that day.

We heard there’s a way to leave the island via boat in Dapa Port. To confirm, Mark and Louie drove there with their scooters. The girls stayed behind to cook food and pack our belongings. We were hoping to leave General Luna that day. I wasn’t very keen on spending another night at the resort in the dark because, most probably, I would go all emo again like the night before.

The boys returned around noon with some food to cook. They said that the port was filled with people trying to ride the RORO and that everything was chaotic. Still, it was our best chance to leave the island because the airport was damaged and non-operational. We weren’t sure if we would succeed, but we were all willing to give it a shot. So we asked Mang Ernie, the resort’s guard, to help us find a van to drive us to Dapa Port. Fortunately, he found one and said that the driver was asking for payment of 500 pesos per head.

We left after lunchtime and traveled for about an hour to reach Dapa. The port was empty, with no sign of the crowd Mark and Louie saw earlier. According to the locals, the Coast Guard didn’t allow the use of RORO as it had also been damaged by the typhoon. Where the tourists went, we had no idea. Suddenly, we didn’t know what to do. None of us wanted to go back to General Luna; we had a good bed to sleep on at Palaka Resort, but returning takes us back to square one. At least at Dapa, we were a step closer to leaving the island.

We all agreed to stay at Dapa and find a place to spend the night. The boys took care of it; they would get off the van and ask some people. The first few places they approached couldn’t take us in until somebody told them to check out D’Islanders Ville Pension. It took a while before the boys were able to convince the manager to let us in, and once she did, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Her only condition was not to tell anyone that they were accepting guests.

Given the situation at that time when tourists were desperate to find a place to stay in Dapa, we understood why she made the request. And so we never told anyone about it; I only mentioned this to convey my gratitude to the manager. I didn’t get her name, but I’m so thankful to her for accepting us. She didn’t ask us to pay even when she gave us a room to stay, allowed us to charge our devices (they have a generator), and let us collect water so we could shower. May God bless her.

19th December

With little sleep, we got up at around 1:20 a.m. and prepared to leave. The moon was bright, and we followed the road stud lights to reach the port with our bags and luggage in tow. Some local men were by the port gate, and we approached them to ask for information. They said no ship was scheduled to travel that day; they suggested that we take the small boats that could take us to Surigao City.

We were standing for almost an hour when a man approached us. He said that he had a boat that could carry 40 people and that the fare rate was 500 pesos per head. Other people were waiting with us at the port during that time, and we encouraged them to join us to fill up the boat. Just like us, it wasn’t hard to convince them to give it a go; we all wanted the same thing anyway, leaving Siargao as soon as possible.

We followed the boat crew to the docking area, where we saw two boats, one of which was already filled with passengers. We were able to board the second boat and let me tell you, they filled it to its full capacity, not giving anyone legroom. They even loaded two motorbikes, one of them was even placed right in front of me. At first, I was annoyed that I had to sit in front of this bike because I couldn’t stretch my legs, but it turned out to be a blessing. When I got super sleepy in the middle of the journey, I used it to rest my head on to catch some zzzs.

The boat ride took 2 hours, but it felt much longer. When we finally reached Surigao City, people were so happy that some had even started to clap. It was such a relief that finally, we “escaped” Siargao.

We found a van that could drive us to Butuan Airport; we paid around 800 per head. We shared the van with this other group of tourists that we met on the boat. It took another 4 hours of travel, but we were sitting more comfortably this time.

When we reached Butuan, we finally got the network signal we’d all been waiting for. I thought I had already breathed a great sigh of relief when we reached Surigao City until messages started coming through. To my surprise, my friends had been looking for me, even those I didn’t expect would care. I was completely touched and responded to every single one of them. My family, on the other hand, as expected, had no effing clue what was going on, lol.

At Butuan Airport, Laiza and I went to the Philippine Airlines office to rebook our flights. I was given two options; pay an additional amount of over 10,000 pesos to get the one remaining business class seat and fly that day or wait until Tuesday, but I won’t have to pay extra anymore. I barely touched my pocket money for this trip because, obviously, I wasn’t able to do anything other than experience the typhoon, but 10k is a lot of money, I could have used that for something else.

However, my will to go home was stronger than the will to save money, so I grabbed the chance and just paid for it. This was the first time ever in all the years I’d been traveling that I bought a business class seat, and it wasn’t even because I wanted it. But what the hell, if it could take me home the soonest, then I guess it’s worth it.

