I had a lot planned for my Christmas break, but on the eve of December 17th, just one week before Christmas Day, the supertyphoon Odette (international name: Rai) hit and caused incredible damage to Cebu City where I am from. As many have echoed, we had overestimated so many storms in the past, but this one, we unfortunately underestimated.
My family is safe and came out of the ordeal with very minimal damage – just a broken window and a lot of trash around the house. Going out into the city the morning after, however, was a shocking experience. It was apparent that not a single structure was left unharmed, with large signage and posts toppled down every few meters all around the city. It was a surreal sight and made it very clear that rebuilding would take a long time.
In this moment of tragedy, I’m very thankful for our company Synacy for looking out for everyone in the team. They sent us goods in case we would have difficulty getting groceries, prepared gallons of drinking water in case anyone needed it, and made sure that everyone was accounted for and safe. It’s also awe-inspiring how so many people in the company, despite the 2-week break we were on for the holidays, worked extra hours not only to make sure that our teammates were taken care of but also ensuring that our customers who depended on our services for their own communications were attended to as soon as possible. Now, more than ever, is a clear testament to the customer-centric and self-motivated culture of the company.
At the moment, two weeks after the storm, we’re still running on generator and battery power. But hopeful signs of recovery around the city are already visible, from stores and establishments opening, streets and houses lighting up, and people starting to go about their daily lives.
And this is a testament as well to what we are capable of as a society. Even the day immediately after the storm passed, people were already visibly starting to rebuild their lives. Despite the lack and lag in government action, things picked up quickly in spite of the apparent hopelessness of the situation thanks to private businesses and citizens stepping up to fill in whatever gaps were there. Social media was used for good with people sharing helpful information on where to find basic necessities and what stores were open. And all of that happened with the city still in complete blackout.
Seeing all of this unfold makes me really proud to realize that it’s going to take an incredible lot to cripple our city’s economy and bring down our people’s spirits.
Despite the signs of hope in Cebu City though, there are still so many other places in the Central Philippines that are hit even worse and who are hardly seeing any recovery at the moment – places like Bohol, Dinagat Islands, Southern Leyte, Surigao, Iloilo, and Bais City. So if you have to capacity to help, please do so – you should find no shortage of information online (search “Typhoon Odette relief efforts”). At Melt Records, we’re also making an effort to raise funds to procure and deliver potable water to hard-to-reach communities in Metro Cebu. If you’re interested in pitching in, click here to learn more about the drive.
Through it all, I believe that kindness, understanding, and patience has allowed us to survive in the aftermath of this devastating storm. And I believe it will continue to be the difference throughout our recovery.
P. S. Despite all of the challenges going on, I also just wanted to extend a warm “Happy Holidays” to all of you. It’s been a tough year and an even tougher two weeks, but a little cheer always goes a long way!
Dexter is an engineering manager at Synacy, a co-founder of ATeam Business Software Solutions, and founder of TechManagement.Life. He loves to share his experiences and thoughts on managing software teams and running businesses.