TBK gives - What really happened in Puerto Princessa?

Jhoanna and TJ celebrate TJ's 21st Birthday at the Microtel in Puerto Princessa with the front desk assigned ate Nelin and ate Alma the very hospitable staff of Microtel

So you will have read in my previous Blog ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/11/my-last-christmas-in-gulf-2021.html) what the plan was for my anaks in Palawan. The thing I am learning fast as I transition to life in the Philippines, is that 

Nothing goes according to plan!

In my problem solving session on ILM we talk about potential problems ( be impressed Mr Johns) where at the start of a project you identify all the potential problems and put in place plans to mitigate those risks. 

Chester first alerted us to the potential problem at 2.28 am Dubai time ( 6.28 am in the Philippines on Friday 17 December with the weather map below and the message:

"Just heard Northern Palawan will be directly hit this noon. Ingat kayo :) keep safe and keep dry"

By then Kit had left his parents home in Barutaan in the north of Palawan for the normally 7 hour van journey south to Puerto Princessa. Grecil was about to leave from the south of Palawan for the normally 5 hour journey by van from Brooks point to Puerto Princessa. In Puerto Jhoanna and TJ were waiting for the other two and Chef Arnel and his team were preparing birthday cakes for TJ ( 21) and Kit (19). They had kindly agreed to set up a special table by the pool on 18 and 19 December and serve the selected lunches on 18 and 19 Dec , Dinner on 18th and breakfast on 19th. The reception team at the Microtel had arranged a suite ( 103) by the pool and opening on to the sea for Kit and Jhoanna and an adjoining room next door for 18 December. Everything had been costed and was ready to be charged to my credit card once Johanna arrived.

                       The Microtel before Typhoon Odette hit

Then TYPHOON ODETTE hit Palawan on the afternoon of 18 December. First heavy rain, then high winds, and then the trees started to fall, the communication lines came down, the electricity went and the bridges that surround Puerto were washed away, effectively cutting off the capital from the rest of Palawan. 

It was a week later on 21 December that communication between Puerto and the rest of the world was restored and my anaks mailed me to send their pictures and tell me :

         What really happened in Puerto Princessa that day

They say pictures tell a thousand words so let me share with you their pictures:

This is one of the main bridges into Puerto

Grecil sent me this and told me her story:

"I went to Puerto Dec. 18 from BP  bound to Puerto  at 2:00 pm then its already no cgnal so I was expecting that afternoon the cgnal was back but  nothing. So we don't have connection I decided to sleep there on my brohter boarding house then Dec. 19 I arrived from puerto to El Nido but it almost one hour from puerto we need to walk because of the broken bridges, the landslide and then the most scary moment tatay we  hang in to the rope with my baggage   to get down the cliff po we can't walk in the road because of landslide we walk 5 hrs before we get where the van is."

Kit got as far as Roxas before the road was blocked, stayed the night, and went back home on 19th when he realised he could not get to Puerto. He sent me this video showing the scenes of destruction he witnessed in the van on the way home. 

Both he and Grecil apologised profusely for messing up the arrangements and not making it to Puerto. Bless them. 

So what really happened in Puerto?

Well TJ and Jhoanna, having lost touch with the others, finally made it to the hotel on 19 December, a day late, and explained they only needed one room not two. The Microtel team were magnificent as usual and , as they had a generator and no customers, let the girls stay for two nights. Chef Arnell and the team at Senordamla ( the restaurant he runs at the Microtel) set up a special table by the pool and surprised TJ with a 21st Birthday cake! 

After all the trauma of the Typhoon TJ and Jhoanna had a wonderful time and below are their photos and videos of their special days together.

and just so Jhoanna did not fell left out and because TJ was bored....

I think you will agree that I have two ( well 5 in total) very talented Anaks. They shot the video on Jhoanna's Christmas present, a new phone ( her brother Making has her old one - likewise with Grecil and her little brother) and TJ did the editing on hers ( strange she has no time to edit my vlogs any more but time to edit hers!!!) 

The very sad news is this is what happened to TJ's house in New Canipo while they were enjoying themselves in Puerto....

When I saw their pictures and videos I realised how lucky I was to not have been given a visa to the Philippines and to have been able to spend my Christmas in Luxury in Dubai. However I have promised TJ, Jhoanna, Kit and Grecil that we will have a Christmas together next year that we will all remember for all the right reasons! For the third year running it will be at the Microtel, if they will have us.

My special thanks to the team there and Chef Arnel and his team at Senordamla , for lookin after TJ and Jhoanna so well, in spite of Typhoon Odette.

To you all, Maligayang Pasko