"Kalamidad ka lang, Pilipino kami"

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN UPDATE NUMBER 007 (CORRECTED) 
Issued at: 6:00 AM PhT (22:00 GMT) Thursday 07 November 2013
Next Update: 12:00 NN PhT (04:00 GMT) Thursday 07 November 2013
(Ref: weather.com.ph)

Bagyong Yolanda (HAIYAN) enters PAR last November 7, 2013, and considered the most powerful among the super typhoons. The typhoon's track was seen to pass by the Visayas regions. The super typhoon made 5 landfalls last November 8, 2013. The 1st to be in Guiuan, Eastern Samar at around 4:40 am, it's 2nd landfall over Dulag and Tolosa in Leyte around past 7:00 am, 3rd over Daanbantayan, Cebu at around 9:40 am, it's 4th at Bantayan, Cebu at 10:40 am, and it's 5th landfall over Concepcion, Iloilo at Friday noon. Yolanda also passed through Boracay island of Aklan, Semirara of Antique, and San Jose of Mindoro before it made it's 6th landfall in Busuanga, Palawan around 8pm of Friday. The most affected province in Visayas was Northern Leyte especially the city of Tacloban.   

The national and local governments took actions to prepare the people who lives in the places where the typhoon will hit. But no one can stop the calamities that will come to our nation. No one wants to happen things like this to our nation. Official figures released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on 11/16/2013 put the latest death roll from Typhoon Yolanda at 3618 dead, 12501 injured, 1186 remain missing and total cost of damage due to the typhoon has risen to P10,339,290,061, according to the agency.

The aftermath of the super typhoon Yolanda was very devastating and heartbreaking. Seeing your fellow countrymen suffering and grieving makes you want to go straight to them and do whatever you can do to help. Very little time before eventually the people will grow desperate because of they're situation. 
DAVID SANTOS, REPORTER - SOLAR NEWS: Lahat ng daanan, nakakaharang na ‘yung mga puno, mga poste ng kuryente, walang nag-clearing, except for some towns. But Guiuan itself, total chaos. Walang sense of authority, walang gobyerno, sabi ng mga local officials dun sila rin biktima so di na rin nila matulungan mga ibang tao. Ang daming sugatan, patay, ang daming mga structure na gumuho, may mga lugar na hindi pa na-veverify na may patay rin.
On the streets, it's himself to himself. People searching everywhere to find food to feed their family, willing to do anything. Mobs breaking into homes and shops, looting anything they can find. Even the officials can't do anything to stop the people. Even a gasoline station was invaded by people who, because of desperation, dug deep to the ground to get gasoline to bring home for free. It was a very hard situation for the people in the affected areas. Wherever you look you'll see damaged houses, tree trunks and dead people. Some of the local residents was forced to fly away from their birthplace, from the place they lived for years, from the place they once called home. But still many are hoping for a better tomorrow.

Survivors walk on a road amidst heavy downpour after Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban city in central Philippines. One of the most powerful storms ever recorded has killed at least 10,000 people in the central Philippines province of Leyte, with coastal towns and the regional capital devastated by huge waves. Typhoon Haiyan destroyed about 70 to 80 percent of the area in its path as it tore through the province, according to local authorities.

Aid has been slow in reaching the millions affected by the typhoon, but on the good side, enormous international relief came to help the Filipino people. President Obama expressed his condolences to the victims of the typhoon. "Michelle and I are deeply saddened by the loss of life and extensive damage done by Super Typhoon Yolanda,” he said in a statement. “The United States is already providing significant humanitarian assistance, and we stand ready to further assist the government's relief and recovery efforts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the millions of people affected by this devastating storm."
After all the circumstances the Filipinos in the Visayas region has encountered, hope arises despite the tragedy. People all around the globe stands in solidarity for the Filipinos. At least 31 countries and 5 international organizations have extended their help to the Philippines. NGOs, Private organizations, Charities, Companies and simple individuals extends their helping hands to the people in need. It just shows how people can be united for a purpose. It's very heart warming that people helps with all their hearts and full efforts without asking anything in return to them. They serve as instruments from God to help our country.

The Empire State Building in New York City was draped in the Philippine Colors - white, yellow, blue, red - Friday evening to raise awareness of the devastation wrought about the Typhoon Yolanda.

Filipinos as we all know are very strong and determined people. Even the strongest typhoon can never destroy the hope and faith of the Filipinos. At the hardest point of life, Filipinos can still laugh away the pain and hardship. The Filipino pride is always inside a Filipino. Filipinos are Filipinos and they will fight until the end.

"But this is not God's punishment. I have told them that God still loves us. Because God is a compassionate God. He will not abandon us." --- Bacaltos