SAMAR
LOVING
Nayna Katigbak travels to one of the hardest-hit stretches
along the storm-battered eastern corridor of the country
and finds signs of a bright future
L
ying on the spine of the Philippines,
on the country’s eastern side,
the province of Samar faces the
mighty Pacific Ocean. Like the two
other main landmasses in the area
—Leyte and Biliran — Samar is no stranger
to typhoons. An average of 10 tropical storms
barrel through this region in a typical year,
but 2013’s Typhoon Haiyan, the biggest such
storm on record, was especially brutal. It
flattened nearly everything in its path, claimed
thousands of lives and destroyed entire
communities and livelihoods.
A little over a year on, on a quick tour of
Western Samar, I find that hope springs eternal
throughout the province. Cottage industries
are slowly regaining their footing, the charms
of secluded beaches and weather-sculpted
landscapes are beginning to create more buzz
and the products of jealously guarded family
recipes are once again inciting the intrepid to
make the long trek to Catbalogan.
63
Fantastic treks
PHOTOS BY
RENJIE TOLENTINO
