Having been born in Eastern Visayas, I can vouch how near Guiuan is, either by land or by air, to Tacloban City. In one of our family summer escapades, my kids and I traveled by land, through public transport, from Tacloban City to Guiuan before we proceeded to our hometown Taft in Eastern Samar.
I agree with the Inquirer’s view that President Aquino’s decision to skip Tacloban City in his trip to places severely damaged by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” last Nov. 8 was an egregiously ill-advised mistake (“Aquino’s mistake, Opinion, 11/10/14). For all the sane reasons, he should have been around, even if only for a quick stopover.
The devastation and death caused by Yolanda in Tacloban City drew so much sympathy around the world. A hundred international and local organizations, even more, extended much-needed support to bring back normalcy to the lives of the people in Tacloban. And no less than Pope Francis is going to Tacloban come January 2015 to personally reach out to the survivors. However, a year after, many families are still struggling on the road to recovery, picking up the pieces of their broken lives.
The commemoration of Yolanda one year after it happened meant a lot to the survivors. It was supposed to be marked with gratitude by those who were spared from the calamity for all the assistance they received. But on what was supposed to be a day of thanks, anger consumed the people of Tacloban instead, because the head of state and his party, who went to Guiuan and nearby cities and towns, did not bother to say even just hello; worse, they were nowhere in sight.
Much is expected from P-Noy as the father of the land. It’s never too late for him to follow his heart, set aside politics and leave a legacy of a truly caring president, both in words and in deed.
—BELEN DOCENA-ASUELO,
bdasuelo@yahoo.com