The island of Siargao in the Philippines is known the world over as a surfer's paradise, thanks to the presence of what many call one of the best surf breaks in the world – Cloud Nine.
Sadly, however, much of the beautiful island has stayed quiet over the past two years because of COVID-19 restrictions.
But just as the national government lifted the tourism ban, the devastation left behind by Super Typhoon Rai (known as 'Odette' locally) has effectively wiped out all signs of Siargao's reawakened glory.
Starting from scratch.
IMAGE: @rescue.siargao / Instagram
Odette made landfall in Siargao on December 16, 2021, bringing with it wind speeds of up to 195 kilometers per hour, destroying everything in the typhoon's path.
Now that the typhoon has passed, tall palm trees are strewn about like twigs, homes have been completely decimated, small businesses are but erased from existence, and there's a looming sense of hopelessness permeating the island.
"The day after the storm, we went outside and we were like 'wow, this is Siargao now, it's no more'," said Claudine Mendoza, a sous chef at a beachfront resort.
"Even Cloud Nine is no more, it was really devastated."
IMAGE: @rescue.siargao / Instagram
The huge challenge facing the residents and business owners of Siargao come at the worst possible time, less than a week before Christmas. As is the norm at this time of year, Filipinos head to the countryside to spend time at beaches and dive spots.
"Everyone was so happy, the island was lively again. Then suddenly the storm came," Mendoza said, referring to the brief period between the island's tourism reopening and Odette.
Every little bit of help is appreciated.
By now it's quite obvious that repair costs – whether for independent business owners or local residents looking to rebuild their homes – are exorbitant considering the extent of the damage.
"This typhoon is much worse for us than the pandemic – the pandemic didn't cause any (structural) damage," said resort owner Anton Alvarez. "We think we have the capacity to rebuild but there's no point in rebuilding if it's just us – we need the whole of Siargao to rebuild."
But national disaster agencies are having a tough time trying to map out the total damage, since the typhoon crippled electricity throughout the island, quashing any chance of getting a proper signal or reception. Authorities peg the current death toll of Typhoon Rai at 375, with 167 of them in the region where Siargao is located.
However, local NGOs like Lokal Lab have been stepping up, transporting valuable aid to wherever it's needed on the island. They've even released a series of photos (taken by French photographer, filmmaker, and video editor @camillerdp) dubbed 'Portraits of climate refugees', hoping to spread the word about the island's plight to see some semblance of normalcy again.
"What will happen now?" asked Mendoza.
"We don't know."
Here are some resources you can refer to if you'd like to donate to relief efforts in Siargao:
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