Tacloban is a very interesting city.

It is one of the top cities in the Philippines based

on its income and other economical factors. While its location is not geographically ideal,
it has somehow managed to withstand strong typhoons and other natural calamities. It is
very puzzling on why it manages to rebuild itself within a short timespan.

I interviewed my grandmother on how Tacloban had been back in the year 1956
when she settled in the city. She told me that when she first relocated to Tacloban from
Manila, there were only a few jeepneys, and pedicabs were still very popular back then
with very scarce to none when in comes to the number of private vehicles. Electricity and
water supply were also a problem at that time, as there were only certain times of the day
when there would be water flow which forces them to store water for use during the rest
of the day. Electric supply was also on and off as it was not very stable yet.
Communication was hard, as they have to pass through a switchboard operator before
they could reach the person theyre calling. The population was around 90,000 back then
and the houses were mostly made of wood. The development of facilities was missing, as
there was only one hospital, around three schools and few government buildings. They
also used pebbles over the ground to make roadways as roads were not cemented nor
asphalted.

In a 60-year time, the city of Tacloban has developed so much. Tall, cemented
buildings are everywhere with cars on both sides of the street. Electricity and water
supply improved together with the accessibility of communication. There are now
numerous schools and hospitals. In addition, government facilities also increased in

number dramatically. Roads and highways were also modernly made with the use of
cement. The population also tripled in size. The businesses in the city are booming and
more private establishments are entering the competition. But as to these developments,
the ironic thing is that the number of people below the poverty line also increased as the
society progressed as what Ive been made known from my interview.

As an addition to Yolanda, as I was there myself, she also told me the history of
typhoons in the area even before the time she settled in. There were also destructive
typhoons back in the 1890s and 1910s, which is comparable to Typhoon Haiyan.
Flooding also occurred and one main reason of which is the elevation of Tacloban. Along
the coastal areas, it was said to be under sea level while having parts of Tacloban being a
few meters above sea level.

When the 20th century Tacloban is compared to the 21st century highly urbanized
Tacloban, she told me that I am lucky to be living in a society far different from what it
was back then. Everything from transportation to food to leisure are now convenient and
easily accessible nowadays. It was a definite yes for her when asked if the current
situation of Tacloban is better than the past. A factor to consider on the development of
the city is it being the gateway to the province of Leyte. Due to the construction of San
Juanico Bridge, everything became more efficient thus hastening the growth of the capital
of Region VIII.

In the next 10-15 years, I strongly believe that Tacloban will still exist. This is
because the competition there is strong and it is an economic and industrialized city. A
very good supportive phenomenon that proves Tacloban as a place for trade is Typhoon
Haiyan. Despite the destruction brought by the typhoon, Tacloban is still swarmed by
businessmen, residents and professionals. It only proves more that the level of
competition in Tacloban is fairly high. Although the economy of the city as a whole may
be improving, but since the level of competition is also rising, those people who are not
competitive enough will be left behind on the social ladder which could be a reason why
the poverty rate of Tacloban increased as the level of development increased as what I
have mentioned earlier. What I am more afraid of are the effects of global warming on the
increase of sea level. The city of Tacloban is located near the coastlines and for a fact, the
coastlines of Tacloban are mostly under sea level, and with only a few areas in the city
being a couple of meters above sea level. I personally think this will be the main reason if
Tacloban were to fall in its current civilization. In addition, stronger and more frequent
typhoons may also contribute to the demise of this community.

Submitted By: Ricsoon Lester Radam 2BMT