Estehanons Offer Prayers, Flowers for Victims of Typhoon Yolanda

More than a thousand Estehanons (residents of Eastern Samar) remembered their loved ones who died when Typhoon Yolanda struck on Nov. 8, 2013.

Five years later, in the evening of Nov. 8 this year, Estehanons lit some 2,000 candles through a candlelight memorial and offered prayers and flowers to some 700 victims of Typhoon Yolanda from the towns of Guiuan, Hernani, Balangkayan, Giporlos and other coastal areas of the province.

Estehanons first attended the mass at the Borongan Cathedral and held a procession led by Gov. Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal to the Capitol grounds where the Candlelight Memorial was held.

“May the candles serve as guiding light to our government leaders in crafting laws and policies that will make the province resilient and prepared for disasters that will come, ” Franklin Robedizo, tourism officer of Eastern Samar, said.

Picardal condoled with the families of the victims and urged them to move on and develop the attitude of being always prepared for any eventuality.

Today as he faced the Estehanons for the 53rd Founding Anniversary Commemorative Program, he promised them that his administration will prepare his people cope with disaster. He added that in December, his administration will provide the 80 thousand families in typhoon-prone areas with food packs.

“We will do this to ensure that they can eat, during the typhoon, if ever,” he told the Estehanons that gathered.

He added, “We will do this to show that we are prepared and that we are a resilient people.”

In Hernani town, where 85 Hernaninhons perished in the typhoon, the rural folks lighted candles on the roadside. In Guiuan town the same candlelight memorial was held in the town plaza. (NBQ/PIA-8, E. Samar)