UPCOMING STORM

Tere here, missed me everyone? 😅

Everyone is busy talking about the upcoming storm, while me and @thegoodbi ‘s Cian are already very excited to go home, since both our hometowns are not Cebu. We’re busy talking about our own provinces and things to do when we’ll already be there and places to go to on our vacation. Our mind’s were already occupied with happy thoughts especially since it is Christmas season and the air should feel like a celebration. Odette suddenly came and ruined that.

We (my workmates and I) were supposed to go home already any minute that day but our HR suddenly gave us this memo that starting tomorrow (Dec16) and the day after that, we will be having our work from home set-up. By that, I was already alarmed that the typhoon will really be that strong. So I already asked for information about the typhoon with my colleagues and decided that I should buy some groceries on my way back home. I’m not used into taking pictures because I don’t use my phone in crowded places like malls, streets, etc. So no pics for this part 😬.

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WORK ON THE DAY OF THE TYPHOON

_{Photo Credits: Zoom Earth}

Typhoon Odette is already reported to have its landfall in the Philippines this day, but my 8am to 6pm was solely dedicated for work.

That was just the usual day and I think that the weather in Cebu during the day was hot/not gloomy for a storm to have its landfall that day. I contacted my sister in Bohol to ask if they’re okay there and what’s the latest situation. She replied at around 3pm that it was already raining there so hard. And that was the last time I was able to contact my family. No communication with them for many days.

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TYPHOON LANDFALL

When the typhoon already started to give us some strong winds and rain, instead of worrying for my safety, but of that of my family in Bohol. Our house there is surrounded by big Mahogany and Coconut trees 🌳 so if ever those will fall and hit our house, it will surely break it and sustain big damage on it.

I kept on trying to reach out to my family there at night time but I just can’t get through them. By this time, I was already crying while super typhoon Odette is already showing its wrath outside. I prayed and prayed that my family is okay and safe, I don’t care if our house will be gone and destroyed, as long as they’re safe. Thoughts of losing them really made me cry because I already lost my mother, I can’t afford to lose them too. I might sound like over reacting but it was really how I felt that time.

All I was thinking during that time was my family. It really is hard to be separated from your family during such times 🙁.

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I NEED TO GO HOME

No water supply and electricity, all down. That’s the status of Cebu at that time. People are so busy finding ways to be able to eat and get some drinking water, even if it means being in line for hours. There were long lines for grocery supermarkets, ATMs to get money, refilling stations to get drinking water, terminals to find a ride, gas stations to get gas-diesel-fuel. Everywhere you go, seems like a line. I was already supposed to file a leave at work by December 20 to go home to Bohol but sadly, it was cancelled because of the storm.

I really want to go home already because I’m so worried of my family, still no communication with them for days 😟. So the day after the landfall, my boyfriend and I went to pier ticketing office to reschedule our supposed sea trip but all sea travels are still canceled because the port was damaged and the staff would still need to verify if the port is already safe for passengers to go to. But we didn’t gave up and waited outside for hours hoping that they’ll already allow us to travel and Cebu to Tubigon trip will be available.

From December 17 to December 21, our life cycle here in Cebu was to line to charge our devices for free, line at ATMs to get money, and line at the pier to try to get a ticket going home. Honestly, we weren’t able to feel how tired we are from all of the things we did just to get home until such time that we were already able to purchase a ticket and ride the boat. It really was a tiring experience but all worth it because finally, we can already see our families in Bohol. I have nothing in mind as to what I’m supposed to do when I get back there. All I can think of is to see my family once again and see that they’re safe. Our trip was scheduled at around 1:30pm on Dec21 but the boat departed from Cebu at around 6pm already. We haven’t notice that we already arrived at Bohol because everything is dark. No lights whatsoever. 😕

Arrived at port at around 9pm already. Good thing there were still tricycles around to go to nearby places. But my house is located somewhere far, Sagbayan. No trips available. So I decided to just go with my boyfriend and stay for the night in their house. On our way to their house, even though it’s dark and can barely see a thing because of no electricity, I can still see the aftermath and the damage Odette did to my province. Trees and posts fell down and it looked like I was in a war zone or a zombie apocalypse movie.

Wasn’t able to take lots of pics that time because my phone’s already dead by that time.

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MORNING AND FAMILY

When I woke up, it was the time I was able to fully see the effect the Odette did to my province. Houses everywhere are really damaged.

It was worse than the earthquake I’ve experienced when I was still in high school in Bohol. After I finished preparing, I’m ready to go to my house. Below are pictures my boyfriend and I took along the way.

I can’t identify places anymore. It became more harder to distinguish what place a particular one used to be. Even a local like me is already having a hard time, everything’s so sad and heartbreaking. Arrived at our house and I’m happy to see that ours are not that devastated and that my family was safe and sound 🤗.

Only one tree fell near us and that our kitchen was the only noticeable damage we had.

I can’t really explain how I felt during this calamity because I’m not good in it. But one thing’s for sure, Odette ruined a lot of things while we’re still in a pandemic. I feel sorry for all the people that encountered it worse than I. I know that we can rise up with all of this because we need to, same as that earthquake we experienced last time. Fighting everyone! 💪

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