Drunken Soybean

Hope sets us free from the chains of despair. This was our condition four years ago, after Typhoon Odette hit Siargao and many other cities in the Philippines: we were hopeful.

Hopeful that we’d no longer have to cry every time we went home, finding flooded floors, or sleeping while sitting up because our roofs were leaking from the rain. Hopeful that we would eventually overcome the trauma of the sound of strong winds, tearing roofs, or even just the heavy rain.

We looked at the palm trees, once our beautiful, familiar shade, and felt only fear that they might fall and crush us. We longed for the day they would return to being our symbols of safe haven, not threats. We remember the days of gnawing scarcity: one small can of food stretched thin to feed nine mouths, and the daily, paralyzing anxiety of sourcing the next meal for our families. We yearned to step out of the darkness—both physical and spiritual—that enveloped our lives.

The trauma will undoubtedly stay; we cannot discount its weight. But what we must carry forward from that harrowing experience is the most painful, yet crucial, lesson of all: never take things for granted. Action and prevention matter; they pay off in the long run.

So to all my friends, and to everyone who faced that beguiling, seemingly endless battle with despair, I pass on a tight, proud hug. You are still here today, standing firm, refusing to give up on this gift we call life. We are never alone. Reach out, talk to people about how they’re truly coping, and give them a hug when words fail.

We will rise from this. We believe it will all make sense in His time.

A Timely Echo of Resilience

Today, as new super typhoons, like Tino and Uwan, threaten and batter Cebu and other parts of the Philippines, the familiar ache returns. The circumstances are different, the names are new, but the feeling is the same: the fear of the flood, the concern over the roof, the worry for the next generation.

Yet, this recurrent struggle also affirms the unbreakable spirit we discovered after Odette. The hope we fought for then is the anchor we need now. Let us carry the resilience learned two years ago into today’s challenges. The fight continues, but so does our commitment to community, preparation, and rising again.

Wishing everyone a blessed and a Merry Christmas this year, from me to you, friends. Let’s keep fighting for the gift of tomorrow.