by Robbie Pangilinan
Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez leads events in commemorating the fifth anniversary of super typhoon Yolanda that affected a total of 8,065,019 persons (1,686,098 families; 7,904 barangays and 409 municipalities), and left 6,300 dead, 1,061 missing, and 28,689 injured.
The lady mayor visited a mass grave site at the Holy Cross Memorial Garden as well as the Barangay Basper public cemetery in preparation for the fifth anniversary on November 8, which will be declared a city holiday by Malacañang.
President Rodrigo Duterte, former senator BongBong Marcos, and former representative of the 1st District of Leyte Martin Romualdez will grace the event on November 8. Taclobanons are expected to gather at the 120-square-meter Yolanda Shipwreck Memorial Park, release sky lanterns and light candles, and enjoy a concert at the Tacloban City Hall.
“To the volunteers, local and international NGOs, LGU officials, good public servants from the national government, and to everyone who has a good and helping heart, may you always have a strength and power to help the needy ones, now and in the future. To our friends and loved ones who left us during Yolanda, you will always be missed and remembered. You are our inspiration to continue moving on and live the most of our lives,” said Mayor Romualdez.
