A BUNBURY man has praised the indomitable spirit of the Filipino community in the wake of the worst storm on earth this year.
When local engineer Dirk van Noort headed for a resort island in the Philippines for a few days’ relaxation, he did not expect to encounter super typhoon Haiyan.
Mr van Noort arrived at Boracay, about an hour’s flight south of Manila, last Wednesday.
He found himself only 50 kilometres north of the vicious storm which hit the Philippines on Friday.
The 600 kilometre wide typhoon slammed into the Philippines’ central islands, forcing millions of people to move to safer ground and storm shelters, cutting power and phone lines, and grounding air and sea transport.
The maximum category-five super typhoon, with destructive winds gusting at up to 315 kilometres per hour, left more than 10,000 people dead.
It knocked out power in one entire province and cut communications in the country's central region of island provinces.
Mr van Noort said the hours leading up to the typhoon were deceptively calm but by 2pm on Friday the storm had “made its presence well and truly known.”
“The noise of the wind was like a jet engine hovering directly overhead – trees and building debris were falling everywhere,” he said.
“I remembered the storm that damaged Bunbury's Cathedral several years ago, but that had nothing to compare with what I was seeing right now.”
Mr Van Noort said the strong winds continued into the night and resulting blackouts reduced the normally busy tourist centre to a virtual ghost town.
Mr van Noort said Boracay did not suffer the ocean surges and mud slides that killed so many in other parts of the Philippines, but many tourists were left stranded with nothing to do but wait it out.
But he was amazed by the spirit of the Filipino people in the midst of disaster.
“Talk to them about the loss of their home and they will simply tell you that they are immune to the hardship now, smile and even give you a thumbs up for the photo,” he said.
The federal government announced yesterday that Australia will deploy a 36-member medical team to the Philippines to give medical support following the devastation.
The weakened typhoon made landfall in Vietnam on Monday before it moved over the South China Sea.
Assistance to the survivors of this disaster can be made via Philippine Red Cross at redcross.org.ph/donate
