Bangon Cebu: Stories of Loss and Serbisyong Totoo in Action

It has been one battle after another for Cebuanos. Still reeling from the effects of recent earthquakes, the province now faces yet another catastrophe: a typhoon of unprecedented strength.

 

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When I arrived at Barangay Dumlog in Talisay City, with the Unang Hirit team and our anchor Susan Enriquez, I was struck by the full scale of the destruction. For a moment, I just stood there, overwhelmed, unsure where to even begin. Entire rows of houses had been stripped to their frames. Trees lay snapped and scattered across the roads. Streets were buried under mud, tangled electrical lines, piles of debris, and vehicles piled on top of the other. 

Born in Davao, I was able to communicate with the residents in our local dialect, which helped me connect with them. Residents told us this was the strongest typhoon they had ever endured. Many spoke of previous storms that had passed through Cebu, but none compared to this one.

Listening to their stories, seeing the fear and exhaustion etched on their faces, I can’t help but feel the weight of the struggles they are facing. Many families shared how the typhoon and its devastation affected their lives, yet they chose to stay strong and keep going, saying, “Laban lang!”

Our team then went to the evacuation centers as part of Unang Hirit’s Serbisyong Totoo effort. There, we met families who had fled their homes, many of them more than once. In a tiny basketball court, 176 families (782 individuals) were trying to make do with whatever little they had left.

“Wala na kaming bahay, walang damit, wala na lahat” a resident tearfully shared during our live coverage.

During our visit, we distributed hot meals, clean drinking water, and relief goods to the evacuees. Many approached us with tired smiles, grateful to have warm food after days of uncertainty.

Time and again, we are reminded how disasters expose not only our vulnerability to nature, but also the cracks in the very systems designed to protect us. Projects meant to prevent flooding and strengthen communities often remain unseen, until disaster strikes.

Yet even in the face of unimaginable loss, the Cebuano spirit remains unwavering. People continue to help one another and hold on to hope as they rebuild their lives. But the reality is clear: assistance has been limited, and countless families are still in need of support.

Visiting Cebu has been both heart-wrenching and humbling. As I spoke with families struggling to start again, I realized that now, more than ever, we are called to extend help and stand with the communities of Cebu as they work toward recovery.

Magtinabangay ug magkahiusa ta. Bangon Cebu! (Magtulungan at magkaisa tayo. Bangon Cebu!)

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