Eastern Samar: ‘My prayer is for our story to reach the President’

Franz Lopez, Paterno Esmaquel II

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Survivors in Eastern Samar face the cameras to assure relatives they're safe

SURVIVOR, WIDOW. Macrina Baful lost her husband, a boxer, after super typhoon Yolanda battered Hernani, Eastern Samar. Photo by Franz Lopez

EASTERN SAMAR, Philippines – In towns without cellphone connections after super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), one question often brings residents to tears: Anong panawagan ninyo?” (What do you want to appeal for?)

Facing cameras, typhoon survivors assure relatives they’re safe, or tell them a family member died because of Yolanda’s fury. Most of them simply request food and water – and seek Filipinos ready to help.

Macrina Baful tells us about the death of her husband, who was crushed by a boulder in Hernani town. “I would like to inform my children in Manila…they don’t know what happened to their father,” Baful says.

Another resident says she only has one wish for now: “For this story to reach [President Benigno Aquino III].”

Rappler’s Paterno Esmaquel II and Franz Lopez interview Yolanda survivors in Hernani, Eastern Samar. (Watch the video below.)

– Rappler.com

Get the latest info on the status of areas (http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/typhoon-yolanda/43350-aftermath-yolanda-what-we-know) affected by typhoon Yolanda (international codename: Haiyan).

Help the victims of Yolanda. Visit Rappler’s list of ongoing relief operations (http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/43300-reliefph-victims-typhoon-yolanda-help) in your area. Tell us about your relief and recovery initiatives, email move.ph@rappler.com or tweet us @moveph.

Visit rappler.com/typhoon-yolanda (http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/typhoon-yolanda) for the latest updates on Typhoon Yolanda.

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Franz Lopez

Franz Lopez's expertise revolves around creative visual storytelling. Aside from daily news coverage, Franz has been deployed to document natural disasters like the Bohol quake (2013), Typhoon Haiyan (2013), and the Taal Eruption (2020), among others.

author

Paterno Esmaquel II

Paterno R. Esmaquel II, news editor of Rappler, specializes in covering religion and foreign affairs. He obtained his MA Journalism degree from Ateneo and later finished MSc Asian Studies (Religions in Plural Societies) at RSIS, Singapore. For story ideas or feedback, email him at pat.esmaquel@rappler.com.