All that matters

One really cannot argue with the fact that being prepared saves lives. Two islands, one of them being the first in the country to be hit by Yolanda, have proven that. In light of the numerous deaths and widespread destruction in places such as Tacloban, Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa and Dulag, these two islands, although experiencing as much destruction, have zero to one death out of thousands. So before you start thinking that they may not have been hit as hard as the other places, think again.

On the island of Manicani in Guiuan, Easter Samar, only one death was reported among the three thousand residents. Manicani was the first to be hit by Yolanda, thereby getting a direct blow when the typhoon was at its strongest. When it passed, there were practically no houses left standing.

On Tulang Diyot right here in Cebu, there were no deaths among the more than a thousand residents. Just the same, the island was flattened. No power, no communication, but with the highest percentage of survivors. In both islands, the people valued the importance of being prepared, and heeding government warnings in the face of a potential calamity. Residents were told to evacuate the disaster prone areas at least a day before Yolanda made landfall. They left their homes and headed for higher, much safer places. The local government explained the perils of a storm surge on an island, and everyone listened. Aside from that, the island held practice drills in the event of a calamity. Because of what they have accomplished, Tulang Diyot Island was recognized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction as a role model in disaster reduction.

Just imagine if the residents of both islands stayed in their homes. The current death toll would have been much larger. Nothing can be done about saving homes in the path of a 330+ kilometer per hour typhoon. Absolutely nothing. So staying in a house built with lightweight materials really defies all logic. Some stay so they can watch over their belongings. Some stay because they think living in an evacuation center is unacceptable. Some are just plain stubborn. In the end, staying alive is of the utmost importance. You can rebuild homes, you can restart livelihood, but you cannot bring back the dead.

Cities and towns prone to typhoons should take a page out of what the local governments of Manicani, Guiuan and Tulang Diyot did to avoid numerous casualties and deaths. These are stories that must be highlighted. Those that survived did because they heeded government warnings, and prepared for the worst. The worst did happen, and the aftermath continues to this day. But for some people, they are just glad they still have each other.

And that is all that matters.