In pictures: Tales of woe after the Leyte-Samar storm surge in 1897

When it comes to disasters, there's a lot that Filipinos can learn from history.

On 12-13 October 1897, Samar and Leyte were ravaged by a storm surge that swept through coastal areas. Scenes captured in photographs from that time are eerily similar to the destruction from super typhoon Yolanda, which caused even greater damage because the settlements in these provinces have become urbanized 116 years later.

This slide show, with pictures from the book “El Baguio de Samar y Leyte, 12-13 de Octubre de 1897” by P. Jose Algue, S.J, Director, vividly captures the extent of damage at that time. But more importantly, it shows how local residents were able to slowly rebuild their communities from the massive destruction just a few weeks after the storm's rampage.

(Hover on a slide to display commentary.)
 

Note: The explanatory text consists of rough translations from the original Spanish. They are only meant to convey salient points, and have been edited for clarity.

Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla, or Popo to friends, is the former Energy Secretary. One of his passions is collecting old maps of the Philippines.

REFERENCE: “El Baguio de Samar y Leyte, 12-13 de Octubre de 1897” by P. Jose Algue, S.J, Director, Observatorio de Manila, Dirigido por los Padres de la Compañia de Jesus. Foto-tipografia de J. Marty. Manila: 1898. From the Emilia A. Lotilla Book Collection.