The last couple of weeks of 2021 has been devastating to a lot of people because of Typhoon Rai, AKA Odette. It was heartbreaking to see all the damage it caused, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao region. It is said to be the 3rd costliest typhoon in the Philippine history.1 Some lost their homes and livelihood. Others lost their lives. With the holidays coming up, I couldn't imagine how painful it must've been for them.
With my recent emotional state (I'm still figuring out if I need to talk to a therapist about it or I'm just tired of what's happening with the world), every post that I read about the disaster made me cry. I couldn't even feel the "joy" of the holiday season. It affected me to the point where I had to stop using social media for a bit. It was like I was being sucked into depression. I'm still learning how to channel that energy into action, but I think it's still healthy to feel your emotions and sit with them until you can come in terms with them and eventually move on. I'm just very fortunate enough to have this option. I know most of the survivors had to set their feelings aside and keep moving forward.
"From this moment despair ends and tactics begin." - Raoul Vaneige
After a few days, my partner and his friends were able to get in touch with an NGO who's willing to send relief goods to the survivors of the typhoon. They've set up drop off locations in Zambales from Palauig, Candelaria, Iba, and San Felipe. I was in charge of the ones from Olongapo City. My frustrations from not being able to help (I'm unemployed at the moment) flew out of the window! I don't have money, so I just borrowed my father's car, with his permission (sort of 😉), collected all the clothes, toiletries, etc, from friends and acquaintances who were willing to give, then sorted them for the NGOs to deliver. We were able to collect 6 balikbayan boxes of clothes and toiletries and a small box of rice. The boxes were collected December 29th. My family was already here in Palauig then, so my mom happily turned over the goods to the NGOs. It was a humbling experience and I'm grateful to have been part of it and share it with my kids.
My partner and I already planned to spend New Year's eve with his family in Palauig. So I was also able to help in sorting the goods since we're staying until the 9th. They were able to collect 26 boxes and 9 sacks of assorted goods, as well as 10 6-liter water gallons in Palauig alone. We turned over the goods to the jolly Ms. Weng and her partner from Concern, Inc. the other day. From here, they will collect the goods in the other towns, then have them sent to Bohol, Cebu, and Negros. They're still waiting for the collected goods in Pampanga before they deliver all of them to the affected areas. We'll continue to coordinate with them for transparency and possibly, a second batch.
"The greatest good is what we do for one another." - Mother Theresa
Our friends from the Zambales Board Riding Association also started a donation drive for surfers and their families who were affected by the typhoon in Siargao. The event was called "Nationwide Surfspot Call For Donation" held at Pa-Jamming Kubo, an al fresco dining restaurant in San Juan, Palauig last January 1st. The event was held in nine other locations. We had the chance to be there with my partners' parents and the kids.
It was a chill night. The venue was relaxing as it's situated on the beach. Sagbot performed, a reggae band, who are also tattoo artists from Iba. They played songs of hope and love for Mother Nature and how it's being destroyed by greedy people.
We weren't able to finish the event as it was already too late for the kids, but they were able to collect about 4,000 pesos in cash, not including the ones from GCash donations. All in all, it was a great night. I've met new people, enjoyed good music, and was able to help in our own little way.
"The denial of the climate and ecological crisis runs so deep that hardly anyone takes real notice anymore." - Greta Thunberg
We can't deny that the typhoons are getting stronger by the year. We experience an average of 20 typhoons in a year here in the Philippines, and they will get stronger because of the climate crisis we're in. Sadly, the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. We've actually ranked 4th in the world, based on the Global Climate Risk Index data from 2000-2019.2 Yes, we're a tropical country with the Pacific Ocean as our neighbor, so it's normal to come across typhoons here and there...that's why we've become resilient. But isn't it tiring? To have your house get wrecked every couple of years? To be submerged into water at least once a year? To lose loved ones? We have to demand more from our leaders for them to do drastic changes to be greener and to adhere in the COP26 goals. We can also help by doing the ten impactful actions to lower the carbon emissions we contribute. Together, we can stop this climate crisis for a better future for our children.
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Rai
2https://germanwatch.org/sites/default/files/Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202021_1.pdf
