“Despite everything we lost, my hope never faded”

Living alone in the uplands of Calayan Island in the Philippines, Edgardo has built a quiet, self-sufficient life. He grows vegetables and bananas to feed himself, selling the excess to cover his needs. Reaching the barangay road from his home requires half a day of walking, but he takes it in stride.

Edgardo had no idea what disaster was coming on that fateful day, 22 September 2025. It had been raining for days, but that was nothing unusual during the monsoon season. He was completely taken by surprise when violent winds suddenly picked up.

“When the rain and wind became stronger, I evacuated to my neighbor’s house because it was sturdier,” he recalls. “When I came back the following day, my home was gone - along with my bananas and all my vegetables.”

Worse, fallen trees and deep mud cut off the path downhill, leaving Edgardo unable to seek help from his relatives. He was left without a home and without food for a few days.

The bayanihan spirit

Edgardo found support among his neighbors, who, despite being affected and grieving their own losses, willingly came to his aid. 

“For two weeks, we shared whatever food we could gather,” Edgardo says. “We may have lost our homes and livelihoods, but we did not stop helping one another. Despite everything we lost, my hope never faded because of the bayanihan spirit.”

The Bayanihan spirit is a Filipino concept that revolves around cooperation, solidarity, and helping each other without expecting anything in return.

Hope and courage

Edgardo grew teary-eyed as he spoke about the support he received from Humanity & Inclusion (HI) I, which gave him the chance to rebuild his home. 

“Despite what happened, I am grateful for all the help that came,” he says. “The amount I received will be very useful in rebuilding my home. Rebuilding will take a lot of energy and hard work, but I am thankful that I now have something to start with.” He pauses, then adds quietly, “It may seem like a small amount, but for someone with no savings and no livelihood left, it brings hope and the courage to move forward.”

The assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Ragasa was funded by the Start Network, a global partnership between 134 international, national and local NGOs. Through their Start Ready project, funding is collected in advance for humanitarian aid interventions in the event of recurring disasters, such as the typhoons in the Philippines. This enables HI to respond more quickly and collaborate more effectively with other NGOs after a disaster.