The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 3 of 3

The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 3 of 3 (Day 42)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the 42nd day of 50-day journey of DepEd Undersecretary Rey Laguda as being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account - Blogger/owner)

Day 3 and Beyond

We woke up early to clean up the rooms and surroundings. We received confirmation that Br. Armin Luistro and Francis Varela were making it through from Cebu via Ormoc. Br. Armin was adamant in staying wherever we were staying. I kept on offering him a place that we found where he could probably be more comfortable but he refused. So SDS Art Isip took charge and led the clean up. He even placed plants beside the room as we swept the dirt and mud from the floors. It was as if we were not in a typhoon-ravaged environment.

The first surprise we got for the morning was when Laura, the regional supply officer, came bringing along home-cooked breakfast! It was a good break from canned meat and sardines. I was telling the teachers that we would encounter, that they should start planting vegetables in Leyte National High School because as time would pass, they will get tired of canned food and noodles. Besides, it would be unhealthy too. Roland from Cebu Ecotech, being the expert in vegetable gardening, was suggesting malunggay and alugbati since these are fast growing.

The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 1 of 3

The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 1 of 3 (Day 40)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the 40th day of 50-day journey of DepEd Undersecretary Rey Laguda as being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account - Blogger/owner)

(I would like to use the next three posts to recount the events during the first few weeks after Typhoon Yolanda, to show the character of the people I encountered then, especially the people from DepEd.)

When Yolanda made landfall on Nov 8, 2013, I was finishing a workshop with some ICT coordinators to revise our existing policies. By the time we ended, Yolanda had hit Eastern Visayas and pummeled through Central and Western Visayas and some parts of Bicol and Mindanao. We were tracking DepEd officials as we monitored the news closely. By Saturday, there were still a few Superintendents who had not reported, including the Regional Director for Region 8. A decision was made to get there, assess the situation and find them. A small team was formed - Jocelyn Saw, Marc Helton Sua and myself - to try to touch base. We were with Fr. IJ Chan-Gonzaga, SJ who happened to be from Tacloban.

Beyond Ourselves (Day 7)

Beyond Ourselves (Day 7)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the DepEd USec Rey Laguda's Day 7 of 50-day journey being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account. - Blogger/owner)

Since 2010, there was no respite from disasters that hit our country. In 2010, Typhoon Juan hit Region 2. In 2011, Typhoon Sendong hit parts of Visayas and Northern Mindanao especially Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities. In 2012, we saw Typhoon Pablo ravage Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley followed by an earthquake in Negros Oriental. In 2013, it was Bohol and Central Visayas' turn to have a major earthquake. As if it weren't enough, Typhoon Yolanda broke records affecting six regions. There were relatively small but damaging typhoons that followed in the ensuing years - Glenda, Ruby and Nona, to name a few. Indeed, we are in the ring of fire and in the typhoon belt. Aside from these natural disasters, we have seen the sad effects of human induced disasters like fire, violence, and conflict.

I had just come from a psychosocial debriefing session in Angono, Rizal for teachers who were involved in a recent bus accident. Br Armin asked me to say something and I couldn't help but remember heroic acts in times of adversity. I spoke about how my experience in DepEd over the last six years was characterized by attending to one calamity after another. And yet, more than the damage and destruction, what struck me were the human acts of resilience, survival, kindness, generosity, and love our people have shown throughout.