A Siargao Tourist Shares Her Experience During Typhoon Odette | Real Stories Real People | OG
Typhoon Odette was one of the most brutal typhoons we've experienced in the Philipines. Odette hit most parts of Mindanao and Visayas, and devastated many cities and towns in just a few hours. Siargao was not an exception.
Known for its beautiful waves and beaches, Siargao is a top tourist destination in the Philippines, and we're featuring it in today's video. Watch the raw footage of Odette's wrath in the beautiful Siargao from this tourist's video, as she shares her experience during Typhoon Odette on the island.
Click here to subscribe to OG:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIj3xiW-RIO2cpr5LBvokRg/?sub_confirmation=1
About OG
Using the power of video to tell one good story at a time... ONLY GOOD... OG.
OG is Summit Media's video first brand. And like all Summit Media brands, OG is anchored on top-notch storytelling to delight, inspire, and connect with our audiences.
We are deliberate in creating content that spread positivity, inspiration, and good vibes. Expect only good here at OG. Subscribe and be part of the community!
Typhoon Odette was one of the most brutal typhoons we've experienced in the Philipines. Odette hit most parts of Mindanao and Visayas, and devastated many cities and towns in just a few hours. Siargao was not an exception.
Known for its beautiful waves and beaches, Siargao is a top tourist destination in the Philippines, and we're featuring it in today's video. Watch the raw footage of Odette's wrath in the beautiful Siargao from this tourist's video, as she shares her experience during Typhoon Odette on the island.
Click here to subscribe to OG:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIj3xiW-RIO2cpr5LBvokRg/?sub_confirmation=1
About OG
Using the power of video to tell one good story at a time... ONLY GOOD... OG.
OG is Summit Media's video first brand. And like all Summit Media brands, OG is anchored on top-notch storytelling to delight, inspire, and connect with our audiences.
We are deliberate in creating content that spread positivity, inspiration, and good vibes. Expect only good here at OG. Subscribe and be part of the community!
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 It's not my first time in Siargao.
00:02 My uncle is already a local in Siargao.
00:05 And then we got our own Airbnb
00:07 that we rented in Siargao.
00:10 That's why we always go to Siargao.
00:12 We arrived on December 15, 2021,
00:20 so a day before the supposed landfall of the typhoon.
00:23 If it's a typhoon,
00:25 we feel that if it's strong,
00:27 the flight will be canceled.
00:28 So we thought that everything was cleared.
00:31 The three of us went to Siargao that time.
00:33 We were staying at Tropical Temple
00:35 the day of the landfall.
00:37 That morning, I was still able to go to school
00:40 because we were face-to-face in an online class.
00:42 Then it started raining and the wind was strong.
00:45 So around 11am, the signal was lost.
00:48 The electricity was gone, the water was gone.
00:50 We didn't panic much because it was just raining.
00:53 Our room was just sleeping.
00:55 We didn't know that the other room,
00:57 the room next to us,
00:58 had already moved its roof.
01:00 Then in front of us, the roof of the room fell.
01:03 We were so lucky that the room we were staying in
01:06 was just sleeping,
01:07 as in, it wasn't damaged.
01:09 So around 11.30am or 12am,
01:11 we were evacuated to a dorm-type area
01:14 that was just cemented.
01:16 You don't have a window inside the room,
01:18 so it was very hot.
01:20 It was also sleeping, so it was wet.
01:22 But it was okay because there was no wind.
01:26 So we were safe inside their dorm-type rooms.
01:30 At 2pm, the rain started to pour.
01:34 It was already dark at 5pm in Siargao.
01:37 We ran out of electricity.
01:39 They had an emergency light, but it was small
01:42 because we were a lot of people.
01:44 It was just a hallway.
01:46 And then that night,
01:48 since we didn't have food,
01:50 they cooked what was left of the tropical temple.
01:54 So a few rice,
01:57 and tuna in a can,
01:59 and then chicken that was left.
02:01 It was just a little bit.
02:03 They made room for almost 50 people
02:05 because the place we were staying in,
02:08 the Laughing Pirate, if I'm not mistaken,
02:11 was pure glass, so it was broken.
02:13 So the people who were staying there
02:15 evacuated us as well.
02:17 So we were almost 50.
02:18 The water we had left was only 4 gallons.
02:21 We had no rice, no water, no food.
02:26 It was so dark,
02:27 and we could hear the glass falling.
02:30 We couldn't get out because we were stuck there.
02:33 The next day, after the typhoon,
02:41 on the 17th of the morning,
02:42 at 5am, we started walking.
02:44 When we got out, we saw that
02:46 all the roads were blocked.
02:49 So we started walking at 5am to find a signal,
02:54 and of course, food as well,
02:56 because we didn't have food supply,
02:58 like the last food supply for that night.
03:01 We hitchhiked on our motorcycles
03:03 to the place where they said
03:07 that we could use the radio to find a signal.
03:10 When we arrived in the municipality,
03:12 there was no signal, no one was there.
03:14 So they said that all the people in the municipality
03:17 were already at the mayor's house.