Final thoughts

They say tragedies, disasters, and other unfortunate events make for a good story. As a writer, I should be chasing them as they provide easy writing materials that evoke readers’ interest and emotions. But writing about these stories from memory and experiencing them are two different things; the latter can be so traumatic you wouldn’t wish for it to happen even to your worse enemy.

I could never forget that profound feeling of desperation and isolation that I had in those four days. Never have I felt so helpless, so agitated about my situation. And seeing all the destruction that Odette left behind and the miseries on the faces of Siarganons during that time weighed heavy on my heart. We Filipinos are no strangers to natural disasters, and the world knows us for our resilience. Yet I couldn’t help but wonder, are we resilient, or is this value something that we’ve been forced to have given the number of disasters we face each year?

Why, despite having a minimum of 20 typhoons annually, the Philippines remains ill-prepared to weather the storm. Shouldn’t we know better now? Shouldn’t we strive to make our homes and other infrastructure able to withstand such common weather phenomena? What are we doing as people, and what is the government doing other than launching relief operations every time? Forgive my ranting, but I couldn’t help but vent my frustrations because we never seem to get better at this.

Ways to help

Let me take this moment to encourage you to please send help. Below are the links to some of the organizations actively working to provide relief operations.

Kidsforkidsph
Tindog Siargao

I still don’t know the meaning behind experiencing the typhoon, maybe there’s no profound reason, and I just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. All I can do is share my story, which, as you now know, is sadder and so different from what I had planned.

Mara is a BS Journalism major who decided to create this coffee blog to explore coffee around the world. She has traveled to many countries exploring coffee shops, discovering digital nomad cafes, and getting to know the big coffee culture of our planet.

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Good to know what happened there. Horrifying to experience that, much more so to live there and not be able to escape. Sana next holiday mo will be more uneventful!

I hope so too Aleah.

Awesome storytelling Mara, such a great read with all its emotional twists and turns. Not to make light of your misfortunes but it’s these kinds of experiences that build character, although while you’re there all we want is to get the hell out. I appreciate the vlogs and the blogs. You’re an underrated storyteller, i wish you more subscribers on YouTube 🙂

Thank you Eli.

Please spread the word :)

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Case Studies

Dana: Inspiring Students After Typhoon Odette

Story by Jamie Gutierrez Photos by Kassandra Barnes and Jamie Gutierrez

Teacher Dana, 36, is a teacher from Maasin City and is married to a seafarer

Dana is a 36-year-old Grade 5 teacher from Maasin City, Southern Leyte. As the teacher for all of her students’ subjects, her days are filled with classes and lectures. For most people, a demanding workload like hers may be overwhelming, but it’s all in a day’s work for Dana who has found her calling in being an educator.

She shares that it’s always been her dream in life to become a teacher. When she herself was a young student, she admits to being a bit of a teacher’s pet. In fact, she was inspired to take up teaching by one of her teachers who pushed her to challenge herself and boost her self-confidence.

Unfortunately, Typhoon Odette has made teaching much more difficult for the educators in her community. After the super typhoon, she noticed that her students lost their motivation to learn. Because Odette damaged most of the homes in their community and took away the livelihoods of many families, students were had to deal with the impact of the typhoon within their households. The storm also damaged classrooms in their school so students could not physically attend their classes for the first few months after the typhoon.

Teacher Dana being interviewed by Plan International staff

Immediately, Dana recognized the importance of ensuring that students are able to return to schooling as soon as possible. She also acknowledged that after the typhoon, students and teachers alike needed Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) to process the traumatic events of a natural disaster such as super typhoon Odette. For her, the school is a safe space for students where their emotional needs can be met and where they can retain a sense of normalcy.

They [students] need to feel the love and care from us teachers. Dana, Grade 5 Teacher from Maasin City, Southern Leyte

“It is important for me that kids are able to divert their attention from the problems that they face at home after Typhoon Odette. That when they come to school, they can talk to their classmates, they can read books, and they can release some of the stress they feel at home. As they are growing up, they can feel the impact and the difficulties from the typhoon. They need to feel the love and care from us teachers. They can be free here. This can be their safe space.”

