On the 8th November 2013, a 300kph super typhoon Haiyan destroyed most of Panay Island, Philippines and left thousands homeless. As a result of the catastrophe, thousands are living without homes, food, clean water and are living without electricity.
Panay Island is located 500km away from Manila. It was the last island which the super typhoon Haiyan destroyed after Tacloban. After doing a little research on the disaster zones, on 18th November we took a flight from Manila to Roxas airport which is the location where the Canadian army had set base camp.
Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the western part of the Visayas. Politically, it is divided into four provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo, all in the Western Visayas Region. With a total population of 3.9 million people, so far we were informed that 80% of the population here are homeless after typhoon Haiyan aftermath.
No 24th November, I am with the NGO UNITED SIKHS as the photographer and a volunteer. We are now registered with the UN Command Centre here in Roxas City. The mission is too serve food aid and rebuild homes. In our target areas, in the immediate term, we are planning food operations and converting community centres into relief shelters. In the long term we want to assist in household reconstruction and assisting these communities to become self-sufficient and independent.
We are raising funds to help these children and families rebuild their homes and restart their livelihood.
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A school kids looking through the debris in his school. The background is whats left of a school.
We took a walk around the village called Crossing Lais, to feel and see what is the damage really like.
Many were just walking around with us looking at the destruction and what to do next, some started collecting the pieces of debris to make shift shelters.
A lady stand on the spot where her house use to be, at the background is a shelter they build.
Locals in Estancia getting an old engine as it got washed away – Panay Island
Part of a boat washed up to the island and destroyed – Loguingot Island, Estancia
A grandmother I met who took me by my hand and showed me where her house use to be. All I saw was planks of wood, rubbish and a jungle. She was standing right in front of her house.
The village kids in Crossing Lais, still go around playing with anything they can find. I guess life still goes on and kids still want to play.
We also saw some oil spill nearby, later were told that a petrol station nearby was destroyed too.
A guys sits in front of his shop waiting, while the next shop was totally destroyed.
Mark cooking a local stu for the UNITED SIKHS volunteers. November 2013, Binutucan, Panay Island
What is left of a home, Crossing Lais, Binutucan, Panay Island.
A crowd of locals we passed after the food aid distribution during our trip to Antique.
Nainita Espenuebe, 85 lives here with her daughter and five grandchildren, all girls. Since the dad left the family they are living here alone and making ends meet. Their sole income is from friends and other family members.
After the Haiyan Typhoon destroyed their home, they have moved into a temporary shelter and lost all their belongings. Her daughter, Mericel Espenuebe, 34 who is also four months pregnant, took in her mother and are all living in a small make shift shelter.
Typhoon Haiyan Aftermath | Panay Island, Philippines
