RISING FROM THE ASHES

More than a year and a half after the island paradise of Siargao faced massive destruction from the wrath of a super typhoon, Tatler revisits this popular tourist destination and learns how its people unite towards recovery

- Maritess Garcia Reyes

On December 16, 2021, the worldclass surfing destination Siargao succumbed to Odette, a category five typhoon that claimed the lives and homes of thousands of Siargaonons. Think the Apocalypse–fallen trees, roofless houses, debris all over, people starving and getting sick, and no clean potable water. Everywhere you laid your eyes on showed nothing but a catastrophe–a disheartening sight for the Siargaonons and the people who called the island home. It was, for them, like the end of the world.

But through it all, the people of Siargao did not falter. With the help of organisations and individuals with generous hearts and nature’s healing process, the island has started to rise again and is now slowly getting back in shape. “Nobody lost faith in Siargao and the community’s resilience,” says Christopher Bariou, one of the typhoon survivors.