Losing your loved ones is never easy but witnessing them fighting for their lives right before your eyes is an entirely different kind of pain.
For Sanny, 42, he thought it was just another day of enduring the heavy rains—something he had grown used to since settling in Agoncillo, Batangas.
But the heavy rains brought by Super Typhoon Kristine (Trami) were unlike anything before, and Sanny and his family quickly realized this was no ordinary storm.
Sanny, who was outside their house evacuating their pigs, did not anticipate that there would be another, even stronger surge of floodwaters—one that would engulf their home and leave devastation in its wake.
"The first flood reached up to our knees, then up to the windows. Then came another massive flood, this time with soil and debris," he said.
Before he could make it back inside, the raging flood, now mixed with big rocks and tree logs from the mountains, swept through their house. Panic set in as he heard the desperate cries of his family trapped inside.
"If my nephew hadn't helped me, I might not be alive either. I was about to run to my wife, children, and my mother, but my nephew held onto me and never let go. When I saw my house being carried away by the flood, I just lay down on the ground—I couldn't do anything," he said.
BURIED IN MUD. Once a thriving farmland, this area in Brgy. Banyaga, Agoncillo, Batangas now lies covered in thick mud from the flash floods. What was once a housing community was completely devastated by Super Typhoon Kristine. Jet Ines/ Save the Children
For Sanny and most residents of Agoncillo, as well as other parts of Batangas devastated by Super Typhoon Kristine, it was their first time experiencing a flood of such magnitude.
“We just experienced that though, when the volcano erupted, it also flooded but it wasn't that big. So it's our first time to experience a flood like that. The flood was really big,” he explained.
Sanny is just one of the more than 7.9 million people—or two million Filipino families—affected across 17 of the country's 18 regions. Approximately 684,900 individuals have been displaced.
Now, Sanny lives with his four-year-old child—the sole survivor in his family, after Super Typhoon Kristine took the lives of his loved ones.
He shared that his child would not have survived either if they hadn’t stayed with a sibling, narrowly escaping the collapse of their home.
Despite the immense loss, Sanny draws strength from his child, knowing that they must move forward together. Each day is a struggle, but he remains determined to provide a sense of normalcy and security for the only family he has left.
"Now, while I try to make a living, I also take care of my child. Everything I do is for her. And somehow, I still dream of rebuilding our home," he said.
"My child used the cash assistance to buy groceries and some school supplies," he added, emphasizing how even the smallest support made a difference in rebuilding their lives.
For recipients like Sanny’s, the cash-for-food assistance not only provided immediate relief but also gave them a sense of dignity and control over their recovery. Being able to choose and purchase their own necessities meant they could prioritize what mattered most for their survival and well-being.
With the help of organizations like Save the Children, he hopes to slowly rebuild not just their home, but also their future. Though the pain of losing his loved ones lingers, he chooses to hold on to hope—one small step at a time.
“Thank you to Save the Children, in a way, I am now more ready to prepare to heal from what happened, it might be difficult, but at least, there is something I can give to my child now,” Sanny said.
Save the Children Philippines, alongside the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid's ACCESS consortium, remains committed to supporting families affected by disasters, ensuring that children—especially those in the most vulnerable situations—have access to adequate and nutritious food as they rebuild their lives.