my friend Scott is from America but the philippines has been his home for the past 13 years. he feels for the philippines like how i feel for japan. so right after the typhoon disaster, he went directly to help the people in need. he knows the philippines better than most filipinos because he’s been in every reef, on every island, and in every bay searching for surf for the past 13 years. so he knew exactly where needed help and what needed to be done. check out this email he just sent me yesterday. very sad to hear the devastation, but very happy to hear my friend making a difference. i’m so proud of you Scott! keep on going!
Hey Kirby,
On this end we just finished yesterday delivering 8 tons of donated food, medicine, used clothes, building materials and supplies by boat to 900 families in rural island communities of Northern Busuanga that were badly damaged by the typhoon. It’s been 2 weeks since the storm and we were the first relief effort to reach these places. Few casualties but over 80% of homes destroyed in some places and people are still traumatized. Beside their houses they lost their small fishing boats, livestock, and farms.
On the windward areas seawater flooded in destroying soil in low lying areas for growing things, all the trees are bare or snapped like matchsticks, the high winds literally sandblasted away top soil, plants and organic ground cover. Two weeks after the storm and instead of lush green moist jungle most of the islands you find bare hard dirt and tree stumps baking in the tropical sun.
The shallow water coral reefs with any East or North exposure in less than 10 meters haven’t fared much better. What was a luscious multicolored salad of soft and delicate branching corals with complex biodiversity looks like an underwater dry streambed of old dead coral bedrock and boulders. Most fan corals are flipped over, huge rubble fields in the shallows and algae opportunistically already setting in.
I am cut up and Sunburn from 5 days of driving boats and hand carrying relief goods etc. Taking a rest this morning but headed out to check some of the areas inside Maricaban bay this afternoon. I have my speedboat down here now so getting around is much easier.
Two days ago I went freediving on a favourite reef here in Northern Busuanga that was pounded by big surf, a 3 meter tidal surge and winds gusting to 200mph. It was a complete disaster in less than 5m depths and 50%+ damage on the reefs from 5m-15m. Rubble fields are piled up in the shallows and all types of fish are noticeably absent without a coral reef habitat. Haven’t seen the dugongs that normally inhabit this area either. Club Paradise resort and others have lost their house reefs that were popular with guests.
The Visayas are getting tens of millions of immediate aid and the people are finally getting enough food water and basic services. In Coron the corruption is unbelievable. Donations are being hoarded and sold instead of given away. Perishable donations are sitting in warehouses and rotting because of politics. The chain saw ban has been lifted for three months and now every ancient big tree fallen or standing is being cut down by opportunists to make money .
Going to check soem other reefs now to see how they survived the storm. I fear its going to be more of the same.
-Scott