Dana and her school were part of Plan International Philippines’ Response to Sudden Onset Emergencies: Typhoon Odette (Rai), a project meant to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable communities particularly of children and women affected by Typhoon Odette, their school was the recipient of multiple aid and interventions funded by the United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF) through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Elementary school students from Maasin City with their UNICEF Learner Kits

Through the project, their students were able to receive learner kits and hygiene kits which provided them with school supplies and hygiene products that help protect them from waterborne and life-threatening diseases. The project was also able to provide their school with a UNICEF temporary learning space (TLS) where she and other teachers could conduct additional classes while their damaged classrooms were being repaired. Their toilets and handwashing facilities were also renovated with additional funding from the Government of Japan.

Teacher Dana stands beside the UNICEF Temporary Learning Space (TLS) she uses to conduct classes in the mornings

With their new learner kits and improved school facilities, Dana immediately noticed a change in her students’ demeanors. When they resumed face-to-face classes last February of this year, she saw how the aid her school received brought back the motivation of students to learn. With their school recovered from the typhoon, her dream is for all of her students to continue being motivated to finish their schooling. Just like the teacher who once inspired her, she hopes to inspire her students to challenge themselves and seize opportunities that may come their way.

Girls on the frontline of flood resilience, a response to run, a home to restore: looking back at typhoon yolanda a decade later, towards self-reliance.

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Ten lessons from ‘Odette’

Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) leaves devastation in Palawan province. Photo from Jenny Macatiag

EL NIDO, Palawan — Post super typhoon Odette (international name: Rai), kind souls from all over the Philippines and beyond have been working tirelessly to help those most affected.

Here in Palawan, individuals, small businesses and foundations have been working on donation drives, delivery of food, water, basic supplies and materials to help the displaced rebuild their homes.

We are learning from each other as we go.

And wishing to share some of the lessons so far.

Community kitchen in Roxas, Palawan, cooking hot, nourishing meals for people who have lost everything. Photo by Norbert Tagud Rabuya, Tarabangan sa Palawan

1) Consider setting up emergency community kitchens to prepare hot, nourishing meals. Work with local volunteers and with the equipment that’s already available. This is to supplement the instant noodles and canned food that provide immediate relief.

2) Think of donating what’s needed for water filtration systems, instead of bottled water. So water can be filtered on site and shared in large, refillable containers. These can be filters that don’t need power, like those from groups like Waves for Water. Or it can be a system powered by a generator that can also be donated.

3) Look into solar power for charging lights, phones and rechargeable flash lights.

4) For trauma relief, create safe Women Infant Children (WIC) spaces so that mothers don’t need to line up for food and water. In these spaces, they can regain their strength and find sisterhood.

5) For babies, instead of formula and disposable diapers, send vitamins and malunggay supplements for their breastfeeding moms and lampin (cloth diapers).

6) For animal welfare, set aside budget and find local volunteers.

7) For the personal sustainability of teams behind the relief operations, ensure enough rest and self-care, and enough volunteers to allow breaks and avoid burnout.

8) For longer-term regenerative solutions, find NGOs and foundations that have existing relationships with the community. This is to start initiatives that address food sovereignty and nutrition, like food gardens, seed saving and community kitchens.

9) For next time, work on preparedness. Trim trees. Tie loose items. Have food and drinking water stocked at home. Consider areas that may flood and move valuables away from there. Listen to calls for evacuation in your area by the barangay or LGU. Have an emergency bag already packed.

10) Create a “resilient ready” wish list for your barangay or community. People are talking about having a bunker to go to, with food, drinking water, water filters to replenish, a satellite phone and solar, to be dismantled before a typhoon and set up again when the sun comes out.

To learn more, please visit and support groups helping with these relief efforts on the ground as well as those looking at longer-term solutions to climate vulnerability like @Tarabangan sa Palawan and @Global Ecovillage Network Oceania & Asia @Slow Food Sari Sari on Facebook

And on Instagram: @odettepalawanrelief @rurunganph @kidsforthefuture @onemillionlightsph @projectpulo @wavesforwater @greenreleafinitiative

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(The author was formerly editor in chief of Sunday Inquirer Magazine. She’s now based in El Nido, Palawan, where she is working on regenerative agriculture projects, ecosystem restoration and women empowerment. Reach out @kaifarmsph on Instagram.)

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A new start after Super Typhoon Odette

Roslyn is a young mother living in the island barangay of Jagoliao in Getafe, Bohol. Their house was among those destroyed by super typhoon Odette. She now lives in her mother's house together with her husband and 9-month-old daughter, Princess.

