“Luoya namon ani, unsaon naman namo ang among pangabuhian?” (We’re so pitiful. How are we going to survive?) – An expression of undeniable distress by Diego Arong, a 45-year-old fisherman and farmer, whose motorized boat got destroyed during the wrath of Typhoon Rai (Local Name: Odette). Diego’s fishing boat was his main source to make ends meet. But with a badly-damaged boat, hectares of devastated farmlands, delayed emergency assistance from their LGU, and with no expectation of additional help in sight, Diego fears the looming uncertainty of the coming days. While a few organizations have already reached their town to deliver support, he remains restless thinking that his sources of livelihood are inaccessible to him right now – the very reason why he is praying for immediate livelihood assistance just a few days after the typhoon ravaged their village.

Located in the small quiet town of Pintuyan in the province of Southern Leyte, Nueva Estrella Sur is a coastal barangay where Diego and his family live. It is one of several provinces, along with Surigao Del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Cebu, and others, that was badly hit by Typhoon Odette (International Name: Rai) in the afternoon of December 16, 2021. “Parang maswerte pa tayo noong nakaraang bagyong Pablo, may kaunting sira lang ang bahay, pero yung mga tanim hindi naman naapektuhan – ngayon ay grabe, ubos ang mga bahay pati mga niyog nagsitumba” (We were luckier during Typhoon Pablo – there was only minimal damage to the house, and the crops were not affected. This time, it was much worse: all the houses were destroyed and the coconuts knocked down), Diego emphasized, as his crops were badly damaged by the recent Typhoon Odette. Before the said destruction, it was his family’s alternative source of income and food when the weather was too dangerous for him and the other fishermen in their village to go fishing.

Though considered as a gem to them, the ocean is, at times, an enemy, as well. The pacific waves have always endangered the fishermen even before Typhoon Odette devastated their whole province. There were even several instances where their fellow fishermen got lost on their way home and reached the seas of Bohol, instead, while a few unfortunate ones went missing and lost their lives, Diego shared. As for the recent devastation, the ocean was once again a traitor to them when, along with the harsh winds, it bitterly demolished a lot of homes and livelihoods near the coasts.

A few days after the nightmare, Diego and his family are still having a hard time moving on from Odette’s destruction especially when it rains. Their fears during the typhoon keep resurfacing, especially when their heads and stuff are subjected to the elements because of their now-roofless houses. They are reminded of their experiences during the typhoon, since their house has not been fixed yet, and will not be fixed anytime soon for they cannot afford the housing materials now, since neither Diego nor his wife, has a source of income.

Desperate for a hand, Diego contacted his relatives in the Dinagat Islands to seek help, unfortunately, they, too, were heavily affected by Odette. Anxious of what the coming days hold, he and his fellow fishermen in their village take risks of going to the ocean with a slightly-damaged boat. “Mag-iingat na lamang para makapangisda tayo kahit papaano, pangkain. Wala kaming makakain kapag hindi kami mag-ingat” (We’ll take precautions so we can fish, even just for our own consumption. We won’t have food on the table if we will not be careful.).

Before all these sad events, a fisherman could catch about 10 kilos of fish and squid per day, 5 kilos (at the least) on a bad day. With usually 5 members in their group, they earn and divide two thousand pesos (Php 2,000.00) among their group members and take home about four hundred pesos (Php400.00) each to buy food: mainly rice, cheap canned goods, and instant noodles. Now, with a slightly-damaged boat and the fear of huge waves, they are unable to go far in the ocean where the good catch is. A maximum of 5 kilos of catch is divided within their group, barely enough for their families’ daily consumption. But with limited support, and lack of opportunities and sustainable resources, Diego keeps on asking himself “Paano na kami nito?” (What’s will happen to us now?).

Thus, although grateful for the relief goods that have reached them, residents of Nueva Estrella Sur, especially Diego, still cry for a sustainable means of living. Aware of the cost of a new pump boat, Diego calls out to good-hearted individuals who might be reached by his story, that a boat will not only feed his family, but will slowly help bring back their decent house and viable source of income.