FIELD STUDY
TACLOBAN
From August – November 2015, I traveled to Southeast Asia. I started out in the Philippines, specifically Manila, and ended my last month to stay in Tacloban, a small fishing town located on the SW coast of the Philippines. By staying in Tacloban through a volunteer program, I was able to grasp a better detail of how the locals were living and see their necessities to sustain a living. In 2013, Tacloban was completely destroyed from Yolanda, the largest typhoon to ever make landfall. Even two years later, Tacloban is still recovering and in dire need of change. Without a face-to-face interaction, their needs will be missed. I was also guilty of not seeing what the locals lacked through the copious Internet research I did prior to this trip. I had some assumptions and I was naive to how dire the situation was. Below is a list of some insights and realizations I had while on this trip which I intend to both utilize towards my capstone and to educate others so that the Filipinos’ voice will not be left unheard.
TRANSPORTATION
JEEPNEY
After WWII, Americans sold Filipinos a leftover surplus of military jeeps. As time passed, these jeeps were modified and still are considered one of the largest forms of transportation within the Philippines. Each Jeepney is lovingly named and brightly painted by its owner, each individually reflecting on the locals’ ideas and signifiers of their Filipino culture and art. These retrofitted jeeps allow a group of 16 people to fit snugly. The transportation cost is about 8 pesos per person, which equivalent to about 20 US cents. This form of transportation is used for both long commutes and short ones.
TRICYCLE
These are most commonly found in small towns or in rural areas. Tricycles provide transportation comfortably for four people. These vehicles vary from city to city and cost about 10 pesos per person (about 25 US cents). This form of transportation is usually for short commutes.
PEDICAB
Pedicabs are one of the few transportations operated by man found typically in small rural towns. A bicycle is attached to a cart, which typically holds two people, costing about 7 pesos per person (15 US cents). This form of transportation is for very short commutes.
KALESA
In the 18th century, the Spanish colonizers brought the Kalesas to the Philippines, which were used by high ranked officials and nobles. Now these vehicles are rarely used and are found within historic Spanish tourist towns or in rural areas costing about 20 pesos per hour per person (50 US cents).
BANCA
These native outrigger boats are usually found in small fishing towns. These bancas are powered by a motor, which varies depending on the size of the boat. Cost to ride these boats rely on the owner, but can become pricey if related to tourist travels.
FOOD
Markets are found quite frequently on weekends throughout Manila and other areas within the Philippines. While there are many higher end markets such as Salcedo market, which target the tourists, smaller local markets such as Midnight Mercado or the Sunday market in Quezon City are recommended. Food is one of the easiest ways to connect with people of a different culture who might not speak the same language and in my case one of the immediate and most accessible ways to be invited and able to participate in Filipino culture.
From chicken intestines, fried crabs, snails, to balut egg (which contains a baby chick within the egg – beak and feathers in all), the market can easily discourage tourists. However, if you try the food, you’ll begin to understand how important these dishes are to Filipino culture. The Philippines, being at some point ruled from Spain, America, and Asia, reflects some of their history within their food. At first, one might assume that certain dishes have been adopted by previous influences, however the Filipinos have made these dishes their own. These dishes are only found within the Philippines, and depending on which of the 7,107 islands you travel to, the food will be unique. There is no other place in the world where you can find this food!
CULTURE
Filipinos have a strong culture. From dancing, to singing, to religion, to their belief of endlessly sharing, Filipinos share something special that other cultures do not. I have never been in a place where people are so welcoming and giving even though they might not even have enough money to put a full meal on the table. Family is also very important to Filipino culture. Meals are often shared amongst families breakfast through dinner including its main staples – fish, pork, coconut, and rice. Fiestas are annual celebrations that celebrate the elderly and the people of the community. Each family contributes money and food to fund an event, an event that celebrates life and the year ahead of them. Filipinos love to have parties and have a good time and cherish those memories with both their family and the people they love.
