In the three days that Typhoon Odette (Rai) ravaged the Philippines roughly a week before Christmas, the residents of Barangay Candayuman in Liloan, Southern Leyte felt both the joy of being alive… as well as grief for the loss of homes, livelihood, and even loved ones in the wake of the typhoon.

Jaquilyn Lopez, 49 years old, has been serving the community as the Barangay (town) secretary for almost half her life. Her commitment towards volunteer work was unquestionable despite the low pay for public servants. The community had become her extended family; but little did she know that out of all her “family” members, Typhoon Odette would be taking away someone much closer to her heart.

Before Odettes’ landfall on December 16, 2021, Jaquilyn recalled that her mother, Loreta Vallejos, urged them to evacuate and save themselves first because she was already old and bedridden. No one expected Odette to be so intense, which was why Jaquilyn did not force her mother to leave home, and left Loreta to the care of one of her children.  

Odette arrived a few hours before dusk with winds faster than a speeding car at 195 kilometers per hour. As night turned to day, Barangay Candayuman lost 46 houses to waves as tall as coconut trees, and sustained damage to almost 40 hectares agricultural land and more than 126 hectares of coconut plantations. The community residents have worked so hard to build was gone in an instant. And when Jaquilyn was finally able to return home, she found that Loreta was gone too. 

“Hindi ko alam kung anong araw na ngayon kasi iniisip ko lagi kung nasaan na yung nanay ko, [I don’t even know what day it is anymore because I keep thinking where my mother could be.]” Jaquilyn said. A body was found in the next town of Pinug-an, San Ricardo but someone else had claimed the body before Jaquilyn. “Yung picture nung namatay, may identification akong nakita na nanay ko ‘yon, [The photo of the deceased bore the marks of my mother.]” she insisted. 

Loreta was the only fatality of Barangay Candayuman. But where there is death, there is also life.

Amidst the chaos of Typhoon Odette, baby Annziel Escol was born to 16-year-old Jaziel Balias while they were at Candayuman’s evacuation center on December 19, 2021. The situation was far from what the first-time mother imagined her delivery would be, but she shared that she felt joy as soon as she saw her healthy child. 

“Gusto ko matapos na yung pinapagawa naming bahay para makalipat na kami, [I wish our makeshift house will be finished soon so we can move there.] Jaziel said. The house that she shared with her partner, Angel Escol, was among those that were completely washed away. 

She hopes that one day, things will be better, not just for her and for the community, but especially for her newborn child.