Program: Humanitarian Response

Type: Story

When Super Typhoon Odette arrived, Roslyn’s family had already evacuated to a school nearby. However, the sea started to swell, prompting them to move to a safer place. Residents feared getting injured as debris like wooden planks and galvanized iron sheets were blown away by the strong winds. “I wrapped [my daughter] Princess in two towels to protect her from the cold. After the typhoon, she had a fever that lasted three days,” shared Roslyn as she recounted their experience that night.

Roslyn’s husband catches seafood for a living, but residents say the amount of catch has been a bit low since Odette came. Because of this, families currently rely on donations to get by.

Supported by European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) through the REACH consortium, Save the Children Philippines continues to respond to this emergency, bringing relief items such as hygiene kits and household kits to children and families in worst-affected areas like Getafe, Bohol. After a month since the typhoon hit, the organization has been able to reach 10,445 people including over 3,200 children.

“I'm grateful that you came here and provided these things, because our household items were swallowed up by the sea. This is a big help for us. I hope you can help even more people,” said Roslyn.

Like Roslyn’s family, the residents of the island barangay of Jagoliao in Getafe, Bohol are working on rebuilding their homes and look forward to a new start as the year begins.

Stay up to date on how Save the Children Philippines is creating a world where every child has a safe and happy childhood

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Save the Children Philippines has been working hard every day to give Filipino children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for and with children to positively transform their lives and the future we share.

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Typhoon Odette’s Catastrophe: The Case of Dinagat Islands Province

By Selva Ramachandran, Resident Representative & Remelizza Joy Sacra-Dejucos, Communication Consultant

March 7, 2022

Residents of Barangay Boa in the municipality of Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands Province painted the wall of the ruins of their covered court plaza, pleading for help in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette/Rai.

Early in February, the northeasterlies continued to bring rain showers in eastern Mindanao, especially the provinces facing the Pacific. But the swell - those large blankets of waves, which the CARAGA region is famous for - was rather calm. The boat crew said that the usual three-hour travel from the Surigao City port to Dinagat Islands can be reduced into two and half hours – a good sign that we might be able to reach the islands before dusk from the long journey from Manila. The cargo boat was packed with vehicles, agriculture and food supplies, humanitarian aid, and passengers. The residents of Dinagat Islands had heard that the electricity in some parts of the province has finally been restored. For families that have sought shelter among relatives in Surigao City and nearby towns after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, despite a slow recovery, it was a homecoming.

Or was it really?

In mid-December 2021, Typhoon Odette (internationally named Rai) struck the Philippines, and brought extensive damages and losses in at least 7 provinces, affecting more than 16 million people. The much improved early warning system led to lower number of casualties reported. However, Typhoon Odette caused widespread and severe damage to a variety of critical infrastructure and socio-economic sectors, thus disrupting the ability of local governments to provide essential services.

Given the scale of challenges, the focus of the typhoon response is picking up pace and will still need a strong humanitarian angle until June 2022.

The Island Province of Dinagat

The Provincial Capitol of Dinagat Islands suffered severe damage when Typhoon Odette hits the province last December 16, 2021. To these days, the provincial government is operating in makeshift operation centers and offices. Photo by Camille Soriano/UNDP Philippines

The Province of Dinagat Islands was one of the areas worst-hit areas by Typhoon Odette.- the third Category 5 typhoon to hit the country in the last two years. It affected over 34,000 families in the Dinagat alone and left more than 14,500 houses totally destroyed and another 15,700 partially damaged. The province depends on agriculture, fishing, and mining as the key sources of economy and employment. The province incurred over PhP 1.1 billion (USD 21.4 million) worth of agricultural damage and approximately PhP 2.8 billion (USD 54.6 million) damage to infrastructure and utilities. Over 8,000 fishing boats were totally damaged, leaving fisherfolks unable to go to the sea. Similarly, an estimated 1.4 million coconut trees were destroyed with the risk of infestation if not cleared quickly. Farmers who depended on copra production lost their main source of livelihood.

Coconut is one of the main livelihoods of people in Dinagat Islands. The coconut farmers, who were already marginalized even before the typhoon, sustained heavy and long-term damage in their economic activity. Photo by Rex Lor/UNDP Philippines

According to locals, a few hours after noon on December 16, 2021, they started to experience heavy rain and strong winds. At exactly 3:10 in the afternoon, Typhoon Odette made landfall in the coastal municipality of Cagdianao. There was creeping silence that lasted for about 15 minutes when the center of the eye of the typhoon crossed the island. Then, the residents braced for the worst part. For the next three hours, the entire province was battered with heavy rains and torrential wind. In Barangay Boa, several meters high storm surges almost wiped out the entire village.

