The embassy of Spain, Instituto Cervantes, AECID, and UN-OCHA collaborate on an exhibit that sounds alarm bells on climate change
A photo exhibition opened this week at the Instituto Cervantes in Manila, showing the devastation and the response to Typhoon Odette after it ravaged 11 of the country’s 17 regions close to Christmas in 2021. Siargao, one of the country’s best surfing spots, whose inhabitants are known to lead an eco-friendly way of life, was flattened. Fifteen people died on the island alone, leaving families in a state of sadness and shock.
Yet rebuild, Filipinos must. Every single time. This, despite being a country that has one of the lowest carbon emissions per capita. UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez gave an assurance that efforts in the affected areas would continue “to ensure that progress made in the last six months is not rolled back.”
The exhibit shows photos of disaster response during various stages of relief operations. The photos, arranged like waves on the walls of the gallery, also seem to depict the ebb and flow of the world’s attention and the intensity of the response to a ravaged community’s needs.