A lesson from Yolanda

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the onslaught of Supertyhoon Yolanda, the strongest storm that made landfall in recent memory. The devastation was so huge it turned a vast swathe of the Visayas into a wasteland.

The typhoon killed up to 8,000 people, including those who remained missing, making it the deadliest calamity that struck the country. For weeks, millions had no water and electricity as infrastructure was severely damaged.

What was lamentable was the government’s failure to respond swiftly, as it seemed to have underestimated the scope of the destruction. Many survivors had to initially rely on donations from foreign donors and private institutions before the government’s assistance arrived.

Five years following the disaster, has the government done enough to help Yolanda survivors get back on their feet? Sadly, we have to admit that there are still areas that need serious government attention considering the lack of assistance from concerned agencies.

Although massive rehabilitation efforts continue, many beneficiaries still complain that assistance is still not enough. And we cannot blame them because, since the previous administration, the government miserably failed to do its best in the effort to uplift the lives of Yolanda survivors.

It seems the international community and non-governmental organizations were more responsive to the needs of Yolanda survivors. These donors were, in fact, the first to take action in the typhoon’s aftermath.

As we see it, after five years, the mission to bring Yolanda survivors back to their previous lives proves to be an insurmountable task for the government, which is still having a hard time rehabilitating those affected areas because of limited resources.

The worst disaster that hit the country gave us one significant lesson: that Filipinos, aside from the need to brace for any eventuality, should learn to take steps to be more responsive to the demands of the victims during calamities.