Director Arnel Van Aleligay of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Capiz State
University said international groups have expressed their admiration for the Capiznons’ resilience in
the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda.
Aleligay, then DRRM coordinator of the University President, said that the Canadian Armed Forces –
Disaster Assistance Response Team (CAF-DART) was among those who took note on how Capiz
hastily recovered from the devastation.
He recalled that the Canadian relief mission was demobilized after a month of operation in the
province because of the residents’ ability to stand up and recover from the disaster.
He noted that the CAF–DART was supposed to stay in the province for six months.
For his part, DART commanding officer Director Arnel Van Aleligay of the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Office of Capiz State University.
Lt. Col. Walter Taylor said that the resilience of the Filipinos is “absolutely tremendous.”
“They are happy to receive assistance, but they [Filipinos] don’t expect it,” he stressed.
“For every assistance that we give, the communities give themselves ten times or 20 times as much
assistance, with neighbors helping neighbors and communities helping communities.”
The same observation was also conveyed by the then United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) – Panay head Fernando Arroyo during an interaction with local media in
2014.
“It’s nice working with the people who are always smiling despite all the difficulties that Yolanda has
brought on them,” he stressed, adding that “the hospitality of the people is very moving.”
There were about 40 different nationalities representing various international humanitarian
organizations who mingled with the distressed residents in the province and Panay Island in the
emergency response after Yolanda’s devastation.
The super typhoon has decreased the province’s power source, telecommunication services, and road
access. aside from huge losses to properties, infrastructures, livelihoods, and the death of 72
Capiznons. (PIA Capiz)
