In harm's way

When Super Typhoon Yolanda slammed the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, it first made landfall in the municipality of Guiuan in Eastern Samar.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

The typhoon, with its apocalyptic storm surges, literally flattened much of Eastern Visayas. The few coconut trees that managed to remain standing had wilted palm fronds that dangled forlornly, like the many residents clinging to airport chain link fences with wide, desperate eyes, waiting to be airlifted out of hell.

I went to the region a few times with military forces from different countries, who were providing emergency rescue and relief in those first days when the Aquino administration seemed shell-shocked by the disaster.

Guiuan was a wasteland. The Americans, with their cargo planes and highly maneuverable Ospreys, operated the ruined airport on the island using portable communication devices.

Around the typhoon-hit areas, fishermen couldn't resume their livelihood for several weeks, even with the weather all cleared up, because their boats were destroyed. People avoided fish from the area anyway, fearing that the fish might have ingested human flesh – the missing who were carried out to sea by the storm surge.

How much has changed since then?

Disaster experts had warned that it would take years to rebuild from that kind of devastation. After 11 years, are Guiuan and the rest of Eastern Samar fully recovered? Did the province build back better – the buzz phrase at the time among the emergency and relief teams?

Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone won't claim full recovery for the province. Housing programs in particular aren't complete, Evardone told "Storycon" on One News last Friday as his province was again threatened by Super Typhoon Ofel, on the heels of the damage from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, with Pepito barreling closer.