“It was just like any other day. At about 7am, the wind started getting stronger. It lasted for about 30 minutes before everything became silent. We looked out our windows and saw clear blue skies. We were glad that it didn’t turn into something major. The sun was shining bright and it was quiet. Too quiet. Something was wrong, but we didn’t know it yet. And then it came.
The strongest wind we have ever felt. We ran for safety and didn’t even dare to look outside the window. We could hear the roof tearing away and windows smashing.
We prayed and waited. Our wait laster four hours.”
Such memories will haunt its keepers for a lifetime. Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, struck Samar and Leyte on the morning of November 8th, leaving behind a trail of destruction unlike anything the Philippines, let alone the world had ever seen.
This is a selection of photos documenting the aftermath of the typhoon, and Leyte’s path to recovery.
Mahen Bala 