4 years after Yolanda, still no closure for families

TACLOBAN, Philippines — Four years after Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated this city and other parts of the Visayas, some of the victims’ families still cannot find closure, wondering what actually happened to their loved ones that fateful day.

“The surviving families are still in pain,” Anne Bernadette Mendiola, spokesperson for the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services Inc. (IDEALS Inc.), said in a press conference yesterday to remember Yolanda victims.

Malacañang, through presidential spokesman Harry Roque, called for unity as the government rebuilds the areas devastated during the storm.

Roque said Yolanda was “a story of faith and hope that characterizes our people.” 

IDEALS, a non-government organization, turned over a petition to the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) regional office here seeking a court declaration on the presumption of death of those missing to help their families move on.

One of the four petitioners, Ronilo Docos, a fisherman and Yolanda survivor, said his 70-year-old mother was nowhere to be found as she was washed away by the storm surge.

Other survivors – Nicky Factumana, Danilo Santos and Joel Aradana – also became emotional as they talked about their missing loved ones.

IDEALS said some of the survivors, who are dependent on fishing for a living, have become afraid of going out to sea and have to deal with the trauma brought about by the tragedy.

Under the Article 391 of the New Civil Code of the Philippines, IDEALS said a family member can file for the declaration of presumptive death after four years of disappearance for the purpose of claiming death compensation benefits, succession, among others.

With the compensation they might get, the families of those missing hope to start anew, including setting up a small livelihood.

Lawyer Nits Negado, PAO’s assistant regional director, expressed the office’s commitment to assist the petitioners.

At least 20 qualified petitioners were aided by IDEALs on the documentation and case building, before they reached out to PAO for filing and representation.

Based on the data obtained from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, more than a thousand people in Leyte and Samar remain missing four years after Yolanda struck and claimed the lives of thousands of people.

Learning from the past

Roque said the government would always heed the lessons learned from the disaster.

“As we commemorate the deadliest typhoon on record that hit the Philippines and offer prayers for those who lost their lives, we also keep in mind the lessons brought by such great tragedy,” he said. 

“(Yolanda) is an account of tapang at malasakit (courage and concern) that we must demand from our leaders,” Roque said in statement on the fourth anniversary of the super typhoon. 

Roque said the Duterte administration is undertaking the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Yolanda-affected communities and infrastructure.

“As we move forward, we must continue to stand united and exhibit the strong and resilient Filipino spirit as we build a better nation where there is a comfortable life for all,” Roque said. 

He said a total of 10,703 resettlement houses out of the target 14,433 shelters have been occupied by the typhoon survivors. –  With Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Lalaine Jimenea