Foreign diplomats in Manila have joined the government in marking the 10th anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda, which left thousands of people dead and homeless.
Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman was in Tacloban, Leyte—the province hardly devastated by Yolanda—to meet President Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The Canadian embassy said Ottawa’s response to Yolanda’s aftermath “underscored its commitment to its partnership with the Philippines and its deep people-to-people ties.”
“Canada’s response included over 90 million Canadian dollars in relief and longer term recovery for the Visayas region, plus in-kind supplies and equipment [and]; the deployment of Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team,” it said.
US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson and Australian Ambassador HK Yu also commemorated the same event in their respective posts on X.
"Last year in Tacloban I saw how communities supported each other to rebuild their lives after typhoon Yolanda hit in 2013," Carlson said.
"Such inspirational stories! When disaster strikes, the US and the Philippines work together as #FriendsPartnersAllies to provide relief and assistance,” she added.
Meanwhile, Yu recalled: "On a recent trip to Leyte, I visited the #YolandaPH Memorial to remember and honor those who were lost to the super typhoon ten years ago."
"Today is also about remembering the extraordinary strength, determination and resilience of the Filipino people to rebuild," she added.
On Monday, France had already marked the 10th year of Yolanda. Its embassy in Manila said the resilience of the affected communities and their spirit of unity in the disaster's aftermath continue to inspire the French government
"France stands together in support of those affected by natural disasters in the Philippines and worldwide," the French embassy said.