Braving the Storm

This weekend is probably one of the most challenging for the Philippines and the Filipino people. One of the strongest typhoons ever recorded in world history has hit the country. What's more "amazing" is that typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as "Haiyan") made landfall on the areas of the country that were hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and thousands of aftershocks less than a month before!

I don't intend to talk about the science of those natural events or why they happened to us or anything like that. I was inspired to write this after seeing a comment in CNN on their update on typhoon Yolanda.

"Time to get to know the Filipino people… unbelievably resilient, long suffering, good natured, uber friendly, loyal, ingenious, and a bunch of survivors.

At the end of the day, the Filipinos will just shake off the dirt from their clothes and go about their business… and SMILE. They do not complain much, they will bear as long as they can.

Maybe this is why they were given the 'privilege' of bearing the burden of the strongest typhoon ever recorded.

The indomitable human spirit at its finest."

Resilience of the human spirit is one of the most valuable things one can ever have, and I can see how CNN managed to say that about us. Unless it's because I haven't watched much TV lately, it's only in the Philippines that I see people waving and making poses in front of the camera when covered in the news during typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and many others. It's as if the mere fact of being on national television is enough to make us "live the moment" despite of what has been happening around us!

Filipinos seem to have the innate spirit of being a hero. Many of us work in other countries, bearing the loneliness of being away from home in order to provide for the very family we're far from. A number of us work at night, giving up the luxury of the natural body clock and the chance of long weekends on Philippine holidays. In the recent typhoons that have hit the country, there are people who would swim through the flood to save someone stuck in their roof, or provide makeshift transportations (ever seen that boat made of plastic soft drink bottles?) just so people can cross the street!

In face of natural and national calamities, there's nothing else we do but FORGE ON. Most Filipinos when asked would say "Eh ganon talaga" ("It is what it is"). Some would complain about the government not doing enough. In the end, we go out and attempt to fix what has been damaged in the most creative ways.

Many people call it being stubborn. Nevertheless, we can choose to look at it from a different perspective and see it as resilience. The Filipinos are indeed tough. Sturdy. Durable. Whatever comes our way, it's our "bring it on" spirit that makes us brave the storm.

Kaya natin 'to! (We can do this!)