Citizen Journalism: The Truth About Leyte

LenDante Clarino shared this with me on Facebook, and I think it’s important to get this  kind of unvarnished reality out there as the media moves on and starts covering other things. It came as a private message to Len with a request from the author to share. Everything the author says tracks with what I am hearing from other sources — the media focus on Tacloban is understandable and probably inevitable, but there are so many others in need, in so many other areas. What the author here says of the coastal towns of Leyte is also true of the Coastal towns of Samar and other islands. The need is enormous.

{The original is in Tagalog and ” Taglish” …. I’ve attached an English version below, so scroll down if the Taglish is confusion.}

PLEASE READ AND SHARE! I AM SHARING THIS TO RAPPLER AND OTHER NEWS AGENCIES FOR THEM TO KNOW WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN LEYTE RIGHT NOW.

Finally heard from a friend who left for Tacloban Saturday morning (through the help of her family’s friends in the military) to look for her family members in the towns of Palo and Tanauan whom she hasn’t heard from since Thursday night prior to supertyphoon Yolanda’s landfall. Below are her exact messages to me.

“My family is safe. Nasa isang spot lang ako where may signal and we have to walk half day para lang mkapunta dito. Not enough food, water, gas. Wasak din bahay namin pero na kina tita kami lahat. We have supplies pa. Planning na makapunta dyan Manila this week.

Kung meron man relief goods, sa Tacloban City nakafocus. There are hundred towns sa Leyte. People are starving. Imbis na maniwala yang mga officials sa mga hakahaka o balita ng mga taga media na hanggang airport lang naman, sila ang pumunta dito para makita nila sitwasyon. Frustrating! On the first day from the airport, pumara ako sa military truck para makisakay. HINDI KAMI PINASAKAY to think that it was an empty truck! ASAN ANG SINASABING TULONG NG GOVT?! Wag nilang siraan ang mga tao dito na nagiging violent. Looting is simply caused ng mga kalokohan ng gobyerno. Asan ang relief goods?!

Favor pls. Kindly write something and post it on FB and make sure maspread to para makaabot sa lintik na gobyerno natin. RELIEF GOODS ARE NOT BEING WELL DISTRIBUTED. NO RESCUE TEAM. NI WALA KANG MAKIKITANG SUNDALO. KUNG MERON MAN, NASA AIRPORT NAKATUNGANGA. HENCE, STILL NO FOOD, WATER, GAS AND BASIC NECESSITIES HERE. YAN ANG MAIN REASON BAKIT RAMPANT ANG LOOTING DITO. AGAIN, WALA PANG MGA RELIEF GOODS NA NABIBIGAY. ILANG ARAW NA WALA PA RIN. PEOPLE ARE STARVING BUT NOT KILLING EACH OTHER, SO PLS STOP THAT BULLSHIT NEWS NA MGA TAO DAW DITO NAGKAKASAKITAN NA AT MGA TAGA MANILA PINAGKAKAGULUHAN PAG MALAMANG MAY FOOD. I’VE BEEN WALKING FOR 2 DAYS NOW, WITH WATER AND FOOD. WALANG HUMARANG SAKIN. I HAVE TO VOLUNTARILY SHARE MY FOOD AND THEY WOULD THANK ME. SOME WOULD OFFER US A RIDE, YUNG MGA MAY VEHICLE, PERO RARELY LANG MANGYARI KASI WALANG GAS DITO. GOV’T OFFICIALS, STOP BRAGGING NA MAY MORE THAN ENOUGH RELIEF GOODS AND RESCUE TEAM! THAT IS BULLSHIT!

Elise, ikaw ang kilala ko na pwede magpost sa FB para malaman ang totoong sitwasyon ng Tacloban. THANK YOU so much. Mamaya uuwi ulit kami to Tanauan, lakad lang. Kung saan abutan ng gabi dun kami magpapahinga. We have to walk for several hours para maabot ang ibang towns. My family is okay, both sides, but we need to evacuate or else we might die of starvation hangga’t hindi tinototohanan ng gobyerno yang mga pangakong napapako.

Nag-aantay kami confirmation ng contact namin sa Manila when kami makakasakay papunta dyan. Ito lang spot na may signal. Half day namin nilakad papunta dito. Babalik din ulit kami to Tanauan. Kung san abutan ng gabi dun kami magpapahinga.

