On Thursday, local officials made its rounds to ask residents living in the tiny islands to evacuate to Bantayan’s gymnasium. Huddled in this gym were thousands of families, including the 113 from Botong Island. Anita’s husband, Melchor, and four other men stayed behind Botong to watch over their homes and livestock, including the two pigs raised in their backyard.
By Friday, strong winds came, destroying portions of the gym’s roofs and creating havoc to the structures outside. It was the most frightening day for Anita and her family.
Houses were reduced to rubble, roofs and walls ripped & strewn throughout the island.
“My granddaughter was crying,†she said, “begging us to go home because she was afraid of the wind.â€
When Yolanda’s fury subsided and the families made their way back to the tiny island, they were shocked by the scene that welcomed them. What was once paradise to them had been reduced to rubble. Wood, leaves, GI sheets, and all their belongigs were strewn everywhere. Their boats were destroyed, preventing them from going out to fish and earn their keep.
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