Dispatches by Adrian Conoza

2 years ago, I wrote a piece here , where I depicted 2 different Christmases: one that was a joyous celebration, and one that was not that joyous. Days before Christmas that year, Typhoon Washi, or Sendong, struck Mindanao and parts of Visayas and Palawan. As long as I can remember, the pictures and videos showed a very tragic aftermath. One picture that I put there in the post set my mood down. I did wonder: how they'll spend Christmas when there's nothing left? When their love ones were carried away from them? This year, I felt the same again. History repeated itself, but now in a stronger level. Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda, is seen as the greatest storm yet. It brought damage in Visayas and parts of Minanao. It turned Tacloban and nearby places into "ghost towns", like that in The Walking Dead , or Cell . Seeing on the TV screen what was going on there pulled me in awe. I felt compassion. I was saddened suddenly. I wondered what can I do to help. And so I wrote the ...

I have three words for Haiyan, or Yolanda, which  deeply  struck the Philippines, actually Visayas: strong , short , but most of all saddening. For the first time I felt a heavy sadness and awe when I saw the pictures of destruction, the piles of debris, and the agony of people in Leyte and Samar on television. Really depressing.  After the typhoon, lots of help came, from both the local and international. Telethons are held. Concerts happen for the cause. Celebrities auction their things. Foreign aid, which amounts to billions, is given (we hope that they wouldn't go nowhere).  But how about me? , I thought last Sunday. Shouldn't I give something? Shouldn't I give to Red Cross or somewhere else? Shouldn't I donate? I lament the situation, but shouldn't I donate? Yet, unlike others, I don't get much money, though I admit I have savings.  Thankfully, last Wednesday our school called for donations.  But at that Sunday evening, the thought crowded my mind. Wh...