The last radio broadcast during Haiyan
BY LEONIZA O. MORALES
MANILA, Philippines –
“Nahuhulos
na kita!” (We are getting
drenched!)
These were the last
words heard on the airwaves before the furious winds and storm surge forced the
last radio station in Tacloban City to sign off.
Jazmin Bonifacio, a
broadcaster in Radyo Diwa uttered those words around 7am on November 8, 2013 as
Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) made its disastrous landfall in Leyte province.
She anchored the program which gave updates and safety reminders to the
listeners that day.
“People were relying
on us; it is our responsibility to provide information that could save their
lives,” Jazmin said on working even beyond her time slot was a call of duty.
Until the last minute,
even if the raging sea water reached the announcer’s booth and cut them off
air, she fulfilled that duty to the listening public.
Escaping
the deadly water
Everything happened
very fast. The water smashed the building. Jazmin along with the radio
station’s driver, guard, wives, and children of the technicians were almost
overtaken by the storm surge.
“Our strength was no
match to the flood’s fury," she recalled.
"I thought we
were all going to die as we have nowhere to go,” she added.
Yet by some miracle
and sheer determination, all of them were able to climb the radio station’s
rooftop. They all huddled together for what seemed to be an eternity, trembling
and hungry as they helplessly saw children, men, and women swept and swallowed
by the angry sea.
SECOND LIFE. During
the worst part of Haiyan’s landfall in Tacloban, Jazmin along with the staff,
crew, and their families climb to the radio station’s rooftop.
“It was a horrific
sight,” Jazmin said.
"They were crying
for help, but we can’t do anything," she recalled.
They were lucky to
have survived. Three broadcasters and one technician from other radio stations
were killed in the line of duty.
Biggest
disaster story
Desolation was all
over the entire region. Damaged houses, buildings, piles of debris, stench of
death, power supply, water system and communications lines down made the days
after the typhoon heartbreaking and unbearable.
It was both
frustrating and painful for journalists and broadcasters like Jazmin not being
able to report about what happened.
“It felt like being
mute, not being able to share to our listeners the faces of Haiyan’s enormous
destruction - how people are coping (with the disaster), their struggles and
needs so others can do something for them,"Jazmin shared.
She found a radio
station in Cebu where she gave reports on the situation in Leyte and Samar
provinces. But there were no indications if DYDW, popularly known as Radyo
Diwa, will again sign on air. The station's building and equipment, including
the transmitter, were all destroyed.
At some point, Jazmin
thought she would never be able to broadcast on air again. It was the most
distressing thought as she's aware how crucial the news are for the people who
are rising and restoring their lives back from the ruins of Haiyan.
Stronger
sense of purpose
“Hello, buhi ako. Ako
ni Jaz, kausa niyo ha Radyo Diwa. Adi na ako ha FM station."
(Hello, I’m alive.
This is Jaz, your companion in Radyo Diwa. I’m now in FM station.)
These were her first
words when she went on air last January 13, more than two months after Haiyan.
She was reported missing after the station went off the air as storm surge
forced her to flee from the announcer’s booth.
It was the first
broadcast of Radyo Abante, the newest radio station in Eastern Visayas region
launched by First Response Radio and Peace and Conflict Journalism Network
(PECOJON) to address the need to inform communities. The newly established
radio station also served as venue for broadcasters to get back to their
profession. They were also given training on humanitarian response and
accountability.
Jazmin and veteran
broadcaster Fred Padernos host a program that tackles issues and concerns of the
communities and various projects of non-government organizations. Listeners are
encouraged to air out their concerns on several projects using text messaging.
The radio program
makes Jazmin affirm her decision to leave a lucrative career and pursue her childhood
dream to be a broadcaster 18 years ago.
“I am now more than
happy to resume my work. Nothing is more fulfilling than helping the survivors
find their voice on the issues that affect their lives," she said.
Revisiting
the announcer’s booth
Jazmin first hesitated
to revisit the room where she nearly lost her life.
“I was afraid to go
inside before since the thought that I could have died here always entered my
mind. I realized I need to confront my fears now and the harrowing memories I
have in this place," she said.
Her ordeal was a brush
with death, but it made her more resolute to commit her profession to help
fellow Haiyan survivors rebuild their lives. – Rappler.com
Leoniza
O. Morales is Communications Officer of World Vision's
Haiyan Emergency Response based in Tacloban City.