Second chances: a pipe of hope during Typhoon Hagupit

Who would have thought that a construction pipe could save the lives of families twice in a row?

By Luz Mendoza, Deputy Operations Director, World Vision Philippines

It was heartbreaking walking home the day before Typhoon Hagupit was due to sweep through Ormoc. Barely a year after the worst typhoon in history swept through the Philippines, it was desperately sad to see people once more heading to evacuation centres in droves. Some were hauling their belongings in pedicabs and trucks, others were just walking with their small children. I saw a family with their grandma in a wheelchair. They were quick to move to designated centres this time but all were hoping against hope that Hagupit wouldn't hit the city.

It was a tense wait for the typhoon to pass, and just hours after the onslaught I joined a World Vision team that was heading to the warehouse for supplies. I wanted to see the impact for myself.

At the warehouse we quickly realised that we would need more manpower to load all the relief kits, and someone mentioned a group of day labourers who were available nearby.

I couldn’t see anyone, but I asked for directions anyway, and was intrigued when my colleagues directed me to a pile of pipes lying near the hall.

There, less than 30 metres away from our distribution warehouse, lay a pile of construction pipes, the largest of which was almost four foot in diameter. I was led inside through a sheet of plywood, and there, in a strange soft play-like area, I was surprised to find children and adults cramped in the available space. Earlier that morning there had been over a dozen families sheltering inside, but as the wind and rains subsided they had begun to go home. The youngest of the children inside was just six months old.

One of the men hiding in the tubing with his wife and child was 25 year old Norman. Norman had worked for World Vision as a labourer during the Typhoon Haiyan response, and his house was one of the lucky few that stayed standing.

Barely 13 months ago, when Typhoon Haiyan struck the city, Norman and his family ran with his neighbours to seek refuge in those same pipes. They stayed hidden there throughout the night without food, water, or blankets. They had no essentials, only the clothes on their backs, but they survived.

When Norman heard about the approaching Typhoon Hagupit, he and his family left their home a good two days before the typhoon hit land and stocked the pipes with food, water, sleeping mats, blankets, clothes, flashlights and other basic essentials. When I met them the day Hagupit passed, they were going on their fourth night in the pipe. Norman explained that they still had enough food to last another day, but conditions inside the pipe were very difficult. Their necks were stiff, and their bodies sore, made worse by the cold wind that worsened every dawn as condensation gathered on the inside of the pipes. The adults’ sleepless nights were also plagued by worry that there may be snakes lurking in their makeshift shelter.

Norman hopes that it’s going to be their last night inside the pipe. I hope so too, but take comfort in his amazing determination and continued resilience in the face of disaster, and am encouraged by his efforts that mean that this sojourn in the pipes has been weathered just a little easier than the last one.

In Eastern Visayas where Hagupit first made landfall, World Vision is working closely with government agencies and local response teams to determine the extent of damage and identify the needs of affected families. Our team has already provided emergency supplies to around 500 typhoon-stricken families and staff are now deployed further north to assess hard-hit areas while resources are being mobilised to respond to the urgent needs of thousands.

Work and schools remain suspended along the trail of the typhoon, and storm warnings are still in effect in over forties localities, including metro Manila. Hagupit is expected to bring over 340 mm of rain over the course of the next 48 hours, and people are preparing for floods and landslides.