- Title: PHILIPPINES: Businesses re-open in typhoon-hit Tacloban
- Date: 27th November 2013
- Summary: TACLOBAN CITY, PHILIPPINES (NOVEMBER 27, 2013) (REUTERS) BAKERY STAFF SELLING BREAD PEOPLE QUEUING BREAD ROLLS MAN PAYING PEOPLE EATING IN RESTAURANT COUPLE EATING RESTAURANT STAFF CHECKING FOOD IN ALUMINUM CONTAINERS RESTAURANT OWNER EDWIN MANAS WITH FAMILY (SOUNDBITE) (English) OWNER OF STEPHANIE'S SMOKE HAUS, EDWIN MANAS, SAYING: "First of all, the difficulties opening a business, number one is the supply. And number two is the personnel, and also the electricity." PEOPLE LINED UP AT GOVERNMENT FOOD CARAVAN MAN WITH LOUDSPEAKER GIVING INSTRUCTIONS STAFF CHECKING DRY GOODS KETCHUP AND CHOCOLATE POWDERED DRINK IN A PLASTIC BAG RETIRED TEACHER IN QUEUE COMPLAINING TO STAFF WOMEN IN QUEUE RETIRED TEACHER IN QUEUE (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) RETIRED TEACHER WHO REFUSED TO GIVE NAME, SAYING: "When it comes to food, I repeat, it should be given to those who are in need. What's happening is that, there is hoarding on the part of the town officials." VENDORS AT MARKET CROWDED MARKET STREET FISH ON THE TABLE WOMEN BUYING FISH BANANA VENDOR BANANAS DRY GOODS SELLER THELMA BERRY AT HER SPACE ALONG ROAD MAN PUSHING CART (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) DRY GOODS SELLER AT MARKET, THELMA BERRY, SAYING: "It's difficult for us to recover. It's difficult. We have to start from scratch." VEGETABLE SELLER VEGETABLES DISPLAYED ON GROUND MAN SELLING PORK PORK BEING WEIGHED
- Embargoed: 12th December 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Philippines
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA9JDV3I5KVVDF2WFRXKEU2GI4K
- Story Text: It may take years before the Philippine coastal city of Tacloban can return to normal life after Typhoon Haiyan levelled the city.
Nearly all businesses are still shut, with electricity lines down and many streets yet to be cleared of debris. But some enterprises are defying the logistical challenges, and slowly getting back on their feet.
A bakery in downtown has reopened, selling freshly baked bread.
A few blocks away, Stephanie Smoke Haus, powered by a generator, is serving hot meals. Its owner, Edwin Manas, said initially he had to buy meat and rice from Cebu province, across the sea from Leyte island.
He also had to scour the ruins of Tacloban to find his employees and help them get back to work.
"First of all, the difficulties opening a business, number one is the supply. And number two is the personnel, and also the electricity," Manas said.
With much of the city's population displaced by the typhoon, Stephanie Smoke Haus is catering to aid workers for now, to keep its revenues flowing.
Menu options are scarce, with food supplies still low.
A caravan from Cebu offers dry goods at discounted prices to Tacloban residents, many of whom are still relying on aid for their daily provisions.
Some residents have complained that aid distribution has become dependent on town officials, who are prioritising residents who voted for them in the last elections.
A retired teacher said she was not given a ticket to receive relief goods, so instead had to turn to the caravan to buy some supplies.
"When it comes to food, I repeat, it should be given to those who are in need. What's happening is that, there is hoarding on the part of the town officials," the retiree said.
The wet market has re-opened too, but is only selling fish, meat and vegetables in small quantities. The main building collapsed and debris is still scattered around stalls.
"It's difficult for us to recover. It's difficult. We have to start from scratch," said dry goods seller Thelma Berry.
Vast swathes of the central Philippines were devastated on November 8th by typhoon Haiyan, one of the world's biggest storms to make landfall. More than 5,200 people were killed and millions left homeless.
The U.N. humanitarian office has been raising $348 million to sustain emergency relief and plan long-term reconstruction of island and coastal communities.
A national disaster agency official said it would take two to five years to complete the rehabilitation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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