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Typhoon Odette: A Cebuano’s Experience

Last December 16, 2021, Supertyphoon Odette (internationally known as Rai) struck multiple parts of Visayas and Mindanao including Surigao, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol,  Negros Oriental and Southern Leyte. While the total death, missing person , and injury rate in all affected areas are not as grave, the real impact is in the destruction of infrastructures , homes, and cities as a whole. 

Having survived the typhoon myself, I saw my home , Cebu City, transform into a ruined wasteland overnight . Roofs and debris scattered all over the street, trees, and powerlines knocked over, blocking the roads, and come nighttime, extremely dark streets lit only by the moon and headlights from passing cars. It took me a while to get (very spotty) service after the typhoon and I checked the news online to see the full picture of the aftermath . 

All affected cities looked like scenes straight from a post-apocalyptic movie the morning after the tragedy. With a pandemic ongoing and the lack of anticipation on how severe the typhoon would become, everyone was not prepared for the lifestyle changes it would bring : no electricity, signal, and water – with the Cebu City government announcing that everything would be back to normal in a month. Worse was the lack of media coverage and news to unaffected areas like Manila and abroad due to the termination of ABS-CBN’s contract by the Duterte administration during the start of the pandemic . This in turn left many worried fellow Filipinos in the dark about the whereabouts of their loved ones who lived in those areas. 

In the first few days after, hundreds of people would queue in the streets in search of gasoline, water, cash, groceries, and charging stations. While everyone is virtually affected by the crisis, not everyone is in the same boat. The privileged are able to move into temporary shelters like hotels and condominiums with generators, many poor people lost their homes to the typhoon. While some would pray for rain to spare them from the hot weather while others don’t wish it because they lost a part of their entire roof or house. 

Cebu City is known for its relief efforts when neighboring areas are affected by calamities. Being the second-largest metropolitan in the Philippines, it serves as the business and trade hub for the Visayas. In fact, many donation drives were initiated in Cebu with the help of other provinces to help provide relief packages to affected communities despite the damages. Thankfully with the cooperation of electricity and water providers from unaffected regions, Cebu is slowly being rebuilt into normalcy.

While electricity and water were slowly being restored in different affected areas , not everyone was able to celebrate Christmas and New Year with water and electricity but nonetheless, Cebuanos are grateful and humble people . Despite their situation , they are cooperative and resilient and they do their best to continue on with their lives while helping others and waiting for full restoration.

Learn Tagalog

struck multiple parts - tumama sa maraming bahagi
affected areas - mga apektadong lugar
destruction of infrastructures - pagkasira ng mga imprastraktura
roofs and debris scattered - mga bubong at mga labi na nakakalat
full picture of the aftermath - buong larawan ng resulta
lifestyle changes - mga pagbabago sa pamumuhay
lack of media coverage - kakulangan ng medya na sumaklaw
worried fellow Filipinos - nag-aalalang mga kapwa Pilipino
lost their homes - nawalan ng mga tahanan
affected communities - mga komunidad na apektado
slowly being restored - unti-unting naibabalik
water and electricity - tubig at kuryente
start of the pandemic - simula ng pandemya
temporary shelters - pansamantalang mga tirahan
humble people - mga taong mapagpakumbaba
1. struck multiple parts - tumama sa maraming bahagi
0:04
2. affected areas - mga apektadong lugar
0:03
3. destruction of infrastructures - pagkasira ng mga imprastraktura
0:05
4. roofs and debris scattered - mga bubong at mga labi na nakakalat
0:05
5. full picture of the aftermath - buong larawan ng resulta
0:04
6. lifestyle changes - mga pagbabago sa pamumuhay
0:04
7. lack of media coverage - kakulangan ng medya na sumaklaw
0:05
8. worried fellow Filipinos - nag-aalalang mga kapwa Pilipino
0:05
9. lost their homes - nawalan ng mga tahanan
0:04
10. affected communities - mga komunidad na apektado
0:04
11. slowly being restored - unti-unting naibabalik
0:04
12. water and electricity - tubig at kuryente
0:04
13. start of the pandemic - simula ng pandemya
0:04
14. temporary shelters - pansamantalang mga tirahan
0:04
15. humble people - mga taong mapagpakumbaba
0:04

