Resilience of the Philippines: Facing the Odds of the World

Filipinos are known to be survivors of various kinds of circumstances, as well as strong fighters in desperate situations. We always manage to survive a number of unfortunate incidents; moreover, we emerge stronger and more determined to face whatever challenges may arise. Despite the country's long history of disasters and calamities, Filipinos have always emerged with a positive attitude. The triumph of the Filipino spirit springs from the numerous hardships that have made us numb until eventually, all that is left of us is the firm belief that we can make it. This is one of the most notable characteristics of Filipinos — resilience. Resilience has characteristics comparable to a rubber band. It's about how far we can stretch and then bounce back when life pulls on us. It is how we prevail in difficult times.

 

According to the World Risk Index 2022, the Philippines is the number one spot for the most-disaster-prone country in the world. The WRI report gave the country an index score of 46.86, the highest among the top ten most-disaster-prone countries worldwide because of high risk, exposure, and vulnerability (Dela Pena, 2023).  The Filipinos proved their resilience after Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as "Yolanda", struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013, in what was reportedly the country’s worst-ever natural disaster. More than 8,000 people lost their lives and over 14 million inhabitants, including 5.9 million workers, were affected in some way by the storm. On the islands of Cebu, Coron, Leyte, Samar, and Panay, the economic losses were particularly severe.  A year after the storm, the Philippines is building back better, greener, and stronger than ever. On the island of Leyte, coconut trees that were a main source of income were destroyed. Replacement groves were planted, but it takes from five to seven years before new trees bear fruit. So the ILO worked with local farmers to lease the groves from the coconut tree owners to grow fruits and vegetables using “sloping agricultural land” or SALT technology. The profits of the harvest are shared with the owners who get a quarter of the earnings.

 

After the typhoon, ILO programs not only created thousands of jobs but also tried to make them safe and decent.  Near San Isidro, on the Philippine island of Leyte, workers repaired a road that will connect farmers to markets and allow children to go to school in one of the remotest parts of the island. Besides paying a guaranteed minimum wage, the program has given workers access to social security benefits and ensured their safety and health at work on all the ILO projects dedicated to rebuilding after Haiyan. The workers also benefit from strict safety rules at work. At all the work sites, workers have been given safety training as well as workplace safety equipment including gloves, masks, and protective clothing.

 

ILO programs in the Philippines also focused on poor and displaced people, especially in indigenous communities. Most people associate Haiyan with the destruction of Tacloban City. The town bore the brunt of the super typhoon. But Haiyan also devastated more remote places like the island of Coron. The storm also destroyed the local water sources and sanitation system, an immediate and serious health threat. The ILO programs conducted a project to teach 60 fishermen and 30 support workers to build biogas digester septic tanks connected to household communal toilets, rainwater harvesting tanks with hand washing facilities, and bio-sand filters to produce safe household water.

 

Filipino persistence means flexibility; we Filipinos can easily adjust to whatever situation we find ourselves in; after all, flexibility is the best attribute of resilience. We are accustomed to experiencing adversity in any form or circumstance, so it is easy for us to encounter it. Another outstanding characteristic of resilience is acceptance; we can easily accept whatever our situation is because we can do nothing about it; additionally, having the hope that everything will be in place or in order someday is our constant outlook in life. Our confidence arose from the idea of easily accepting our fate. We never lose hope that one day we will be able to overcome all of the obstacles that we face today so that when we look back, it will just be a nightmare that we can talk about and learn from. This could be the reason why many Filipinos are confident in doing things, especially when it comes to making big decisions that affect his or her own or the family's future.

 

The Filipino spirit is an unbreakable spirit, a spirit of acceptance, a spirit of patience, a spirit of flexibility, a spirit of resilience, and, above all, a spirit of triumph. It is in our nature not to give up, to exhaust all means before submitting to a final fate or destiny, to be confident and believe that all things will come to pass and that everything will fall into its proper place someday.

 

References

1.  Aspiring Youths, essay on resilience (2023)

2. Research publish, RESILIENCE AMIDST ADVERSITY: THE MANY FACES OF RESILIENCE IN FILIPINOS (2020)

3. UNDRR, Prevention Web, Vulnerable Philippines – working towards climate adaptation (2023)

4. International Labour Organization, After Haiyan - The Philippines builds back…

5. Climate, Disaster and Development Journal, Transportation Resilience in the Global South: A Post-Haiyan Investigation in Tacloban, Philippines (2018)