Although it may be evident what the Filipino culture is about, international designers fail to make ties from their architectural work to Filipino culture. Most designs have been westernized and fail to include local materials and vernacular architecture. These new designs strip them of their culture and force them into something they are not familiar with. These people are being “white-washed” and are not able to speak for themselves.
RELIGION
Religion is very important to the people of the Philippines. As a country, nearly 82 percent of the population call themselves Roman Catholic (http://philembassy.be).
GEOMETRIC TILES
Bright geometric tiles are found within most churches throughout the Philippines. These geometric patterns are not only used in the flooring but can also be seen throughout different areas of the church as well as textiles made in the Philippines.
TYPHOON YOLANDA
November 8, 2013 marks the day that the largest recorded Super Typhoon Haiyan, locally named as Yolanda, devastated Tacloban, Philippines and other regions within the eye of the storm killing over 10,000 and leaving 4.1 million people homeless. As most people are living on islands, supplies were limited, and most had to rely on surrounding community members for help. The government was not prepared and supplies took days to be delivered, which left many people hopeless and unaware of what was to come.
TRUST
One thing is clear, that when individuals are stricken with disaster, it can be hard to approach this individual if you’re an outsider. In many cases, directly following a disaster, hundreds of agencies swarm into an area. While many might think this is a good idea, sometimes this solution can do much more harm. It seems that directly after Yolanda, thousands came into Tacloban to “help.” But as time passed and money quickly diminished, that “help” was gone. Locals only occupy many sites that were created or are still in construction by these foreign agencies. Although people may think two years should be enough time to recover, the reality is that Tacloban is far from returning normalcy.
DISASTER RELOCATION SITES
Two years later, as we visit the relocation sites of these victims, we are exposed to their living conditions and I am shocked. People living here are dealing with conditions that are not even meeting their basic needs. Clean drinking water, adequate shelter, and a wide variety of food are impossible to be found due to the limited money and resources these people have. On top of that healthcare only comes monthly, which limits the aid towards the local community. People are suffering, yet they have no other means of access to survive.
Typhoon Haiyan changed everyone’s life. Everything was taken from them after the storm including their loved ones, whom were swept away from the 5-7 meter storm surge that flooded the area. People still are in dire need of resources, continued help, and the direct aid of volunteers. Although there are sites still being built in order to get everyone on safer land, the people who are rebuilding these areas are mostly locals trying to retain what they have lost. The people depend on others and need a strong, tight-knit community, yet each of these areas lacks a prevalent community center.
Most of the relocation sites are in rural areas away from what the community actually needs – schools, markets, day-cares, jobs, transportation, healthcare/hospitals, and resources. The cost of transportation is too high for locals, which further limits what the people have access to. Because of this issue, many people who survived Typhoon Haiyan decide to rebuild directly where their first houses were just because the resources are readily available. Although their homes were swept away and thousands of people were killed, they feel their odds are better if they continue to risk their life continuing a vicious cycle of destruction and reconstruction.
Those who feel that they have a better shot of relocation reside within these houses that were designed by foreign volunteer programs. The houses are identical, stripping the community from their culture and their identity. The houses are small, about five square meters, which house a family of five at minimum. At most sites, the amount of children is overwhelming. So overwhelming that there are very few areas where the kids can play. Most often the children play in the streets or on a pile of powdered concrete that will soon be used for the houses next to be built. Mothers stand nearby watching over their children to make sure they are safe, while their fathers are away working in order to bring an income just enough for the family to survive.
WATER
Nearly 1 in 10 people lack access to safe drinking water (water.org). Limited safe drinking water puts communities at risk, which can lead to severe illness or even death. All the surrounding communities that we visited within Tacloban, Philippines were exposed to parasite infested water. Children were becoming sick and unable to receive proper healthcare due to the limited amount of resources.
On the other side, those who had enough money for water have to wait each week until delivery day on Mondays. In order to receive the water, people have to be available, so parents assign the children to be there for delivery so that they could go to work. This task leaves the children home and away from school, which puts them at higher risk of dropping out. If this routine is repeated, children will be stripped away from the proper education they should be receiving.
