Foreign diplomats have joined the government in marking the 10th
anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda, which left
thousands of people dead and homeless.
Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman went to Tacloban,
Leyte, which was hardly devastated by Yolanda, to meet President
Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The Canadian embassy stressed that its response to Yolanda’s aftermath
“underscored its commitment to its partnership with the Philippines
and its deep people-to-people ties.”
“Canada’s response included over 90 million Canadian dollars in relief
and longer term recovery for the Visayas region, plus in-kind supplies
and equipment [and]; the deployment of Canada’s Disaster Assistance
Response Team,” the embassy said.
US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson and Australian Ambassador HK Yu also
commemorated the same event.
“Last year in Tacloban I saw how communities supported each other to
rebuild their lives after typhoon Yolanda hit in 2013,” Carlson posted
on X.
“Such inspirational stories! When disaster strikes, the US and the
Philippines work together as #FriendsPartnersAllies to provide relief
and assistance,” she said.
Yu, for her part, recalled that: “On a recent trip to Leyte, I visited
the #YolandaPH Memorial to remember and honor those who were lost to
the super typhoon ten years ago.”
“Today is also about remembering the extraordinary strength,
determination, and resilience of the Filipino people to rebuild,” she
said.
On Monday, France had already marked the 10th year of Yolanda. Its
embassy in Manila said the resilience of the affected communities and
their spirit of unity in the disaster’s aftermath continue to inspire
the French government.
“France stands together in support of those affected by natural
disasters in the Philippines and worldwide,” the French embassy said.