Fifty-three year-old Lucilo Gubantes’ faith had never been tested more than when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines three months ago.
Lucilo was the captain of a fishing boat whose crew fished for tuna in deep waters far from the shore. On the day of the storm, he and his wife, Agostina, were both on the boat and were bringing a haul of 2,000 kilograms of fish to a buyer in Tacloban. Their children were at home in Guiuan, 150km away.
When they heard on their radio that a storm was coming, Lucilo maneuvered his wooden boat into a strait and anchored it among some mangroves. He hoped that the trees would provide him and his crew some protection.
“It sounded like a modern airplane landing, it was very loud and we were scared,” said Lucilo about the storm’s heavy winds and rains. “The only weapon we had was to pray to the Lord that our family would be safe.”
The Lord provided. Lucilo and Agostina survived the storm. Their fishing boat – their sole source of livelihood – however, was completely destroyed. Using a smaller boat, they began to make their way home to their children.
The journey took two days. Along the way, Lucilo and Agostina passed many bodies floating in the water – people who had not been able to escape before the storm hit. They worried that their children might be among those lost.
When they finally reached Guiuan, they were thrilled to learn that their children had taken shelter in a community school when the storm hit. They had all survived.
The family was one of 3,973 families that received food and other supplies from World Renew.
“I cried and cried when I saw that my family was safe,” said Lucilo.
Despite losing his home, nearly all of his possessions, and his only source of livelihood, Lucilo praises God that his family had been spared. He and Agostina also trust that God will continue to provide what they need as they begin the long process of rebuilding their lives.
The government provided families like theirs with some plywood to build a temporary shelter until a safe relocation area can be identified. Lucilo used this to build a small shack near the town’s port.
The family was one of 3,973 families that received food and other supplies from World Renew.
“I have received a blessing from God in the relief that we have been given,” he said.
Lucilo and his family have a long road ahead of them. They hope to repair their boat so that they can once again earn a living. They also want to rebuild their homes and heal emotionally from the trauma they all experienced.
World Renew, which raised more than $4 million for its Typhoon Haiyan response, has committed to walking alongside families like Lucilo’s for the next several years as they get back on their feet.
To date, World Renew has provided food, medicine, bedding, water filtration systems, stoves, fuel, generators, cooking utensils, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets and trauma counselling to 3,973 people in three regions of the Philippines. As a next step, World Renew plans to provide fishing boats, nets and other tools to help families restore their livelihoods. Home reconstruction and continued trauma counseling are also planned.
Please continue to keep World Renew and the people of the Philippines in your prayers.
(photos and reporting by Tom Price, Communications Officer for the Integral Alliance, Philippines)