Seven years after hitting rock bottom in 2013, Tacloban City is now repaying an act of kindness and gratitude with P15 million worth of cash and in-kind donations for the families affected by super typhoon Rolly in Bicol.
More than 2,000 cyclists pedaled for the Yolanda Commemorative Ride on Sunday morning and successfully generated the assistance to be turned over this week to the affected residents of the storm-battered Bicol, House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said.
Romualdez, his wife Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez organized the fund-raising event in partnership with government agencies led by the Office of Civil Defense, Tacloban SK Federation, Region 8 Bicycle Advocacy Community, various individuals, groups, private organizations, and advocacy groups
The Romualdez couple thanked the participants and donors for making the fund-raising event a success during yesterday’s commemoration of Yolanda’s seventh anniversary.
“Waraynons find joy in helping others and today is another celebration of kindness, gratitude and the resiliency of Filipinos. We want to share our blessings and to pay it forward to our fellow Filipinos. We know exactly what the evacuees in Bicol are going through now,” the majority leader said.
“Despite the numerous challenges we face in our everyday lives, we always remain resilient to stay in the game. We do not allow difficulties to break us, that is the key behind our recovery,” he said.
“We have faced and survived one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded in history. We have risen from this devastating experience and we have shown to the rest of the world what we are capable of recovering because of our resiliency. Let us continue in our journey toward building back a better and more resilient community. Let’s continue to bring hope as we face this pandemic because this day reminds us that better days will come, as they have before,” he added.
The party-list lawmaker credited the unity shown by the people behind Tacloban City and Region VIII’s immediate recovery from the devastation caused by Yolanda.
“It is through our solidarity as a region and as a community that we are able to look back into this day with strength and hope. Together we rise as people with resilience and fortitude that we have gained from this experience,” she said.
The memorial bike ride with a theme SIKAD: Urusa nga Pagpitad para ha Pag-uswag (Sama-samang Paghakbang para sa Pag-unlad) was held on Nov. 8, 5 a.m. at the Tacloban Astrodome.
The event also commemorated the fallen Waraynons who lost their lives to the most powerful typhoon ever recorded in recent human history to make landfall.