In return to Tacloban, Duterte recalls Yolanda devastation

Calling it one of the “saddest” moments of his life, President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday remembered the widespread destruction caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City.

Duterte made the recollection during a speech at the Sangyaw Festival of Lights in the city, which bore the brunt of Yolanda, one of the world's strongest storms on record, in November 2013.

Davao City, then led by Duterte as mayor,  was one of the first to respond right after the typhoon struck, sending doctors, social workers, medical supplies, and other equipment.

“I do not want to remind you of the sorrow and agony,” Duterte said.

“But I'd like to tell you that the day after, I was here and all that I could [do] except of course to give instructions to the doctors and the unloading of the equipment and medicines. It was one of my saddest [moments] in my life.”

Duterte continued: “I never saw such magnitude of [destruction]. Kaya nagastos ang luha ko dito siguro mga dalawang panyo. Totoo. Literally. I was bleeding inside my heart.”

Yolanda hit Tacloban and other parts of Visayas on November 8, 2013.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said more than 6,000 people were killed due to the storm’s devastation while 1,000 remain missing and 30,000 more were injured.

Duterte hailed the progress of rehabilitation of Tacloban nearly two years after he expressed anger at the government’s inability to immediately provide shelter to the typhoon survivors.

The President visited Tacloban City in November 2016 and he found out that only 28 families were relocated few years after the disaster.

“I was really surprised na Leyte almost was back on its feet and the skyline was more pleasant to see. More buildings and all,” he said.

Duterte then attributed the city’s progress to the “resilience, unity, and hope of the Taclobanons, which have been tried and tested by various challenges faced in the past years.”

The 73-year-old leader was born in Maasin, Southern Leyte. —JST, GMA News