MANILA – Some people in Palawan have been dealing with anxiety after Typhoon Odette cut communication lines in the province, a priest there said Thursday.

• Ilang bahagi ng Palawan matinding sinalanta ng bagyong Odette
• Komunikasyon pahirapan pa rin sa mga taga-Palawan dahil matapos ang Odette
• Typhoon-devastated Palawan seeks aid

Fr. Eugene Elivera, spokesperson for the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, was the only person in the area who had access to lines of communication via data on his mobile phone.

“I was like thrown into the spotlight of providing news updates and information about our place, because I am a priest assigned in a far-flung barrio in the city. And to my surprise, I had the only one line of communication,” he said.

“And so loved ones, families, relatives and people that I do not know of would already send me messages as regards our situation. And of course, I also have to cater to, you know, their worries at the same time, [and] visit their families.”

Once roads became passable, Elivera said he tried to drive to reach more of his parishioners.

Asked what he saw, the priest said, “Well because it had been three to four days that they have not heard of their families, of course (they had) anxieties, worries also.”

Elivera said communication in the province seems to have improved starting Wednesday.

“Yesterday, we have started already connecting to other loved ones and to other people because for four days or so, our place, especially here in Puerto Princesa, had been in isolation or had been left out because of the typhoon Odette.”

He stressed, however, that Palaweños still need all the help they can get to rebuild their lives.

“On behalf of my bishop, we are really appealing for help, for us…here in Palawan,” he said.

“What do we need? We need food, we need water, we need construction materials, and because here in my parish a lot of people are into fishing, majority of motorboats or bancas are also destroyed.”

“So please, we beg for help,” he said.

--ANC, 23 December 2021