Ormoc City experienced the greatest tragedies like flash flood, super typhoon and magnitude 6.5 earthquake that caused thousands of Ormocanon’s death and property, building and infrastructure damage. Why did these natural disasters always landed in Ormoc City? It is because Ormocanons lack faith and prayers to the Almighty Father, or is it because God loves us; it is only trials to measure on how strong our faith is in Him.
It was on November 5, 1991, when the flashflood in Ormoc City happened. I was 14 years old and a second year school student. On that time I was living my hometown in Baybay, Leyte, the neighbor town of Ormoc City. I remembered that, I have seen in the television thousands of bodies floating down the river and in few minutes, thousands of bodies lying down in the terminal, in the streets, and in the plaza.
Fely T. Villasencio
1991 FLASH FLOOD
In November 8, 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon all over the world attacked. Again one of the most affected city is Ormoc. On that time, I was with my family. We evacuated in the evacuation center which is the school building. It was around 6:30 in the morning when the strong wind started blowing. At 7:00 o’clock in the morning, I couldn’t imagine how strong the wind that made the roof of the houses blown away, the walls were crushed and collapsed. Almost all of the houses in the barangay were damaged. I think it was the worst experience that happened in my life. Good thing that my house was not completely damage. After that super typhoon Yolanda, my house served as an evacuation center where my neighbors and relatives temporarily stayed for a week.
Fely T. Villasencio
TYPHOON YOLANDA
Recently, the magnitude 6.5 earthquake on July 6, 2017, it was Thursday around 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon. I was in the division office because my school head asked me to submit reports. On that time, I noticed that the building was shaking and somebody said that, it was an earthquake. I did the duck, cover, and hold but I thought, what if this building collapses, so I ran out of the building. I went to the lobby, waited the earthquake to stop.
First thought running through my mind was the capacity of that earthquake how will it destruct the lives of the people and properties and damage again the infrastructures, but, we were still thankful and blessed, despite all the tragedies, people in Ormoc remains resilient and brave.
Fely T. Villasencio
2017 EARTHQUAKE
