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29 March 2024

UAE Filipinos sleepless as phones go dead

Published
By Staff

The large Filipino community in the UAE spent a sleepless night trying to contact loved ones, friends and family back home in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms recorded in the world, killing at least 10,000 people in the central Philippines province of Leyte.

Between phone lines going dead, news breaking of death and devastation on the internet and fear and worry for safety of people back home, the UAE Filipino community has awoken this morning to the horror of what the typhoon has left behind.

For some, like Girly Clairdad, who works in a salon in Karama, there is relief.

“My family lives an hour outside Manila, and at some point yesterday, the phone lines were down and I wasn’t able to reach anyone. I panicked,” she said.

The “anyone” in her case included her elderly mother, who is the guardian of Claridad’s six-year-old daughter, Rose, who was left behind while Claridad joined her work in Dubai.

For others it is a time for ‘kabayan’ like no other.

Sheilo Adriano from the Philippines says, “We, Filipinos are survivors, however hard things may be.

“We will bear this burden of the strongest typhoon and we will all stand-up together to help those affected,” she says.

Claridad spoke of frantic moments of trying to reach her family in the Philippines shortly after the first news of the devastation starting pouring in.
While most of her family fared safe from the devastation, Claridad said she also has friends and relatives living “relatively close” to the Leyte province, which is the epicentre of destruction post the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan.

“My mother told me that no one has managed to reach anyone there. My brother is in touch with volunteers there trying to get information. We are praying that everyone is alright,” she says.

“It is really heart-breaking to see what’s happening in our country. Just two months ago, it was hit by a quake,” said Melany Demetillo-Reyes, who has been working in Dubai as a magazine designer for the past few years.

“Although my family has not been affected, since they live in Manila, it is sad to see so many lives lost in this tragedy.”
Melany claimed that she will be pooling in resources to send across to Philippines to help those affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan.

“We’ve done this in the past, and will do it now. We have a strong community base here and always step up to help.”

Gerald Du, who also works with Melany, informed that his family is also safe as they live in Bohol.

“It is terrible to see it happening. Every year there’s a typhoon, and so many lives are affected.”
Like Melany, Gerald will also be “collecting funds to help those affected by the storm”.


 

Click to read latest updates from the Philippines on Super Typhoon Haiyan