Haiyan by Philippe Lopez
Haiyan by Philippe Lopez
This blog has well more than 1,000 words.
Background information on the photo and photographer here: Rappler
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The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Fabulous picture and after reading parts of the the blog, I can definitely agree with the reasons for awarding this photo. On the darker side, it also represents an aspect of our culture that I find disturbing. While we are a religious culture, we are not a spiritual one. We spend a lot of time praying, celebrating and declaring God’s Love in our churches, yet, acts of compassion seem to appear below our dignity and are too few and far apart.
Very nice extraction of meaning. Indeed, the photo presents those wonderful Filipino complexities. The strength, the irrationality, the burdens.
My first reaction to this photo was: Why are they just marching with statues? They should be rebuilding. Their houses will not miraculously rebuild itself.
Interesting “applied” readout, JM. I think the answers may be in part practical and in part emotional. The practical is that if you don’t own the land, have only enough money to barely eat, and your house is rubble, there is little to build with. That explains why so many in the area are living under scraps of tin, tarps, and the remains of their roof, used as the whole house. The emotional is that if you lost a husband or a daughter or someone dear, you seek your answers in the spiritual. Because the practical makes no sense whatsoever.
I based my conclusion only on what’s in the picture. There are hollow blocks in the background (something to build with), rubble, and people marching with statues (not doing what I think they should be doing). I didn’t assume the things you mentioned. Maybe my job is influencing how I perceive things. Anyway, that’s a view coming from a pragmatic, non-religious person like me.
I suspect you speak for many, JM. It is interesting to see the new “industries” springing up across the Visayan countryside. Selling coco lumber is probably number one. Dealing in used and rather wind-blown tin is another. Hacking broken houses apart for the hollow-blocks is a third. I think a lot of people are following your advice.