Palace remembers “Yolanda” tragedy, calls for resilient communities

November 8, 2019

Malacanang joined on Friday the nation in remembering the sixth anniversary of Super Typhoon "Yolanda (Haiyan)" that left thousands of people dead and millions of Filipinos displaced.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the government is calling on the Filipinos to cooperate to have resilient communities.

"The Office of the President recognizes that natural hazards have become the new normal in the 21st century, and therefore, we must continue to be relentless in creating safe, adaptive and resilient communities. It is our collective responsibility," he said.

Panelo, also the chief presidential legal counsel, said the Duterte administration honors the sacrifices of those in the government's frontline agencies, various organizations, many volunteers, and unnamed people who responded when Yolanda struck most parts of the country, especially the Visayas region, on November 8, 2013.

"We laud the exemplary resilience of our own people, which in the face of a great adversity, have remained steadfast and have moved forward," he said.

He said Yolanda also taught Filipinos, especially those in the bureaucracy, a hard lesson in public service.

"Tapang (courage) and malasakit (compassion) became buzzwords from a people weary of government apathy," the official added.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council ( NDRMMC), 6,300 people were reported dead, more than 28,000 injured and over a thousand others were missing when Yolanda struck the country.

The super typhoon destroyed a total of P95 billion worth of properties. Celerina Monte/DMS