What was the extent of the damage of Typhoon Odette?

“Typhoon Odette battered various parts of the Visayas in central Philippines. On our part, the northern towns of Negros Oriental were badly hit, with people losing their homes and means of livelihood.”

What moved your community to reach out to those who were affected by the typhoon?

“Since the national weather bureau and local news outlets underestimated this typhoon, no one expected the destruction it brought about. Though it left Dumaguete, my city, literally unscathed, we felt a great responsibility to immediately take action, mobilizing ourselves to assist those who needed our help in the neighboring towns.”

What did you do to respond to the needs of the people affected by the typhoon?

“It took a full day to understand the severity of the devastation that Typhoon Odette caused because we had lost all means of communication: electricity (hence, no Internet), no cellphone signal, etc. Together with close friends and family, we gathered whatever goods we had on hand and packed them into light parcels, gathered water from very generous filling stations, and brought a standby generator to provide electricity for those who needed to communicate with their loved ones from other parts of Negros island.”

Can you share some memorable stories while carrying out relief operations?

People who volunteered to distribute relief goods told us:

Lysa: “When Typhoon Odette hit our province, many lost their homes, and some, even family members. I was really worried about my grandparents back home. Our house is located near a river that tends to swell every time there’s heavy rainfall. Part of me wanted to go home while another didn’t want to, because I was not on good terms with some of my relatives. I was anxious and afraid that I would not be “accepted” if they saw me again. But, I mustered up my courage and decided to go home. On my way there, I was praying to God and asked for his forgiveness because I was not able to open my heart to them in the past months. Before entering our house, I asked for His guidance and emptied myself. I felt God was with me as I stepped inside our home and, to my surprise, I was embraced by my family! I was crying the whole time because I was overwhelmed by the moment, that moment where we expressed and acknowledged our feelings and silently let go of the past. I thank Jesus for mending our hearts. Typhoon Odette destroyed people’s homes, but in our case, it healed ours.”

Mica: “It was really moving to see the victims of the typhoon smiling at us whenever they received the relief packs. Some would approach us, look us in the eye, and sincerely thank us for helping them get by, even for a few days. This showed us that sharing our time, effort, and resources not only helped them but also made them happy! It was also heartwarming to meet volunteers who helped us in the preparation, repacking, and distribution of relief goods. Without them, we would not have managed to pursue operations at the scale we reached. It was truly a testament of generosity, solidarity, and love for the typhoon victims.”

Mariz: “Typhoon Odette greatly affected Negros island. During this calamity, I realized many things in life which helped me become closer to Jesus. I often asked myself: How can I help? What can I do? As a youth, I simply gave my time, offering a listening ear to understand their situation. I entrusted them to God in my prayers and also took steps in building resilient skills to help these people move forward in their communities. I volunteered to travel from Dumaguete to the town of Bindoy to see how we could provide for some remote villages like Barangay Cabogan and Salong. Despite the changing weather and difficult road, it took 2 hours to reach the destination. Seeing for myself the devastation in the area, I was even more motivated to help. Communication was hard, but Jesus provided the signal, so I was able to send messages back to my city. A total of 300 households in the two barangays (villages) were in need of basic necessities like water and food. I went back home and, the day after, I volunteered to canvas and buy goods needed for the repacking of relief goods. But I’m not alone in this. Together with me are my Youth for a United World (Y4UW) family in Dumaguete. We always have each other’s back, working hand in hand to reach the same goal and having the same heart to help the victims. During the relief operation day, everyone was waiting for us. Smiles radiated from their faces. As we gave them the relief goods, we heard their heartfelt “Daghang Salamat, Maayong Pasko!” (Thank you very much, Merry Christmas!) For me, this will always be a cherished memory, for all of us were united and felt that Jesus was present in our midst. As Jesus provides and gives me support in my daily struggles, He has also made me an instrument of His providence for the typhoon victims.”

Bernice: “When we got to know that Focolare youths were organizing a relief operation for people affected by the typhoon, I felt the need to volunteer and help in whatever way I could, like in repacking relief goods. During the days of preparation, I couldn’t wait to accompany them for the distribution with my husband. But since we have kids, we could not join other volunteers who left as early as 4:00 am. Later, however, we learned that the Focolare youths needed someone to pick up the hot meals at 6:00 am, so we were happy to be available at that time to pick them up and bring them to the town of Bindoy by 8:00 am. It was a fast trip, despite being delayed a bit by some people in Bais, a city along the way. They jumped on the back of pick-up trucks, desperate to get relief goods for themselves. At the last distribution site, seeing that we were running out of containers for the meals, we announced to those in the queue to bring their own container. Then we saw a man picking up a big plastic softdrink bottle on the sidewalk. After flattening and pounding it, he cut it in half. Approaching us, he smiled and said: “OK na ni!” (This will do!) Witnessing this tore our hearts, seeing how they would do anything just to get some help. We were also struck by their calm and patience. They were all waiting in line for their turn to receive their bag of relief goods, even if it meant having to curb hunger pangs and standing for hours under the heat of the sun.”

Can you share some insights and reflections after your relief operation for the typhoon victims?

“This relief operation has been one of our most powerful experiences of trusting in God’s providence. We are still recovering from the pandemic, and to commit a part of our time and personal finances to the typhoon victims was a radical choice. Youth from Silliman University and other neighboring schools, who barely had any savings of their own, dedicated their afternoons to help us repack all the relief goods — donated generously by many private individuals. This time of need convinced us that we always have something to share — our time, our talents, and even our smiles, as we distributed the goods.”

Interview by Jose Aranas

The Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement has launched an extraordinary fundraiser in support of the affected Filipino population and to support reconstruction. You can donate through the following bank accounts:

Action for a United Word ONLUS (AMU)

IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344 c/o Banca Popolare Etica

SWIFT/BIC Code: CCRTIT2T

Action for New Families ONLUS (AFN)

IBAN: IT 92 J 05018 03200 000016978561 c/o Banca Popolare Etica

SWIFT/BIC Code: CCRTIT2T84A

Reason: Philippines Typhoon Emergency