Visit by Earl Roemer to Tacloban Dec 29, 2013

Tacloban, Philippines Rebuilding Update....

January 20, 2014

In this report we'd like to give you an overview and summary of the work done so far in the devastaed Tacloban area. This report consisting mostly of photos shows the devalstation in Tacloban on Leyte and the scope of work we have to rebuild at least six homes and do repairs on others.

As of this moment $55,000 has been sent from LifeNets and Good Works for the rebuilding. We thank Earl Roemer, Richard Macaraeg and Roy Gilos for supplying us many photos of the damaage assessment. I'm certain there were others that gave photos to them tha came to us.

Earl Roemer, Senior Pastor for the Philippines visited on site in late December and January and just returned home a few days ago.

The best way for me to piece together a report is to give extended captions for the photos sent to us.

Earl Roemer has sent photos and reports from his personal visit to the damaged areas in Tacloban. Her writes:

We thank all our LifeNets donors who have generously provided for the rebuilding process. We want to share the unfolding story with you.

Here's an 8 1/2 minute video Roy Gilos produced. We began the "rebuild effort" with the Misagals. Mr. Misagal senior is a very accomplished builder and agreed to be the job boss for our rebuild across Leyte.

We are hiring 2 more full crews to speed up the process. Our 4 man crew built the Misagal's house in 15 days.

We are budgeted to spend $35,000 on the next 5 houses and some equipment--i.e. a motorcycle for Nic Leria--his side car is doable, but the cycle itself is a total loss as far as getting it up and running and dependable to make him a living. We will need more after the rebuild to "furnish" the homes. But we will still come in way under what has been donated.

Here is video that tells the story of the first home rebuilt....

This picture is taken from in front of the Campos home. The multi story structure in the background was evacuated by the owners. The owners have since asked the Campos family to care take the building. In the building are living quarters and a very large room. The large room is to become the congregation meeting hall!

Roy Gilos and the construction truck.

Mr. Villacote showing how high the storm surge was at his property. All around this whole section of Tacloban the water was approximately THREE TIMES DEEPER!

We will be doing a restoration and clean-up here at the Villacote's home. The roof will have to be replaced as well.

Some of the Misagal Family in front of their newly constructed house....funds donated by LifeNets and GoodWorks programs! The Misagals are VERY appreciative and happy!

The debris blocking the alley way is the remains of the Leria's house

The street where the Leria's live...so much is destroyed including their home.

The blue tarp covers the lower story of the Campos home. The second story was destroyed by the horrendous winds. On the right is a "refugee tent" that the Campos have lived in from time to time the last 7 wks.

The new meeting hall for the MacArthur congregation. Chairs will be bought in Cebu this coming Sunday and shipped back to Leyte on the ferry.

Petting his watch dog. (The Villacotes are temporarily living on the Southwest side of Leyte Island in their ancestral home.

Pointing to the water line inside the house. Clean up and refurbish work is set to begin within a couple weeks.

Roy Gilos on the left is the "general contractor" for the disaster relief rebuild project on Leyte. He is on "field leave" from his regular duties at the UCG Philippine National Office

"Taxicle" rendered completely useless by the storm surge. Nic and Ian "rode out" the storm here....most of the time swimming and holding on to floating items. The females of the family were in an evacuation center.

This will be the rebuild site for the Leria family home. It will be built on pilings to put it above the "flood level". Nic and son Ian "rode out" the typhoon here--with waters up to 10 feet deep....with dead bodies swirling around them. They had to swim and float for a few hours before the storm abated.

Our disaster relief rebuilding is planning on starting immediately to build a concrete/rebar house on this site.

MORE pictures harvested from Earl Roemer's Facebook page....

We did a 12 hour tour of the Island surveying the damage and also our rebuild effort sites. I've never been in a war zone--but I have been involved in other disaster site surveys back in the early 1970s with Civil Defense. These scenes are the most horrendous disaster scenes I have ever witnessed!

This the makeshift house of Harold Dating and his wife and child after the typhoon destroyed everything they had.

Mindanao

Manila Church in Quezon City

A few of the members of the Taboud/Isabel, Leyte congregation.

The Merino siblings (lady in the dark blouse and man in gold shirt) are donating a small lot for UCG/LifeNets to build a home for Stella (center of picture). Stella lost everything in the typhoon. She and her grandson will soon have a home to move into.

Felix and Deodora De Paz (and Roy with his back to the camera) at the site of what's left of their home. We will be rebuilding for them at a different site.