Facing the Pacific Coast, the community center of Barangay Boa was almost wiped out by large waves during the typhoon. What remains are ruins of houses, daycare centers, and covered plaza. People have set-up temporary shelters from old tarpaulin to protect their families from continuous rain.

Nosen Gabradilla and her husband live in one of the makeshift shelters in the coastal village of Boa.

Boa has become a ‘tent city’ for residents who chose to build their temporary shelter out of tarpaulins and plywood on the same ground that was wiped out by the storm surge. Nosen Gabradilla was one of the residents whose house was totally damaged. A member of Palaw’an tribe, she was just visiting her husband’s family in Barangay Boa in early 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic came. They were stranded in Boa, and, with nowhere to go, decided to build a modest home near the sea, while her husband tried to earn money from fishing. Nosen and her husband were looking forward to going back to the Palawan province last December after having saved around PhP 20,000(USD 390), but in a matter of hours large waves swept their home, including their money, which they kept in a bag under their bed. Running to safety, with almost no cover, Nosen was not able salvage anything from their home, but herself and the clothes on their back. When asked why they did not put their savings in the bank, Nosen said that they did not know how to open one. There was no bank or any financial institution near the barangay. She does not even have a birth certificate because she was born an IP. She was not sure about her birth date.

Comprised of both men and women fishers, this is a production line for bottled fish in the municipality of Libjo prior to the typhoon. File photo from Provincial Government of Dinagat Islands

In the coastal municipality of Libjo, the Sidlak Magsaysay Consumers Cooperative (SMCC) bottled fish production was also wiped out. The facility, equipment, and boats that were being used for fishing and production were damaged, logging approximately PhP 1.5 million (US$ 30,000) in losses. Last year, the SMCC received support from the province, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Department of Trade and Industry to start the production and processing of scad in corn oil and tomato sauce since it is abundant in the area. The bottled fish production is the bread and butter of women fishers, especially during closed season, when fishing is not allowed. From September to November 2021 alone, the cooperative produced 2,300 bottles worth PhP 264,500 pesos. Each bottle was being sold at PhP 115. Their product was ready for accreditation by the Food and Drug Administration, an extraordinary feat for a community-based organization. But today, the cooperative and its women members are back to square one with all the damages incurred due to Typhoon Odette.

Heavy rain continued to loom over the islands two months after the typhoon. The compounded impact of the typhoon and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the living condition of many Dinagat residents. Dinagat Islands belong to one of the poorest regions in the country and are considered as one of the most geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, its poverty incidence is at 30.3% as of first half of 2021, which means that almost one-third of its population is living below the poverty line.

The loss of opportunities due to restriction in mobility during the pandemic and the loss of livelihood after the typhoon aggravated even further the marginalized sectors, including farmers, fishers, and small entrepreneurs.

With their municipal halls almost totally damaged, the municipal local government of Dinagat Island is using their covered court plaza to ensure that frontline government services will remain operational.

In the wake of Odette, the provincial and municipal local government units continued to deliver essential services from make-shift offices and operation centers. In the LGU of Dinagat, the municipal hall buildings were heavily damaged. The LGU staff tried to save old documents including court records and evidence. They converted the town’s covered plaza into a makeshift coordination center and triage for frontline services, repacking of relief goods, and emergency operations. Barangay halls were also converted to community kitchens.

The community kitchen of New Mabuhay uses a traditional method of cooking in wood and iron-stand to serve hot porridge to children and elderly in their village.

“We rely on the provincial government’s subsidy for our community kitchen. It has been running since day one after the typhoon hit us. At least once a day, we provide hot porridge to community members. We prioritize children and elderlies. We have 17 barangay health workers who shift rotation – both to attend to the community kitchen and perform pandemic duties,” said Josefa Asuncion, one of the barangay counselors in New Mabuhay, Dinagat Island.

The only unit of satellite WiFi being used by the Provincial Government of Dinagat Islands in their operation center.

To connect to the internet, the entire province heavily relies on one unit of satellite Wi-Fi deployed by the Department of Information and Communication Technology. This sole satellite Wi-Fi unit connects the provincial operation center of Dinagat Islands to the national government, humanitarian organizations, and other key development partners to ensure that information necessary to facilitate the delivery of aid will reach the agencies.

