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Villagers realised they needed safe evacuation points - and a cave proved to be one of them just a year later when yet another typhoon arrived
Marlita Amande is from Samar island, one of the areas devastated in November 2013 by the storm surge brought on by typhoon Haiyan, the strongest storm ever on record to make landfall, killing at least 6,300 people and affecting 16 million.
Like Filipinos in many areas of the country, experiencing typhoons is a part of life. Marlita’s family usually packs its valuables and covers them with plastic, hoping they don’t get wet if water floods their home.
After Haiyan, the 67-year-old and her community in Basiao on the island in the eastern Philippines realised the critical importance of being prepared for future disasters.
When the typhoon struck, many people from Basiao, including Marlita’s family, chose to stay in their homes rather than moving to evacuation centres. Some of them sadly lost their life.
“When water started to rise and enter our house, we were so scared. We hurried to our neighbors house; it was the closest high place for us to run to,” said Marlita.
When they went back to their house, they were heartbroken when they saw that the typhoon took everything from them. It was painful for Marlita to see that her home and all their possession were gone. The house had been the foundation of their family since her five children were born.
Since that dreadful day, Marlita and her neighbours have worked together make sure they are well prepared for the next disaster.
One of the key concerns identified by the community was to ensure safe evacuation places for people. Those that live close to a church or school had options. But for those in more remote areas, sustainable evacuation points needed to be established.
Community leaders began to think about places that could safely house small groups of people.
One area identified was the Saob caves; a tourist destination which used to be a home for people during World War II. Inside, the remains of personal items can still be found, such as hair combs, kitchen utensils and plates indicating that this was someone’s home many years ago.
When Typhoon Hagupit struck in December 6, 2014, just over a year after Haiyan, the villagers were prepared.
“A day before Typhoon Hagupit, our village officials went from house to house to warn people that there was a strong typhoon coming. They encouraged people to evacuate,” she said.
When community members heard the announcement, people no longer had the desire to stay at home, remembering the suffering caused by typhoon Haiyan. They knew they needed to evacuate and begin preparing for the worst, while hoping for the best.
Marlita and her family went to the Saob caves.
“We hurriedly prepared things that we needed for evacuation. We brought a few clothes, and food that would last a few days, like canned goods and bananas. We tied the roof of our house down with ropes, and put heavy materials on it so that it wouldn’t blow away,” Marlita added.
As they walked into the cave, they saw fossils from 70 years ago. It made Marlita think about the similarities; how both her and her ancestors used caves as protection from disasters.
“My family, together with 15 other families, stayed in the cave the night Typhoon Hagupit visited Samar. We felt secure from wind and water; it is really high up so water would not be able to reach us, and there is no chance of being blown away. Many areas around the coast were damaged, but we were safe in the cave,” she said.
“Thankfully, we have modern technology that is communicated to our village leaders and they warn us when disasters are coming, so we can pack up our valuables and head for safety well ahead of time."
Marlita feels safe and assured knowing that the Saob caves are their evacuation point. She and her family will continue to practice the same kind of preparedness for future disasters.