03:19 So we went to the mayor's house,
03:22 and they didn't tell us anything.
03:25 They said that the signal tower was okay,
03:29 but the satellite dishes were broken.
03:32 So we didn't know when we would get a signal.
03:35 So they said, "Not anytime soon."
03:38 All they can say is, "We have to wait."
03:41 Maybe by that time, later or tomorrow,
03:44 the next day, there will be rounds of helicopters.
03:49 So that's when we'll hope for a signal.
03:55 So we went home after 6 hours of walking
03:59 and looking for a signal around 11.30am.
04:02 I went back to Tropical, and we ate.
04:06 But the problem is, we didn't have water supply,
04:09 so we had to go to the well.
04:13 We only had two small pails of water.
04:16 Because we also have to think about the other people there.
04:20 We really had to save with our supplies.
04:23 So we went to the beach, and took a bath there.
04:26 Since I have an uncle who is already a local in Siargao,
04:30 so we crossed paths.
04:32 I think that was the first time I cried,
04:34 because I saw my uncle,
04:36 and I was still alive, and we were still okay.
04:39 He told me that he would pick me up when everything was okay.
04:43 That time, I was so sad,
04:45 because Siargao is so beautiful,
04:47 especially if you've been there pre-pandemic.
04:50 After the pandemic, they just started to open again,
04:54 because they just opened with tourists.
04:57 And then, this time,
04:59 nothing was left in Siargao.
05:02 It's super wiped out.
05:04 The famous boardwalk in Cloud 9,
05:07 I think they said it was still in the 90s.
05:10 Nothing was left in the boardwalk in Siargao.
05:13 It was heartbreaking for me,
05:14 because I really consider it as my second home.
05:18 So when I saw it,
05:20 as in the morning after the storm,
05:23 it was really washed out.
05:25 It really hurts my heart
05:27 that that's what's happening in Siargao.
05:30 Actually, that's why we were able to go home,
05:38 because I said I have an uncle
05:41 who's already a local in Siargao.
05:43 So, on the 18th,
05:45 he followed me to the tropical temple,
05:47 along with my two friends.
05:49 Then, he stayed with us at his place,
05:51 because luckily, his place is on the second floor.
05:54 It wasn't destroyed, because it was cemented and everything.
05:58 And then, I remember,
06:00 we were also outside, looking for food and signal.
06:03 Then, when we got back to the room,
06:05 he had a paper stuck on the door
06:10 when he was staying,
06:11 because I can read it.
06:13 He said,
06:15 "Alison, I booked us a boat
06:18 for tomorrow at 4 a.m.
06:21 Please prepare your stuff to go home.
06:23 We are out for errands.
06:24 See you later."
06:25 Something like that.
06:26 That was the second time I cried,
06:29 because I said,
06:30 "Oh my God, I can go home now."
06:33 I actually left my luggage in Siargao.
06:35 I left it there.
06:36 The only thing I brought home was a single backpack
06:39 with my essentials.
06:41 It took us almost 14 hours in transit
06:45 before we could get to Manila.
06:48 We didn't have any food,
06:50 just biscuits and water.
06:52 No other food,
06:54 because we were in transit.
06:57 And of course, all the places we went to were destroyed.
07:01 We didn't have any food.
07:03 And then also, we were already short of money,
07:06 because the boat ride was already expensive,
07:09 the multi-cab ride was expensive,
07:11 the bus ride, and even the flight.
07:13 They were already expensive.
07:14 But we could just go home.
07:16 We were like, "Okay, let's grab that
07:18 even if we don't get to eat first.
07:20 We'll just pay later.
07:23 Like, credit card, whatever we can afford.
07:27 We can just go home."
07:29 It's actually very underreported.
07:32 It's like,
07:33 it's not given justice
07:37 for what really happened in Siargao.
07:39 Even in nearby places like Cebu,
07:42 Palawan, Leyte.
07:44 Because I also have friends in Palawan
07:46 until now, they don't have a signal.
07:48 It's like,
07:49 they're just looking for a place with a signal,
07:52 but everywhere,
07:53 there's still no signal.
07:54 So, I'm really asking for everyone's help.
07:58 If you have something to spare,
08:00 you can donate with different trusted channels.
08:04 It's not just monetary donations that they're asking for.
08:07 They're also asking for in-kind donations.
08:10 If you've already been to Siargao
08:12 or you have plans to go to Siargao,
08:14 Siargao needs our help right now.
08:17 The most beautiful island that we once knew,
08:21 it's gone now.
08:22 And they really need our help
08:24 so that they can stand again
08:25 and they can go back to operation
08:27 and even the livelihoods of the locals there.
08:30 So, they really, really need your help.
08:32 Also, I hope you can find it in your hearts
08:36 that we help the locals in Siargao
08:38 so that they can go back to their livelihoods
08:42 and they can open their doors again to our tourists.
08:45 If you have an inspiring story like this,
08:57 email us at stories.onlygood@gmail.com.
09:00 And don't forget to subscribe to the OZee Channel.
09:04 Thank you for watching.