Recovery and Resilience from Day 1 of Response

The Provincial Government compound of Dinagat islands in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette/Rai. Photo by Rex Lor/UNDP Philippines

For a country faced with recurring crises, particularly due to extreme weather events, collective thinking and subsequent action that combine life-saving and life sustaining are warranted to help the people build back. Losses and damages due to Typhoon Odette are proof that extreme weather events are increasingly becoming more frequent at an unacceptable rate, which peaked at 4% of the GDP in 2013 due to Super Typhoon Haiyan.

To break the cycle of crises, recovery and resilience ought to be part of the response plans and should go hand-in-hand with humanitarian action from day one. There should be an emphasis on a) reducing or eliminating avoidable deaths from multiple shocks; b) support in restoring and saving livelihood assets; and c) restoration of critical services and improve access of affected population to have a continuum on sustainable development.

Noting the increasing difficulty of attaining fast and timely recovery, it is apparent that the loss and damage impacts of these climate events are outstripping the country’s capacity to withstand climate shock - a realization stated in the Philippines Nationally Determined Contribution (2021). Despite the efforts of the Philippine government and other development agencies to invest in structural and non-structural disaster risk reduction measures, the severity of damages of Typhoon Odette exposed that infrastructures and communities are still highly vulnerable in relation to historical weather events such as those that have occurred within statistical records. At the local levels, the insufficient ability of people and communities to bounce back and return to the pathway of normalcy is observed to be very slow, especially in remote island municipalities and provinces like Dinagat.

UNDP Philippine Resident Representative Selva Ramachandran and Dinagat Islands Governor Arlene “Kaka" Bag-ao discussed the priority support needed by the Province and how UNDP can respond and support in its long-term recovery and resilience.

The Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) of Typhoon Odette is expected to be released by end of March 2022 with a several billions of budget tag. A collective approach from the government, CSOs, the private sector and development partners is needed to support the recovery and rehabilitation effort. It is an opportunity for UNDP to implement the transformational agenda with the refreshed approach to risk-informed recovery and resilience that links tightly to our human security-human development approach. The vision of UNDP’s strategy in the Philippines for Typhoon Odette-affected areas is to strengthen the resilience of the systems by building the communities’ innate and existing capacities to buffer and protect from the impacts. Through integrated and area-based programming, strategic partnerships, and multi-stakeholder cooperation, local governments and communities can continue providing or accessing services. They can also quickly recover, learn fast and adapt to changing risks without compromising long-term prospects for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The support from local communities and authorities is clear, as they see our efforts underpinning theirs - to help local governments and communities reduce their vulnerabilities from compounded crises.

The road to recovery may be probably paved with good infrastructures, but the road to climate security is the more challenging path that we need to pursue with more agile efforts. Despite the destruction and complete loss of assets, the communities like those in the Dinagat islands are resolute and resilient as they move on and look forward to rebuilding their lives. We, along with other partners, can play a role in this journey.

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Reaching the unreached: super typhoon odette wash emergency response in caraga, unicef and action against hunger philippines are providing life-saving wash support for affected communities in siargao, dinagat and surigao city..

UNICEF and Action Against Hunger Philippines are providing WASH supplies for most affected families in Caraga

On the 16th of December 2021, Typhoon Odette (internationally named Typhoon Rai) made its first landfall in the Siargao Islands of Surigao Del Norte in Caraga. Within hours of its impact, a total of 2,552,312 families across 38 provinces have been affected as the typhoon had incurred massive damages in infrastructure, houses, and livelihoods that have severe and long-term effects on the affected populations (Source: National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as of 30 January 2022).

Burgos was one of the municipalities that bore the brunt of Typhoon Odette’s impact. Geographically facing the Pacific Ocean, many of its communities experienced storm surges and violent winds.

Through our Super Typhoon Odette WASH Emergency Response in CARAGA, we are hoping to reach 26,000 typhoon-affected people within the Municipalities of General Luna, Burgos, San Benito, and Del Carmen. With the support of UNICEF Philippines and UN CERF , our goal is to provide the children and their communities with safe water and sanitation services while promoting proper hygiene practices in times of emergency.

UNICEF Emergency WASH kits are unloaded for distribution in Barangay San Juan, San Benito in Siargao.

We jumpstarted our water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities starting in Barangay Baybay in the Municipality of Burgos and made our way to San Benito to reach Barangays Bongdo, Talisay, and San Juan. Within the first week of February, we have supported approximately 3,580 people (221 households in Burgos; 495 households in San Benito).

