One month after the devastating typhoon that struck the Philippines some signs of progress appear but are mixed with reminders of the scale of the disaster and the challenges remaining ahead. In the city of Tacloban the government is back at work and markets are laden with fruits, pork, fish and bread. Shredded trees are sprouting new leaves and above all, the sounds of a city getting back on its feet fill the air. The roar of trucks hauling debris, the scrape of shovels along pavement and the ping of hammers on nails.
Thousands are still living amid the ruins of their former lives underneath shelters made from scavenged materials and handouts while bodies are still being uncovered from beneath the debris. The city administrator, Tecson Lim, says a sense of “normality” has returned, and continued there is a talk of a silver lining, “The opportunity to transform our city into a global city, a city that is climate change resilient and that can perhaps be a model.”
Rebuilding will take at least three years, success will be dependent on good governance and access to funds. The country is currently posting impressive economic growth, but corruption is endemic and the country remains desperately poor, while millions are living in slums.
There were ample warnings and plenty of time to prepare before the storm hit on November 8 but evacuation orders were either ignored or not enforced in a region regularly hit by typhoons. Haiyan left over 5,700 dead and more than 1,700 missing throughout the region and approximately 4 million people were displaced.
One couple in town had other things on their minds Saturday when Earvin Nierva and Riza Elmundo exchanged vows at a church and then posed for photos in a hard hit area of the city. “This gives hope to people that we can rise up,” said Elmundo. Her new husband pumped his fist and said, “Rise Tacloban!”
Haiyan was one of the strongest, if not the strongest, storm to hit land on record and triggered an international response which was led by the United States and U.N. agencies. The Philippine government has joined them in paying for food-for-work and cash-for-work emergency employment for thousands who lost their livelihoods. Workers clean up the twisted houses, trees and other debris which still cover large parts of the city. On Friday, the world Bank approved $500 million in budget support the Philippine government can use for short-term recovery and reconstruction while also providing technical assistance in designing housing, hospitals, schools and public facilities that can withstand super typhoons, strong earthquakes and severe floods. The city of Tacloban is also devising a master plan which calls for people living in areas prone to storm surges to be relocated farther inland. Some residents might resist moving but many others are now receptive to relocation after surviving the typhoon.
The storm led to a breakdown in government services and there were scenes of chaos as survivors broke into shops, homes and gasoline stations. Lim said 19 of the 26 government agencies in the city were now operating and roughly 15 percent of the city has electricity restored. “Psychologically, there is a sense of normalcy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the organization Christian Aid has released a statement calling for the cancellation of the Philippines’ national debt. Joining with the Jubilee Debt Campaign, the Freedom from Debt Coalition and Jubilee South in contending that the financial burden of the Philippines which presently stands at about $60 billion, would prevent the country from recovering from the devastating typhoon. They have released a petition asking lenders to lift the debt.
The Philippines currently pays out more than $20 million a day, or $8 billion a year, in interest payments to international lenders which accounts for around 20 percent of the country’s revenue each year. A large portion of this is a result of large loans being given to the Marcos regime during the Cold War when western governments and institutions, including the World Bank, supported the dictator to encourage him to remain allies with them against the Communists. The nation’s debts have actually increased due to the typhoon as the world Bank and Asian Development Bank have both given loans totalling $1 billion to help with the recovery.
“The Philippines is prone to natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes. Debts that should have been cancelled years ago are limiting the country’s capacity to respond and prepare for future emergencies. Action on this is clearly needed before any new debts are added,” contends Senior Economic Justice Adviser at Christian Aid, Joseph Stead. Ricardo Reyes, Freedom from Debt Coalition President has also commented on the situation saying, “Justice for the Filipino people demands debt cancellation, especially the illegitimate debts, which are odious, onerous, illegal, violate human rights, harmful to the people, environment and climate, and bereft of institutional processes and the consent of the people.”
We ask everyone to continue to pray for the people of the Philippines in their efforts to reconstruct their lives after this horrendous and devastating disaster.