Building Communication in Guiuan, Philippines

Guiuan is on the island of Samar, Tacloban on the island of Leyte, (joined by a long bridge) and Estancia on another island completely, Panay that I will be flying back to. As I make the four hour drive from our Tacloban office now set up, I see again how wide the path of destruction is that the typhoon cut across the terrain. It looks oh so familiar to the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami that I worked in, but one huge difference is that for those in Indonesia for instance that could "head for the hills" as the expression goes, they survived. The tsunami waves did not reach there. Here, the fury of Yolanda tore up and over and around the hills. The trees are stripped and look like toothpicks sticking out. I just shake my head.

"Here, the fury of Yolanda tore up and over and around the hills. The trees are stripped and look like toothpicks sticking out. I just shake my head."

There are Christian Reformed churches on all three islands so that is where we started geographical as they may help to serve in the recovery. Part of my job is to look at the capacity they have and bring in what and who is needed to mount a response. The United Nations Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Assistance (UN OCHA) has decided to set up hubs in these locations as well, besides the centralized Manila one. I was able to find the area of the city where they have literally set up camp. There are few standing buildings here, not like in Tacloban city. They have a turnkey solution to mobilize anywhere rapidly, with even their own water purification system, latrines, etc.

I met Telecoms Sans Frontiers (TSF) walking along. What a brilliant NGO. They come in to restore communications. As a major set of fibre optic cables on the ocean floor running to Guiuan was cut, there is only satellite here. You cannot get any local cell service provider. They set up satellite for OCHA, a satellite cyber cafe for people to come to, and also went door to door offering survivors five minutes on a satellite phone to call anyone they wanted oversees to let them know they were ok. It is fantastic how the world is coming to help the Philippines.

Sadly, the Christian Reformed Church in Guiuan has been decimated. This is the place where its 78 members worshiped. It is hard to believe as everything is gone. Their homes that were alongside the church are also gone. They have moved up to the grounds where the terminal is and fabricated some shacks to live in out of the salvage. I have heard through the OCHA meetings that the national government is declaring a no-build zone of 20 metres ( I also heard 40 metres) so where they will be able to go is yet unknown. Such a dilemma and psychologically so unsettling. I am glad we are including psychosocial support in our response.

The van we travelled in served very well as our temporary office. It was so hot and humid and a mosquito prone area that it protected us. Pastor Eph Sebio, one of the founding pastors of the GCRC, (Guian CRC) came over early from Mindanao to help the shaken pastor here, Alfredo Glyoso. It is going to take a lot to respond here with the limited capacity, but World Renew has already brought in an International Relief Manager to support this, and help set up a field office. I held informal focused group discussions with some of the community members as well as key informant interviews with some of the elders or leaders to identify the needs for the next phases.

I also found and spoke with the mayor of Guiuan who is only 33 years old, so young to oversee such a massive recovery effort. With a presence here, we will be able to coordinate with other aid organizations who register with OCHA and the local municipal offices. The process has already started.

World Renew has done this kind of work in many large disasters but I ask for your support and prayers for wisdom as we design and plan the work in the Philippines.

Blessings,