Wow, two years sure has flown by! It was in 2013 when Typhoon Yolanda brought such horror and destruction to the Philippines. I happened to be backpacking throughout Southeast Asia at the time and since I didn't have a specific timeline, I did some research on how I could help. I came across YPDR while surfing the Internet and reached out to them. They were so kind and enthusiastic to send me the directions to Bantayan Island and I was so excited to go.
It was in January when I arrived, about a month after the storm. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there. It was my first time going to the Philippines. After a late arrival in Cebu, a night's stay in a hostel, a taxi the next morning to the bus station, a 4-hour bus ride to Hagnaya, and an hour ferry ride to Bantayan Island, I had finally arrived to YPDR. I received a warm welcome from the YPDR team and all of the volunteers that were there. I wasn't sure what to expect because I've never been to a place that was hit so hard by a natural disaster. It sure was eye-opening. There were fallen trees, destroyed structures, barren spots where homes or establishments once were, and debris everywhere, on an island that once was filled with hotels, bungalows, shops, restaurants, beautiful beaches, and a great vacation spot. The weather was still cloudy, rainy, and windy. There wasn't much activity or vibrancy going on on the island, as you may expect after a natural disaster hits, especially on an island with traditional island construction and houses. I could only imagine how the people are feeling.
My very first night on Bantayan, it was Aurora's birthday. Aurora cooks our meals and let YPDR use her property since the YPDR team built her house and fence. We went to one of the only standing restaurants left on the island that was functioning the best that they could. I sat beside Aurora's son and daughter. When their hamburger, which is a rare treat for the, came, I grabbed it right away to cut it in half so they could share it when I noticed the son pass me over their little bowl of ketchup. I cut the burger and passed it back over and asked why he gave me the ketchup. He asked "don't you want the burger?". I told him how I just took it to cut it for him and his sister and not for me to eat. That moment set the precedent for my thoughts of the people on Bantayan. They began with minimal belongings and food and live a simplistic life, and even after all of that gets taken away from them in a terrifying and traumatic natural disaster, they will still give you anything that they have. They are caring, giving, and hospitable people.
There were volunteers there from all over the world. How everyone heard of YPDR or found it online, that I am not sure. I'm not even positive how I found it myself. The group of volunteers that were there during my stay were only the second group of volunteers to come. A new volunteer or two came almost every other day. The same for those leaving. But, due to the undesirable weather, it would take people quite a few attempts to leave the island because of the ferry. There were volunteers there from France, Israel, the U.S, Canada, Poland, China, England, and even local volunteers from the Philippines. Most volunteers slept in tents on Aurora's beach property and lawn. Unfortunately, the tide would often come sweep our tents into the ocean but, someone was usually nearby to save them.
Because there was so much work to be done in beginning to help rebuild Bantayan, volunteers had choices on what they would like to do each day. The YPDR team loved to learn about everyone's talents, skills, training, expertise, and abilities. There was always something for everyone to do. The different types of things that the volunteers did were debris clearing, clearing out destroyed classrooms and schools, breaking apart and discarding broken and rotting school desks, picking up wet textbooks and trash, clearing piles of wood and branches and took them to the dump, built temporary classrooms, distributed housing material bundles to families in various parts of the island, took surveys of the families in the houses that were already built by YPDR, help distribute food, play with the kids in the school yard, and much more. The YPDR team and volunteer architects worked endlessly to design and build stronger houses for the people in the Philippines. They had designed a few phases of the houses and had them built, already beginning to provide shelter to numerous families. To see the passion that the YPDR and its volunteers had was incredible. YPDR is a grassroots nonprofit organization and starting an organization of any sort is undeniably challenging and requires tons of hard work, hours, and money.
Despite the devastation that the people on Bantayan, as well as other parts of the Philippines, endured, they were so grateful for us being there. We were constantly welcomed into their homes for meals, invited to do karaoke and hang out with them, and they continually would come to just say thank you. It was heartwarming. I was sad to say bye to Bantayan, its people, the volunteers, and the YPDR team.
Two years have gone by and I have returned to Bantayan. I had the opportunity to go anywhere in the world that I wanted but I chose to come back to a place that provided me with so many great memories. I wanted to see the improvement of the island and to see the progress that YPDR had done. Boy was I in for a treat!
When I finally got to Bantayan for the second time, I automatically noticed a big difference is the island. There was so much more life and vibrancy. There were so many little shops, bakeries, restaurants, hotels, and food carts. There were people sitting outside, laughing, smiling, riding their bikes, and simply looking content. You could definitely see a huge improvement on the island. It looked, once again, like a place that one desires to visit to relax on a beach, eat good food, meet kind people, and just have a great vacation. I don't know what Bantayan looked like before Typhoon Yolanda but it might look even better now than it did before! There is a newly built square in town that is studded with great places to get food and drinks. The square has a wide variety of cuisine, from Mexican and Italian food to authentic Filipino cuisine. There is even a German restaurant around the corner. I love the shake shop that is there and the delicious cake shop! There are plenty of mini grocery shops and stores to buy anything that you may need, or forgot to bring, from sunscreen to flip flops.
Not only has the island of Bantayan improved tremendously, so did YPDR! The progress that this NGO has made is just remarkable. They have welcomed hundreds of volunteers, built numerous new houses, went to Micronesia to help distribute food and work on other projects, started a beach clean-up crew, got contracted to create and place 500 marine domes into the ocean surrounding Bantayan, and are busy executing several other projects.
YPDR has built 960 homes in partnership with PAH and retrofitted 130 homes. Over 5600 people on the island of Bantayan have safe and secure homes thanks to YPDR's efforts. Not only does YPDR build and repair homes but, they have also trained over 146 local carpenters how build safer and stronger homes by teaching practical typhoon-resistant techniques. YPDR even expanded its shelter operation in Eastern Samar after Typhoon Ruby.
YPDR began their Kataw Handicrafts Project to provide a sustainable livelihood opportunity for the women of Bantayan island. Their products can be bought and shipped all around the world with the proceeds going back into the workshop and the wages of the women.
One of YPDR's largest projects right now is its marine dome restoration project. YPDR hired local workers to build artificial reef structures made of limestone and cement to mimic native coral to attract and ultimately cultivate marine life. Over 670 marine domes have been constructed and several have been already placed into the ocean for testing. More than 590 domes were deployed into the Visayan Sea, which is considered the marine biodiversity center of the world but has experienced tremendous reef destruction in the recent decades.
When I first arrived on Bantayan island 2 years ago, just shortly after the typhoon hit, I wasn't sure what I was going to see or experience. After leaving the Philippines back then, there was still so much work and reconstruction to be done after the devastating damage by the storm. One thing that the storm didn't destroy was the kindness and gratitude of the Filipino people. That still radiates today, as does the island itself. Returning to the Philippines and Bantayan island, it's incredible to see the amazing improvement in everything; the people, businesses, infrastructure, schools, beaches, roads, food supply, and much more. I have always given credit to the YPDR team that remained on the island because it's not easy. I'm extremely proud of all of their accomplishments, current projects, future goals, and overall passion to help the people and country of the Philippines. I very much look forward to seeing what great things they will have accomplished 2 years from now.
