A cargo ship – swept from the ocean by the typhoon's storm surge - smashed into her family's newly built house in Barangay (village) Anibong in Tacloban.
She and her family managed to escape before the ship struck, but they were dealt a devastating blow nonetheless.
During the critical days when hopes of survival were fading, however, the ship's crew gave shelter inside the vessel to the Batestil family and other residents. Whatever food and supplies that they had, the crew members shared.
Simple acts of kindness from others, as Maria Yolanda put it, made a big difference.
She and her family are now living in a temporary shelter beside the same ship that destroyed their home.
Instead of looking at this as a grim reminder of her ordeal, Maria Yolanda views this as a testament to the good they experienced. She has now made it her personal mission to share the lessons learned through the kindness of strangers.