Learn Cebuano

struck multiple parts - naigo sa daghang mga bahin
affected areas - apektado nga mga lugar
destruction of infrastructures - pagkaguba sa mga imprastraktura
roofs and debris scattered - atop ug mga tinumpag nagkatag
full picture of the aftermath - tibuok nga hulagway sa resulta
lifestyle changes - kausaban sa panginabuhi
lack of media coverage - kakulang sa media coverage
worried fellow Filipinos - gikabalak-an sa mga kaubang Pilipino
lost their homes - nawad-an og ilang mga balay
affected communities - mga komunidad nga apektado
slowly being restored - hinayhinay nga gipahiuli
water and electricity - tubig ug kuryente
start of the pandemic - sugod sa pandemya
temporary shelters - temporaryo nga kapuy-an
humble people - mapaubsanon nga mga tawo
1. struck multiple parts - naigo sa daghang mga bahin
0:03
2. affected areas - apektado nga mga lugar
0:02
3. destruction of infrastructures - pagkaguba sa mga imprastraktura
0:03
4. roofs and debris scattered - atop ug mga tinumpag nagkatag
0:04
5. full picture of the aftermath - tibuok nga hulagway sa resulta
0:04
6. lifestyle changes - kausaban sa panginabuhi
0:04
7. lack of media coverage - kakulang sa media coverage
0:03
8. worried fellow Filipinos - gikabalak-an sa mga kaubang Pilipino
0:05
9. lost their homes - nawad-an og ilang mga balay
0:04
10. affected communities - mga komunidad nga apektado
0:03
11. slowly being restored - hinayhinay nga gipahiuli
0:03
12. water and electricity - tubig ug kuryente
0:02
13. start of the pandemic - sugod sa pandemya
0:02
14. temporary shelters - temporaryo nga kapuy-an
0:03
15. humble people - mapaubsanon nga mga tawo
0:03

Learn Ilocano

struck multiple parts - nasagid na ti adu nga parte
affected areas - naapektaran nga lugar
destruction of infrastructures - naperdi nga imprastraktura
roofs and debris scattered - tuktok ti balbalay ken naperperdi a sanikua ket agkaiwarang
full picture of the aftermath - iti sibubukel nga nadalanan
lifestyle changes - panagbaliw ti panagbiag
lack of media coverage - nakurang iti pannakaiwaragawag
worried fellow Filipinos - parikut dagiti kapadak nga Pilipino
lost their homes - napukaw dagiti babbalay
affected communities - naapektaran nga lugar
slowly being restored - naginad nga panagsubli
water and electricity - danum ken elektrisidad
start of the pandemic - rugi ti pandemya
temporary shelters - temporaryo nga pagyanan
humble people - napakumbaba nga tattao
1. struck multiple parts - nasagid na ti adu nga parte
0:04
2. affected areas - naapektaran nga lugar
0:03
3. destruction of infrastructures - naperdi nga imprastraktura
0:05
4. roofs and debris scattered - tuktok ti balbalay ken naperperdi a sanikua ket agkaiwarang
0:07
5. full picture of the aftermath - iti sibubukel nga nadalanan
0:05
6. lifestyle changes - panagbaliw ti panagbiag
0:04
7. lack of media coverage - nakurang iti pannakaiwaragawag
0:05
8. worried fellow Filipinos - parikut dagiti kapadak nga Pilipino
0:05
9. lost their homes - napukaw dagiti babbalay
0:04
10. affected communities - naapektaran nga lugar
0:04
11. slowly being restored - naginad nga panagsubli
0:05
12. water and electricity - danum ken elektrisidad
0:05
13. start of the pandemic - rugi ti pandemya
0:04
14. temporary shelters - temporaryo nga pagyanan
0:05
15. humble people - napakumbaba nga tattao
0:04
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