Amid the ruins, a day for fathers

FROILAN Sabarre and two of his children in their shanty in Barangay 89, San Jose District in Tacloban City. JOEY GABIETA/INQUIRER VISAYAS

TACLOBAN CITY—They may not have the means to celebrate Father’s Day with a grand feast on the table. But having less won’t diminish the celebration of that day for the children of Froilan Sabarre Sr.

On Sunday, they would hear Mass to pray for Froilan’s health. “We love him,” said daughter, Cristina, 22.

Froilan lost his wife and a son at the height of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” on Nov. 8 last year.

Cristina said it appears her father has recovered from the pain. “Whenever we see him lonely, we try to talk to him,” she said.

Froilan’s wife, Amalia, 48, and son, Froilan Jr., 8, were among the more than 2,600 people who were killed at the height of Yolanda. Their bodies were buried in a mass grave at Holy Cross Cemetery here.

Froilan, 51, a fisherman, is stricken by guilt feelings for failing to save his wife and son but being able to save a neighbor’s son.

Futile preparation

Like many other families in the city, Froilan’s had tried to prepare for Yolanda. They left their home in Barangay 89, San Jose District, only 50 meters from shore, just before the monster storm struck.

They took shelter in a neighbor’s house, barely 20 meters from their own. But Yolanda would not spare what Froilan’s family thought was a safe place.

Storm surges swept him away from the rest of his family.

Francis, Froilan’s eldest son who had been working in Palo, Leyte, found Amalia’s body under a heap of debris in Barangay Manlurip, San Jose District, about a kilometer from their village.

Froilan found the body of Froilan Jr. near a village hall 60 meters from their home. It was a terrible sight. “His skull was broken and his brains exposed,” said Froilan.

“It was very excruciating,” he said.

Froilan found a vacant lot in his village to build a house on but there was nothing to build on for the pain. He took to drinking to drown his sorrow.

“During those times, I got a little crazy,” he said. “I blame myself,” he said. He added that he started blaming another son, Ralph, too.

Reason for surviving

Ralph took it in stride because he understood what his father was going through.

Soon, Froilan would snap out of depression, overcome by the need to look after his other children.

“God allowed me to survive,” he said. “I guess he has a reason. I have four other children to look after and I promise to take good care of them, at all cost, all the time,” he said.

Another son, Alvin, is in Grade 4 and Froilan also promised to put him through the tragedy.

“I will do everything I can to ensure that he will not only recover from the trauma but will also be given proper education,” said Froilan of Alvin.

Last week, Froilan gave Alvin a bicycle assembled from trash left behind by Yolanda and also some parts he bought.

Of his children, only Francis, who works as a janitor, is able to help Froilan make ends meet.

Froilan earns P200 each fishing trip, barely enough for his and his family’s needs.

Daughter Cristina was able to finish a three-month course on food and beverage services at  J.E. Mondejar School here but she has yet to find a job.

She said her father is able to put food on the table despite the difficulties and especially after the government stopped distributing food aid.

In the middle of debris that Yolanda left, Froilan said he and his children avoid talking about tragedy or “we would just end up crying.”

Froilan said he considered this episode in his life as “trial.” “Yolanda might have killed my wife and my son, and destroyed whatever material possessions we have but it also made us stronger as a family,” he said.