Tacloban City sets up ‘Yolanda’ mini memorial

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 6 (PNA) -- Jocelyn Curbillo of Fatima village this city lighted candles and offered prayers at the Yolanda mini memorial after the special mass at a nearby junction.

She said lighting candles was in memory of her best friend Grace Dacatimbang and the other people who perished during super typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda), the strongest storm that hit land on Nov. 8, 2013.

The mini-memorial was put up by One Tacloban, a group of media organizations from Tacloban City spearheaded by Jeff Manibay of Cat8 Network.

There are more than 7,000 miniature white crosses at the memorial that represent those who died and missing during the storm.

It is open to the public from 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. to ensure pedestrian safety and avoid traffic congestion from Oct. 31 to Nov. 9, 2016.

According to Manibay, the memorial was put up for people to have easy access and alternative space to offer prayers and pay respect to those who died during the typhoon.

For the commemoration on Tuesday, Manibay shared that a Yolanda Lighting Memorial, a candlelight lighting and vigil that spans 24-kilometers from Tolosa, Leyte to Tacloban City will be held.

Now on its second year, the vigil honors those who died during the catastrophe and for the humanitarian organizations and workers who were unselfish in their emergency relief efforts until the recovery and rehabilitation phases that truly give meaning the love for humanity.

“Three years after, the city of Tacloban is beaming with life, better than before, resilient, strong and capable of rising from the rubbles,” Manibay said

One Tacloban, in cooperation with the office of Leyte 1st district Rep. Yeddah Marie Romualdez also announced the wreath-laying at the Monching Noblejas Junction at Rimas Colon along Magsaysay blvd. to honor the media men who died while on duty during the typhoon.

The One Tacloban members include the Leyte Samar Daily Express, PRTV 12 and Kaugop Radio, DYVL, Radio ng Bayan, Magic FM, iFM and Thunder FM. (PNA)
BNB/SQM/VICKY ARNAIZ/EGR