Second Workshop for Disaster Survivors: Local Barangay Citizens Survive Heroically During The Storm Surge

We had an early start Saturday morning, our plan was to get back to Tanauan II Central School by 8A.  Our van driver picked us up at the hotel.  Sander jumped out of the van to get us fresh baked rolls for breakfast at the closest bake shop, and then we were off for 10 km ride to the school.

We were met at the school by JCI Chapter Tanauan Former President Lanilo A. Macalla (known as “Macky”).  He organized some more breakfast for us (fried beef and rolls), and brought hot water for coffee.  He also set up a water cooler for breaks.  Drinkable water was still scarce in Tanauan and we were grateful for the largess of a water cooler.

Today, we were leading a smaller group of 16 citizens through the workshop.  This group size is ideal.  With a group size of 16 or less, we can guarantee a deeper experience as a small group.  With a group size of 16 or more, the small group experience is lessened for participants, yet we can still get the basic concepts across.

Gabe started this group with pair and share questions:

• What are you excited about?
• What are you afraid of?
• On scale from 1 - 10, how prepared are you for the next unimaginable event?

Gabe smartly de-briefed these questions and how they relate to disaster response.  It turns out the physiological effects of fear are just like excitement:

• Sweaty palms
• Quick breathing
• Rapid heartbeat

Through the workshop, we want to give people choice to use excitement to move into action and not be frozen in fear.  It seemed like his message hit home to these disaster survivors.

This group of 16 was very diverse.  The local barangay captain, her neighbors, and three teenage singers from the area called “The Singing Survivors” made up our group.  The barangay is the smallest of the elected administrative divisions of the Philippines. The local barangay captain told stories of how citizens came to her for guidance during the typhoon and storm surge and how she kept them focused on actions to survive.

One of the “Singing Survivors” told his survivor story very dramatically.  At the moment the typhoon was destroying him home, he described it as “Yolanda -- Right here in 3D!” with a lot of humor.

So Gabe challenged him to improvise a scene with me -- the American.   This expressive entertainer was terrified to go off of his script and improvise with the American.  He actually said in Tagalong that he would prefer to go through Typhoon Yolanda again than improvise with me.

This was another “ah ha” moment for me.  The fear of improvising in front of a group can at least equal the fear of confronting an unknown disaster.  I wanted to find a way to help people experience the fear of a disaster without anyone getting hurt and I found it!

After the workshop, we were taken by pedicab (my first trip!) to downtown Tanauan for a lovely lunch in a home front cafe.  The food was good and the vibe relaxed.  So relaxed that when there was a lull in customers, wait staff would nap on the couch in front.