A Call for Solidarity by HAPI-Bacolod amidst Typhoon Odette (Rai)

By Glemir Sordilla
HAPI Scholar | HAPI-Bacolod Member

A month has passed since Typhoon Odette (Rai) devastated the Philippines’ Visayas and Mindanao regions. In terms of circumferential overcast, Odette is comparable to 2013’s Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the worst natural calamity that the Philippines has endured this century. That alone tells you how destructive Odette has been.

Adding to the tragedy, the typhoon made landfall exactly as Filipinos were gearing up for their annual holiday celebrations. Effectively, the festive spirit was thrown out of the window. People from affected areas lost interest in celebrating the holidays as they were too busy surviving the aftermath.

Even before this disastrous event, HAPI-Bacolod shared multiple helpful information to Negros Occidental residents via its Facebook Page. As the page reaches a lot of Negros Occidental residents, it has been vital in reminding them to stay alert; sharing important hotlines for the fire & rescue department; and what should be placed in “survival kits” that could last for a few days.

The night Odette (which brought up to 190 km/h of sustained winds) made landfall was terrifying for locals but it was the morning after when many people truly went into “survival mode.” Nevertheless, it did not deter HAPI-Bacolod from reaching out to their communities and aiding those in need.

“Call for Solidarity” is a project aiming to give immediate help to those affected by Typhoon Odette. It involves care bags worth Php 350 which contain necessities such as rice, noodles, canned goods, coffee, and hygiene kits that victims desperately need. HAPI-Bacolod members packed these at various sites and organized donation drives. This project is made possible through coordination with Negrosanon Young Leaders Association (NYLI) who were gracious enough to lend us their advice and help in donating to the most vulnerable areas.

Eldemar Sabete, a HAPI Scholar and member of HAPI-Bacolod, reflected on the importance of solidarity during calamities like Typhoon Odette. He says that while we always need to get back on our feet, we should also not forget to help those who are struggling to find hope.

“Resilience is a good virtue. It has helped us weather the devastations of the past, be they wars or natural disasters. We should be resilient, yes, but we don’t have to drown tomorrow if we prepare for the storm today. No matter how much we plan for donation drives and relief operations, those [mean] nothing when there are no roads to traverse and there are no lines open for communication.”

…goes an excerpt from “What We Ought to Lear From Odette” by HAPI Scholar, Junelie Velonta. This tells us that our country is still not educated enough about how disastrous the climate crisis truly is and how we think being resilient is enough to get us by. In reality, it is time to hold accountable and responsible those who are in positions of power, the ones who can legislate greener practices that can help humanity avoid calamities like Odette. We owe it to the most vulnerable to give them a voice.