Ravaged houses, fallen trees, ruined farmlands, and scattered debris on the roads welcomed us when we arrived in Dolores, a third class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, after typhoon Hagupit made its first and direct hit in the coastal town.
Together with Greenpeace International and Southeast Asia EDs Kumi Naidoo and Von Hernandez, and Philippine Climate Change Commissioner Yeb Saño, we brought a message of solidarity to this remote and isolated community, totally cut off from the rest of the country, left with no electricity or mobile phone service. Dozens of shouting children swarmed around us as we arrived in town.
We were told that about 7,000 people of the population of 40,800 were still in evacuation centers, while one person died. Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo told us that aorund 80% of homes were destroyed and much of the region’s farmland ruined.
In pictures:
Typhoon Hagupit certainly was the most powerful storm to hit our country this year. It's odd that it came during the UN climate talks in Lima, Peru just like when Typhoon Haiyan and Typhoon Bopha also hit the country during the climate negotiations in the past 2 years.
Reflecting on what we've witnessed during our response in Laiya and Dolores, it is encouraging to see the sense of community of my fellow Filipinos, yet heartbreaking as we will always have to put a brave face and brace ourselves every time super typhoons hit our country. The Philippines or just any country do not deserve this. Climate change fuels these extreme weather events. World leaders must take concrete action if we are to avoid the tipping point.
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