One of the recipients in Barangay Baybay, Burgos checks the contents of the UNICEF emergency WASH kit.

Life-saving WASH assistance in the form of hygiene and/or water kits (jerry cans with Aquatabs/Hyposol) were provided to prioritized families with children under five years old, family members with vulnerable circumstances— pregnant/lactating women (PLWs); single-headed households, child-headed households; persons with disabilities (PWDs); senior citizens; and family members with comorbidities—or impoverished families who have not yet received emergency WASH support in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette.

Action Against Hunger staff conducts a hygiene promotion session in Barangay San Juan, San Benito in Siargao.

During the distributions, hygiene promotion sessions for the participating families were conducted. Our WASH staff demonstrated how to practice proper handwashing using soap and water. The barangay health workers (BHWs) also supported our team before and during the distributions.

One of the recipients, a mother from Brgy. Bongdo, expressed her gratitude upon seeing several soap items in the emergency kit. She stated that her community had little expectations that they would still be receiving WASH support. According to her, neighboring barangays already received similar aid weeks before, but her barangay was not included.

Our Super Typhoon WASH Emergency Response in CARAGA is made possible with funding from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UN CERF) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Hope delivered across the river

UNICEF supporting isolated children affected by severe tropical storm Paeng

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IN NUMBERS: The aftermath of Typhoon Odette

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IN NUMBERS: The aftermath of Typhoon Odette

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday, December 19, delivered a message of hope in the midst of the devastation brought about by super typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. Photos by OVP Photographers

OVP Photographers

MANILA, Philippines – Just as the holidays in 2021 were looking up for Filipinos due to decreasing coronavirus cases, a devastating typhoon swiftly put hundreds of thousands of families in need of help.

Typhoon Odette made landfall at least nine times from December 16 to 17, triggering forced evacuations and leaving swaths of destruction in parts of all island groups in the Philippines.

After leaving massive destruction, Odette left the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 12:40 pm on Saturday, December 18. More than 400 people died, according to a partial report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Odette, the Philippines’ 15th tropical cyclone in 2021, destroyed homes, uprooted trees, and toppled power lines. It also dumped torrential rain, triggering floods and landslides.

Here are other official figures related to Odette, as reported by government agencies. The true picture of the typhoon’s aftermath may vary since local governments and national agencies are still grappling with cut off power and communication lines.

As of 6 am Sunday, January 2:

500 injured
1147 injured or ill

The PNP tally is based on police reports, while the NDRRMC toll is collated from regional DRRM councils.

1,811,193 families
6,705,135 persons
7,725 barangays
Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon
Albay, Masbate
Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Guimaras
Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor
Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte
Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte
Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur
Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands
North Cotabato
89,282 families inside evacuation centers
355,064 persons inside evacuation centers
1,489 evacuation centers
58,822 families outside evacuation centers
190,248 persons outside evacuation centers
532,096 total number of damaged houses (NDRRMC)
230,047 totally damaged houses (DSWD)
548,969 partially damaged houses (DSWD)
Estimated cost of damage on houses: P28,163,718
331 damaged infrastructures
Estimated cost of damage on infrastructures: P16,715,368,482.11
240 affected road sections
26 affected bridge sections
7 affected airports
129 affected seaports
284 cities and municipalities’ power supply affected
18 cities and municipalities’ water supply affected
165 cities and municipalities’ communications affected
86,264.7485 hectares of crops damaged
1,229,927 livestock and poultry
5,187.5 agricultural infrastructure/equipment damaged
Estimated cost of damage to agriculture: P6,683,206,250.24
P293,352,307.19 provided by DSWD, local government units, and non-governmental organizations, among others
3,389,882 kilograms of estimated total relief items delivered by the NDRRMC
79 government donors and 90 private donors monitored for seven localities: Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Negros, Palawan, Surigao, and Siargao
19 countries and organizations offering assistance
5 accepted offers for assistance: Japan, China, Korea, US, AHA Centre

This page will be updated as more information comes in. – Rappler.com

Sources: Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine National Police, and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

#ReliefPH: Help communities affected by Typhoon Odette

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Rapid assessment

The ILO issued the second edition of its rapid assessment on the impact of Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) that hit the Philippines in December 2021. As of 9 February 2022, almost 4.4 million workers are estimated to have been directly impacted by the typhoon across ten regions.