The future is not curved in stone
It is not found in the present
More so not in the past
Nor is it in the future
For futures are yet to be
Futures follow a pattern set forth by the Universe
It is found within the heart
— George Aguilar
Haiyan originated from an area of low pressure several hundred kilometres east-southeast of Micronesia on 2 November 2013. Tracking towards the Philippine Islands, climate conditions favoured tropical cyclogenesis and the system developed into a tropical storm the following day. By 6 November, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assessed the system as a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Haiyan (also known as Typhoon Yolanda) was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded.
The typhoon warnings had been going on for days. But the people of Bacolod City seemed to be doing their business as usual although the day was far from normal. Schools and offices were closed, the shelves at grocery stores were empty. Yet, people were still on the streets and in market stalls doing their thing quietly with forced smiles. This is highly unlikely of my people who have been known to be rather noisy and happy even in the worst of times. Upon making landfall Yolanda devastated portions of central Philippines. It was the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, killing at least 6,300 people. In January 2014, bodies were still being found. Nobody here expected Yolanda to hit that hard and that fast. Even the government was caught unprepared.
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