HEALTHCARE
More often than not, healthcare is merely impossible to access in Tacloban and other towns within the Philippines. Even in the city, hospitals are far below standard. Given from personal experience these hospitals are overbooked, understaffed, and fail to meet basic needs. Hospitals within Tacloban do not provide filtered drinking water, adequate nutrition for the sick, hand soap or hand sanitizer, and toilet paper.
Worse than inner city hospitals, health clinics that are found in rural areas do not provide most basic needs of health check-up. Health-centers are either found within someone’s home, or non-existent. Most areas only see a doctor once a month, so if one needs emergency attention, they have to find transportation to the nearest hospital in order to receive immediate care. Mind you, that most people within these rural areas cannot afford transportation, in which they have to walk the long distance. In one instance, we met an elderly lady whose appendix burst. She had no money to get there, so she had no other choice but to walk the 9 km distance (roughly 5 miles). This is the reality that the people of Tacloban face.
EDUCATION
Shortly after the typhoon, schools were either destroyed or utilized as evacuation shelters. The damaged and occupied space left many of the children without a place to study and held children behind. Due to the delay in daily routine, children endured post-traumatic stress and the length of recovery was delayed.
Two years later, children are still falling short of their education. Education has not been readily accessible to all grades in a given area. Rather schools are spread apart forcing many children to take costly transportation to school. Over time the money begins to pile forcing the oldest child to dropout and work to sustain for the rest of the family. More times than not, children do not finish school which eliminates the opportunity for college and further limits a better career.
Education is crucial for children. It is important that these children be educated on their cultural background, basics, and preparation from typhoons. After typhoon Yolanda, the biggest death toll were children due to the storm surge. If children are educated, it is believed that they will be the next generation that can persuade their parents to be proactive and live in safer living conditions.
PLAY SPACE
After the typhoon, parks and green spaces were destroyed, eliminating space for people and children to play. To this day, parks have not re-opened leaving many people without a recreational space. Most relocation sites visited had no play space for the children. Rather kids were seen running in the streets or playing in cement powder piles that were soon to be used for the homes. The only space that seemed to appear for the children to utilize was a basketball court, yet the teenagers mainly used this space.
GARBAGE
Garbage disposal is one of the leading issues the people of Tacloban face. With a population of 221,174, only one garbage truck services this area (All Hands). Due to this alarming issue, areas are filled with trash, which further contaminates the land and leaves the people who live here in great danger.
LIVELIHOOD
After Yolanda, regulations were put in to locate families at least 40 meters from the coast terming this area the “no build zone.” In efforts to keep families safe, organizations have begun to propose housing far from towns and in areas not prone to storm surge. People who were once fisherman and farmers are being relocated to areas with no form of agriculture or resources. Instead, these people are being forced to adapt their lifestyles to live in these safe environments, without the proper education to be able to survive. This reality puts many families at risk, and increases the chance that families will refuse to move. A common trend seen is that families would rather have a basic income working in a job that they are familiar with and be at risk of typhoons and inclement weather, rather than to be safe in an environment where their family is suffering.
However, some organizations did succeed in remedying the situation. The Tzu Chi Foundation provided areas for people to farm, work, sell goods, and sew. Sewing shops were set in place to provide the women of the area with an occupation as well as a market to sell to surrounding local villages. Local men had the opportunity to make floor tiles that were utilized within these homes and also sold to other surrounding villages. Gawad Kalinga, another organization, provided front yard space to each of the houses. This gave the owner opportunity to grow produce and flowers, which could be either utilized by the occupying family or sold to surrounding neighbors within the community. By having these options, this allowed the people to feel secure and learn new skill traits that will further help them sustain themselves.
