(General Luna) With its sandy beaches and hills lined with coconut palms, Siargao, a popular destination for surfers around the world, had hopes of a prosperous Christmas season after anti-COVID-19 restrictions were eased. Before Typhoon Rai ravaged this Philippine island.
“In the aftermath of the storm, we went out and said to each other ‘wow, that’s it Siargao now, it’s nothing more'”, blows to AFP Claudine Mendoza, 27, employee of a great beach front hotel.
The strongest storm to hit the archipelago this year has ravaged this tropical paradise known for its big waves and relaxed atmosphere.
The cyclone, accompanied by winds of up to 195 km / h, made landfall Thursday in the central Philippines, blowing up roofs, tearing utility poles, uprooting trees and depriving entire cities of electricity.
This destruction made Siargao unrecognizable, voted best island in Asia in 2021 by the magazine’s readers. Conde Nast Traveler.
“Even Cloud Nine is no more”, laments Mme Mendoza, referring to the surf beach where a wooden boardwalk – place of selfies popular with tourists – was swept away by the typhoon.
For tourism operators, Rai is a big blow. This storm hit a week before the Christmas holidays, when many Filipino families usually head to the country’s beaches and dive sites.
Restrictions to fight the COVID-19 pandemic for almost two years have seen the number of visitors to the island plummet, leaving many resorts, cafes, souvenir shops and tour guides to fight for their survival.
But domestic tourism had started to pick up in recent months after local restrictions eased to revive economic activity, even though borders remain closed to foreign visitors.
“Everyone was so happy, the island was alive again”, remembers Mr.me Mendoza. “Then suddenly the storm came.”
Now, owners have to start from scratch, shoulder costly repairs and face the uncertain futures of their employees. Some even wonder if it’s worth starting over.
“This typhoon is much worse for us than the pandemic – the pandemic did not cause structural damage,” says Anton Alvarez, owner of a hotel complex.
“We think we have the capacity to rebuild, but it is useless to rebuild if we are the only ones – all Siargao must rebuild itself,” he continues.
Taken by surprise
Without electricity, the island also lacks a telecommunications network and the Internet, hampering rescue efforts to assess the extent of the loss of life and destruction caused by the storm.
At least 375 people have been killed in the southern and central Philippines, police say, including 167 in the region including Siargao.
Farmers and fishermen have also seen their livelihoods destroyed and thousands of families have been left homeless.
Elka Requinta, 36, marketing coordinator at Siargao, says the force of the typhoon took everyone by surprise.
“We didn’t expect him to be so violent,” she said. “Some (residents) were affected because I believe that no evacuation order has been issued by the government.”
It could take months for power to be fully restored to the island. For traders, it is therefore difficult to talk about the future to their partners and investors.
Mr. Alvarez, “rather optimistic”, expects a reopening of his hotel within twelve months.
Different bell sound on M sideme Mendoza, who worriedly asks: “What will happen now?” We do not know “.