Hope

Notes from the editor

In two days we end the year that could justifiably be called annus horribilis due not just to the natural disasters that hit our country – a string of vicious storms (Labuyo, Maring, Odette, Santi, Vinta) ending with the monster Yolanda, plus a 7.2 magnitude earthquake – but also to man-made disasters like the senseless siege that destroyed much of the beautiful city of Zamboanga and the revelations of unmitigated and shameless greed that has come to be known as the pork barrel scam, and other scams that came to light after it.

For the past two months though, all attention has been on Super Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest storm ever recorded to have hit land. As of the Dec. 24 situational report of disaster authorities, 16 million people in nine regions were affected by the storm, with nearly 8,000 dead or missing and damage to infrastructure and agriculture of P36.6 billion. While it may be difficult to wrap our heads around the numbers, photographs of the devastation across a wide swath of the Visayas leave no doubt about the scope and seriousness of the crisis, and how much work needs to be done in the days and even up to years ahead.

But beyond the destruction is the incredible sense of optimism and hope and resilience of the survivors. Amid coconut trees bare of fronds and trees with roots above ground where leaves should be, houses without roofs and posts without houses, green shoots of new life have sprouted up among the debris, proof of life unextinguished and unextinguishable, declarations of the triumph of life.

The story of the survivors of Yolanda and the rebuilding of their communities is still unfolding. But from depressing and heart-wrenching images of loss and destruction, now we are seeing images of hope, of indomitable faith, of joy in the face of pain, of smiles, of generosity beyond measure.

The photo that made the front pages of practically all the newspapers on Christmas Day of a giant parol made and put up by twin brothers Ronrey and Ronron Magdua – remember their names, please – captures the essence of the story of Yolanda survivors. From salvaged wood and materials bought using P2,000 they earned from a cash-for-work program, the brothers made the six-foot Philippine flag-themed star and set it up in front of the house of a family that perished in the storm. No wind, no storm surge can put down human spirit like that.

Just when we began to think that no, we can’t have more photos of Yolanda, photographer George Tapan, an old friend and frequent contributor to STARweek, called from Leyte. He decided to return to the scene of the storm a month after, and excitedly told us, “Tumatawa ang mga bata, naka-smile sila! (The children are laughing, they’re smiling!)” It was the week before Christmas, and the people of Leyte and Samar were not about to let the grinch – even if it is a monster storm – steal their Christmas. And so we end the year – annus horribilis though it may have been – with hope – the hope that Christ brought at Christmas, the hope that is in us Filipinos that no adversity or devastation can quench.

A blessed New Year to all.