After the Storm

In a gripping interview, survivors of Super Typhoon Odette tell their experiences from ground zero; how the island of Siargao was shattered; and how they are rebuilding their lives after the catastrophe

- Anton San Diego and Maritess Garcia Reyes

Crashing waves, pristine beaches, cerulean tidal pools, breathtaking lagoons, a free-and-easy vibe and surfers from all over the world—these are the images that come to mind when one thinks of Siargao. It has been voted as the best island in Asia by Condé Nast Traveler in 2021 and has become a safe haven for numerous souls who have come to love the laid-back, friendly and idyllic lifestyle the island brings. But on December 16, 2021, all that changed. Super Typhoon Odette (international name “Rai”) made landfall over this teardrop-shaped paradise off the coast of Surigao del Norte and ripped the island to pieces. With winds gusting as strong as 270 kilometres per hour, the island crumbled like a piece of paper in less than five hours. As the Category 5 typhoon made several landfall across the Visayas and Mindanao, it left several provinces barely breathing with 405 casualties, 8 million people affected, 1.4 million houses destroyed and PhP13.3 billion worth of agricultural damage. In Siargao alone, about 50,000 families were displaced. Just when tourism on the island is slowly recovering from the loss brought about by the pandemic, more than 5,000 tourism workers became jobless again as the tourist spots and infrastructures were wiped out. The iconic Cloud 9 boardwalk—gone. Naked Island’s powdery sandbar—washed away. Siargao airport and the newly inaugurated sports complex—total wreck. Decades-old resorts, new cafés and bars, towering coconut trees, commercial centres, everything—nothing was spared. Calling Siargao their home for years, three survivors share their firsthand stories of survival and how the spirit of bayanihan keeps them inspired to this day as they gear towards recovery.