Families miraculously survived Typhoon Odette onslaught

Eduardo, 43, a fisherman in Ubay, Bohol, considers the night of December 16 a miracle after Typhoon Odette’s strong winds caused a storm surge higher than their house.

“We were caught by surprise. The water was rising so fast and it was in the middle of the night. The winds were so strong, then a big wave, higher than our house, came rushing towards us and our neighbors. We have washed away. Fortunately, we were in electric wires. We hold on to it until the floods subsided. All of us survive me, my nine children, and neighbors. It’s really a miracle,” Eduardo recounts.

Ubay has the largest casualties among the 48 municipalities in the province of Bohol. Eduardo and his family live in a coastal community.

After the storm, many of the houses were ruined. Eduardo’s family was left with almost nothing but scraps and shreds of their wrecked belongings and furniture. They haven’t saved anything except their own lives.

Eduardo’s treasured motorized boat which is their main source of living is now destroyed. His fishing nets are all ripped and rather useless. Eduardo and the rest of his neighbors are currently relying on government assistance.

Like Eduardo’s experience, Daisy’s family also experienced the wrath of Typhoon Odette, leaving them with nothing. Daisy’s family earns from her husband’s carpentry works. She sometimes does laundry. The family is currently living in a makeshift house where their family could stay temporarily.

The latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reports that about 500,000 families are affected, and more than 100,000 are left with almost nothing and currently leaving in evacuation centers. Many of the villages are still without drinking sources, electricity, and communication signal.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared on Tuesday, December 21, the State of Calamity in 6 Regions ravaged by Typhoon Odette: MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and CARAGA.

World Vision aims to provide relief assistance to 10,000 families in the provinces of Surigao, Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, and Negros.