Ten days ago arrived in The Philippines. I will be working with Medair for much of this year as they continue to respond to the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. I will blog more about the project at another time but for now here are some of my first impressions of this country.
It is beautiful. I flew from Manila to Tacloban on an early morning flight and the sun was rising as we came in to land. The ocean, the forests and the mountains in the distance were bathed in the glorious early morning light.
It is scarred. From the moment of leaving the airport and all along the 45 minute drive to Dulag, where the Medair project is based, you can see the impact of the typhoon. There are huge numbers of buildings either partially or totally destroyed. You can see the power of the typhoon in the twisted and crumpled metalwork and collapsed walls of structures that were once functioning as factories, offices, schools and homes. You can see the impact on individuals in the broken down houses, many covered in tarpaulins as their only defense against the elements now.
It is recovering. Amidst the destruction there are newly rebuilt or repaired buildings, standing as a beacon of hope for what is possible.
It is Roman Catholic. A few weeks ago the Pope visited Tacloban and the banners to welcome him are still hanging in the streets. Many of the buildings that have been rebuilt are churches. Our rented office and one of our warehouses both have shelves containing icons and statues of the Virgin Mary.
It is tropical. Although this is now meant to be the dry season it still seems to rain every day in short bursts of heavy rain. In between the rain showers the sun shines and the temperature and humidity levels rise to the point where a fan is an essential piece of equipment in order to keep cool.
It is friendly. People seem very open and always pleased to see you. The adults will say 'Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening' as you pass them in the street and the children will put up their hands for a high five and ask 'What is your name?'
It is noisy. I think we are living on the corner of a particularly noisy street but there is rarely a moment (except maybe in the middle of the night) when you could say it was truly quiet. The roar of motorbike engines, the barking of the multitude of stray dogs that roam the streets, the (mostly) tuneless karaoke singing, the banging and hammering of construction and the chattering and shouting of the neighbours all contribute to a constant cacophony of sound. I am getting used to sleeping with ear plugs!
Over the next few months I am sure I will learn a lot more about the culture and the people of this country that is all a new experience for me.
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