I only have 1/4 of a 12oz of water left, at maglalakad ulit kami pauwi ng Tanaun the entire night. Ganito kagrabe ang sitwason.

Mga sundalo dito ang may supply ng water at food. Mga locals wala. Nakipagbarter na nga lang ako ng food ko in exchange for his water kasi wala na akong tubig..

Wala. Hindi naman nag-iikot and media dito. Ewan nasan mga yun. Passable na ang roads. Di ko gets bakit hindi madistribute yung relief goods.

I’m at the city hall right now. Nakaimbak sa loob karton karton na tubig, pero hindi kami binibgyan. Pero mga sundalo meron. Punyetang gobyerno!”

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(mostly) English version

PLEASE READ AND SHARE ! I AM SHARING THIS AND OTHER NEWS TO RAPPLER Agencies FOR THEM TO KNOW WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN LEYTE .

Finally heard from a friend who left for Tacloban Saturday morning ( through the help of her family ‘s friends in the military ) to look for her family members in the towns of Palo and Tanauan whom she Has not heard from since Friday night prior to supertyphoon Yolanda ‘s landfall . Below are her exact messages to me .

” My family is safe . Situated in a spot where I’m just a signal and we have to walk half day just to mkapunta here . Not enough food , water , gas . Ruined house but that’s also what we aunt all. We have supplies on. Planning to go dare Manila this week .

If any relief goods , in Tacloban City nakafocus . There are hundred towns in Leyte . People are starving . Instead of the officials believe his hakahaka or the news media hacking airport just turn up , they come here so their situation. Frustrating ! On the first day from the airport , I Shall military truck to lift . WE ARE NOT PINASAKAY to think that it was an empty truck ! ASAN THE ALLEGED BY GOVT HELP ? ! Do they undermine people it becomes violent . Looting is simply caused by the antics of government . Where is the relief goods ? !

Favor pls . Kindly write something and post it on FB and make sure maspread to reach lightning for our government . RELIEF GOODS ARE NOT WELL BEING DISTRIBUTED . NO RESCUE TEAM . You will not see NI soldiers. IF ANY MAN , IN AIRPORT vacant . HENCE , STILL NO FOOD , WATER , GAS AND BASIC NECESSITIES HERE . YAN THE MAIN REASON WHY THE RAMPANT looting HERE . AGAIN , NO MORE RELIEF GOODS TO NABIBIGAY . SOME DAY STILL NOTHING . Starving BUT PEOPLE ARE NOT KILLING EACH OTHER , SO PLS STOP THAT BULLSHIT NEWS OF THE PEOPLE THAT NAGKAKASAKITAN DAW HERE AND WHO THE MANILA PINAGKAKAGULUHAN LIKELY WITH FOOD . I’VE BEEN WALKING FOR 2 DAYS NOW, WITH WATER AND FOOD . NO intercept Sakin . I HAVE TO SHARE MY voluntary FOOD AND THEY WOULD THANK ME . SOME WOULD OFFER U.S. A RIDE , YUNG WITH THE VEHICLE , BUT rarely KASI NO GAS JUST HAPPEN HERE . GOV’T officials , bragging STOP WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH RELIEF GOODS AND RESCUE TEAM ! THAT IS BULLSHIT !

Elise , I know you for which you post on FB to find out the real situation of Tacloban . THANK YOU so much. Later we return again to Tanauan , walk . Overtake the night where we dun rest . We have to walk for hours to reach Several other towns . My family is okay , both sides , but we need to evacuate or else we MIGHT die of starvation unless government take seriously his promises napapako .

We awaiting confirmation of contact we makakasakay Manila When we dare to . It only spots with signal . Half day we walked to it . Also again we return to Tanauan . If San overtake the night we dun rest .

I only have 1/4 of a 12oz of water left , and walk home with us again Tanaun the entire night . Thus kagrabe the sitwason .

The soldiers here have a supply of water and food . The locals do . Nakipagbarter be that I ‘m just food in exchange for His water because I had no water ..

Nothing. Not that you rotate and media here . Ewan wandered far the yun . Passable the roads . I do not why not madistribute gets those relief goods .

I’m at the city hall right now . Stored in cardboard cartons water , but we do not binibgyan . But the soldier does. Punyetang government! ”