We Feed Tacloban: Never Forget.
"I should be wearing my sunglasses right about now." And then she walked away to get her sunglasses from her bag, right after I asked how it feel like to be in Tacloban. Jessica Resch answered me with a smile on her face and tears flowing. "It's so overwhelming that I am finally here. Seeing all these people helping out to make this happen. It's really amazing!" Jessica said while she was trying to wipe off her tears.
It all started on her 18th birthday last year, instead of having a grand debut celebration, she saved up all her money to feed street children in Cebu city. After a couple of months, she then sold her Frisbee collection to feed more children. Then We Feed was born. Last year, her dream was to go to Tacloban to give joy and hope to 100 children who were affected by Typhoon Yolanda in her own little way. Through We Feed, that dream became a reality.
We started our Leyte trip with an hour and a half road trip from Tacloban to the small town of Javier, Leyte. The last town that was hit by Super typhoon Yolanda, two years ago. Though, everything is in order now, you can still see some destroyed houses, abandoned business establishments and commercial buildings along the road. Just by listening to all the stories that was shared to us by our hosts, Tito Joseph, Tita Joy, and Tito Joel who is a doctor in Tacloban back then, you can still feel and can not even imagine how terrible the situation was when Yolanda hit.
When we arrived in Javier, we were welcomed by Lolo Meok in his home for some delicious meal and a good place to sleep for the night. The next day, we went to Javier Elementary School to meet up with about 100 kids for the We Feed Ultimate Frisbee clinic and feeding program. It was a beautiful day to share the Ultimate knowledge. Some of them knew about Frisbee on thetelevision as a game for pets to play with their master, but most of them don't even know what frisbee is. So, it was actually a great opportunity for Jessica and Karen to spread the sport that we all love to a new generation of Frisbee players in our country. Who knows, maybe someday we will discover the next superstar of Philippine Ultimate here in the small town of Javier.
After the clinic, Lolo Meok prepared some snacks for the kids and we left some discs from Club Jr. Japan for them to continue what they have learned from Karen and Jessica. After lunch, We were off to Tacloban. It was a good day.
While we were driving back to Tacloban, I can't help myself but think about the time when the Super Typhoon hit Leyte. It looks better now, but what did it look like days after Yolanda wreak havoc in the city. How bad was the situation back then? How many people died? I was still in the US back then when it hit Tacloban, and all that we saw on the news and on the internet were photos and some short video clips on CNN and on local television channels in California. All my questions were answered last week when Karen, Jessica and I were welcomed by Taboy and the rest of the Tacloban Ultimate Community with open arms.
"It was like a scene from the Walking Dead TV Series", Taboy described. "All that you can see was mud colored streets with confused, terrified people of all ages walking on the road full of debris and lifeless bodies, looking and searching for their lost relatives, hoping that they are still alive and well. Screams. Cries. Blank faces. No electricity. No communications. No water to drink. No food to eat. It was Horrifying." Taboy added." There are a lot of looting all over the place. And when the clock strikes at 8 in the evening, it's shoot to kill time. When you are at home and you think someone is about to enter your house by force, you can shoot and kill them to protect your own. I know it sounds like a scene in a Purge movie, but It's real. I actually shot someone during those times. Not sure if I hit him or not, though." Taboy said calmly.
But I think the two stories that hit me hard to the core was the story of a dying man and the story of a man and his wife and an elderly woman. After three days, volunteers were piling up dead bodies on a truck when they saw this one dying man lying on the pavement, catching his last breath, still trying to survive. Two volunteers grabbed him and threw him on the truck with the rest of the dead bodies. One person asked the volunteers "Why did you do that to him?! He's still alive. He can still live!" One volunteer answered "Do you think, so? Do we have any hospitals around right now that can help him? Do we have any medicine left to help him survive? Answer me, please?!" The person who asked kept silent after realizing that the volunteer has a point.
Dale shared a story about his friend who was trying to cross the flood waters from one roof to the other, carrying both his wife and an elderly woman on his back. It came to a point that he can't carry them both anymore. He was so exhausted that he told the lady that he needs to let go of her for the reason that she's old and he can only save one, or the three of them will be washed away by the flood. The lady tried to hang on to his back, but the man need to let go of her, letting her get washed away with the current. The son crossed the flood waters with his wife. The moment they reached the other roof, he was dead tired.
Though, it seems horrific to let someone go, he got to do what he had to do in order to survive. In order for him and his wife to live. He needed to do it, or the three of them will never see the light of day again. But you know what? God is really good. When he says that it's not your time yet, then it is not your time. The old lady survived. How? Ask me when we see each other in person.
The Clinic and Feeding.
The local ultimate teams in Tacloban, Team AWU and DBN came in full force to help Jessica facilitate the program. About a hundred children were given the ultimate knowledge, teaching them the basics of ultimate Frisbee and also letting them know that there are still people outside Tacloban who cares for them and had never forgotten what had happened in their city. We had a great time with these kids. But while I was shooting on the field, I couldn't help myself not to get too emotional. I keep on asking myself how traumatic for these children to experience such a tragic event. I wonder how did they survive those two-story flood waters, those strong winds that can rip off a whole roof off. They were all two years younger back then. I wonder how many family members they lost. Too many questions that I don't have the guts to ask these kids. I just don't want to let them reminisce some bad memories and just let them enjoy the day of giving and be kids again.
A six minute ride with Dale, Juvy and JV. Thank you guys so much for sharing your stories with PUI and the rest of the world! God bless you all good people of Tacloban! #AllAboutU #WeFeed #TwoYearsAfterYolanda #PeopleOfTacloban
Posted by All About U on Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Until Then... More images to share. More stories to tell. It's All About U!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!!!
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