COMMUNITY
One factor that falls short from international design firms designing disaster relocation sites is a sense of community that should be incorporated within the design. Out of all the disaster relocation sites we visited, there was little to no evidence of a community space. Rather houses were piled row by row, ridding the locals of personal space. However, one of the sites that began to show promise is a housing project done by Gawad Kalinga. Although this project in particular was not related to disaster, this project did relocate people from the slums. Here it was evident, that the design of these homes was shaping positive response. Here are a couple things that this company did different that should be adapted for further use:
Multicolored housing allows families to distinguish their home from another
Increased depth of one’s front yard allows for the owner to be creative. Ability to also plant flowers and produce for their family enjoy.
Street signs begin to distinguish row from row and form a small community.
Locating this housing project directly adjacent to a rice field allows the people to gain a sense of livelihood.
Having a basketball court located at the center allows all people to utilize this area. Not only do the people use this for recreation, but also they use this for family functions, fiestas, gathering spots, and community space. The basketball court is simple yet very crucial for the community.
Although this site was one of the best responses to the community, here are some things that this site does need to consider:
Proper disposal of trash needs to be put in place. At this site, garbage was piling in what used to be a vegetable garden. If this problem continues, the people will be put at great health risk.
At that time there was only a day-care center on site for children under the age of 5. There was no center for children past this age so they have to pay for transportation to get to school. Although this may sound simple, most families cannot afford the transportation cost, so they are removed from school and forced to go into child labor.
Although there is a rice field surrounding this unit, there is close to no other resources for this community. Instead this site is located in the middle of nowhere. To get there you have to take transportation for 9 km (5 miles) in order to reach the nearest town. Disaster relocation sites continue to be located far away from resources leaving the people stranded and away from their previous means.
Livelihood is another issue that this community faces. While this area does promise rice farmers a job, others are forced to find work elsewhere which usually means that they have to find transportation in order to get in town. While some work in town, sometimes money is not made forcing the people to stay in town until they have enough money to come home.
Due to the lack of resources, malnutrition is a huge issue that the people and children face. Most children receive a high sugar diet, which causes their teeth to brown as young as age 3.
There is no filtered water on this site. At the moment, children are faced with having to drink parasite-infested waters to survive. Children are sick and have no options due to being limited to only monthly healthcare visits.
LOCAL MATERIALS
Local materials should not be undermined in modern design efforts. Items such as cocoa lumber, bamboo, nipa (palm tree with creeping roots), and grass have been around since indigenous times. These materials were meant to be temporary and easily replaceable due to the constant threat of typhoons this country sees. More times than not, international firms come in not utilizing these materials, but rather introducing modern forms such as concrete stripping the people of their culture and conforming them into being “white-washed.”
Shortly after the devastation of typhoon Yolanda, international companies swarmed into Tacloban to create the “best” solution. In one instance, located directly next to one another, Habitat for Humanity decided to build houses that were concrete poured, while another company IOM went with local materials using engineers to build traditional nipa huts. Exactly one year after Yolanda, the area was hit by Ruby, a category 3 typhoon. To our surprise however, the concrete houses were destroyed receiving heavy damage while the nipa huts saw minor damage. The nipa huts were built with strong structure and replaceable materials, which allowed this area to recover much faster than the concrete structures in which new materials had to be imported.
YOLANDA ANNIVERSARY
November 8, 2015 marks the two-year anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda. Throughout this day, memorials and candle lightings were put in place to remember the tragic even that destroyed this town. Due to the lack of education and preparedness, thousands of lives were lost. While this was a tragic event, this should be something the people can learn from and begin to improve the safety of the individuals and families who are at risk. People need to be protected and educated to prepare themselves for any future natural disasters. In order to not be forgotten, this story needs to continue to be passed along so that future generations do not make the same mistakes of their ancestors.
10 THINGS I TOOK FOR GRANTED WHILE ON MY STAY
Running water - showers and toilets
Filtered drinking water - everything had to be bought by bottle
Adequate healthcare
Transportation
Easy commute - traffic
Washer and dryer - hand washed clothes
Nutrition - fruits and vegetables
Toilet paper
Cleanliness - soap and hand sanitizer
Communication with family