Residents in Yolanda-hit Cebu town give thanks in Haladaya fest

Nearly 10 months after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) made landfall and devastated their homes, residents of Daanbantayan town in Cebu showed their resilience and gave thanks for their partial recovery.

The town held its Haladaya Festival last Aug. 30, according to an article posted on the provincial government's website.

Yolanda made its third landfall on Daanbantayan, after Eastern Samar and Leyte, when it swept through the Visayas on November 8 last year.

According to the Cebu provincial government, Daanbantayan is still recovering from the devastation caused by the super typhoon, which left more than 6,000 dead in the region.

Yet, the town's residents gathered for this year's festivities, which is held every Aug. 30 in honor of the town's patron saint Rose of Lima.

“United with the Almighty God’s unceasing guidance and blessing, the Kandayan-ons have shown their natural resiliency and extraordinary ability to rise from the rubble of Yolanda as we never wavered in our belief that we can survive, and not just survive, but be better than we were before,” Mayor Augusto Corro said in his message.

This year, some 3,000 spectators flocked to the Daanbantayan grandstand to witness five contingents from the barangays performing in vibrant costumes after the festival opened with fireworks.

According to the website, “Haladaya” stems from “Halad Kang Datu Daya,” and is an offering and a thanksgiving to Datu Daya for defending the town from pirates. The town initiated the festival in 2003. — Joel Locsin/BM, GMA News