Ten Years Later – The Lasting Impacts of Typhoon Haiyan

TEN YEARS LATER – THE LASTING IMPACTS OF TYPHOON HAIYAN

JANUARY 29, 2024

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda), caused widespread devastation across the island nation of the Philippines – one of the most typhoon-affected countries in the world. Over 4.1 million people were displaced and, in areas such as Northern Tacloban, whole communities were uprooted and forced to relocate and establish new settlements from scratch. In these circumstances, families and individuals found themselves without proper shelter, educational opportunities and essential community infrastructure. The impact of this is still felt today, 10 years later, and will continue to resonate through communities for years to come.

St. Francis village in Northern Tacloban is one such resettlement site where residents from communities across the region were relocated after the devastating impacts of Typhoon Haiyan.

Regine de la Cruz, resident and kindergarten teacher at the St. Francis Elementary School, explains how, when she first arrived, the resettlement site severely lacked the proper community infrastructure, including a school.

“Upon my arrival here, I didn’t have a classroom. It was just a roof. It didn’t have walls. I didn’t know where I would get the budget to build a classroom for the children. I sacrificed my first salary for my students so that I could build a classroom for them, because it is difficult to see my students without a proper classroom when their school year starts.”
REGINE DE LE CRUZ

Despite the generosity and passion of teachers like Regine, the community of St. Francis did not have an adequate and safe environment for its over 500 students to learn and thrive, until August 2023.

To learn more about St. Francis Elementary School and its dedicated teachers like Regine, watch the video below.