In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan destroyed Aiza Tonida’s house and that of her parents and left her struggling to find work. Ms Tonida joined thousands of others from the devastated region looking to work abroad and applied for office work in Qatar and the UAE.
![Aiza Tonida and husband Jericho Caga with their son Jaizen Jericho Caga at the site of their totally destroyed house in Barangay Salvador, Tanauan. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YWKUS2JUHQOC3YGAAGBO63MYM4.jpg?smart=true&auth=b3b5419addd4342f88866ca470131e1cbde163a1bd87be27f4bfc7d9ecd6b37f&width=400&height=225)
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3ZFQSVWJB5KAHFFMOWMPKGSGLI.jpg?smart=true&auth=e77a0bcfbfa50a689dd5cac23e62d985342193100805f857eecad942b0a2c24d&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida, carrying her two-year-old son, watches husband Jericho Caga picking up pieces of coco lumber. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/J54YHT76I2UIUVBUE3M3Y2HGLM.jpg?smart=true&auth=ef031281f39f9feca89510de608cf2058401f2e6f042cdc9cf3a4a32f2f7669b&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida beside her son Jaizen Jericho Caga, two, with husband Jericho Caga and her father Gualberto Tonido inside their temporary shelter. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RYL6MGL36KRII6QFOVPVT6KZ3M.jpg?smart=true&auth=dce536515843492ee72fe763464cc5fb5c246e41320b8cb019b7333394b7f6a9&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida used to work in this commercial building in Tacloban City. The company where Ms Tonida worked ceased operations after Typhoon Haiyan. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 10, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HF2PS5QYAX3AN53O7MIUQNEPFY.jpg?smart=true&auth=4fd40bb9e9725e5f088b6cad82e428b6b0e3cd36bb3c87848ed23d2c099d8fbc&width=400&height=225)
![The building where Aiza Tonida used to work in Tacloban City is now shuttered down and covered with graffiti. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 10, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OFVIUYHPRBFKMDIUVIF53H2GPU.jpg?smart=true&auth=db74d6e6b86bdff933556c3bf484127b086b5215514a71e217fab578cd7c816b&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida prepares lunch in a make-shift kitchen at their temporary shelter in Barangay Merin. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TLVQII3HLICGOCY5I4J6QFYV4Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=ce8ce058b96aafd2148dd147a1156efdf9a0b198dfdd48ebadad46e02df40448&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida sun-drying laundry, in the remains of her parent’s house, which was largely destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6H7UJS3RCQWEVKHRGTW6VZEPFY.jpg?smart=true&auth=fcaeba759a2adc0fb34b466480a1f9c069fab8bbda2815ee064042cf2a81f4f9&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida, right, with her parents Maxima and Gualberto Tonido standing at what remain of their house in Barangay Mering, Tabon-Tabon, Leyte. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/R6ATPXMKYSRK2VATHJH7ZM4PZI.jpg?smart=true&auth=2fecf5a050690412dc2364b27de8825cae08f777418aec4aaaf4bd9c80cc383c&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida watches over her two-year-old Jaizen Jericho Caga. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/H2NIN4YM6CK3Y44P66HDI5DIRQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=b77eff698c1916ce9b2c822b6ac8ad759932932ede5c0f2e69bd6d6b077078da&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida and husband Jericho Caga with their son Jaizen Jericho Caga at the site of their totally destroyed house in Barangay Salvador, Tanauan. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YWKUS2JUHQOC3YGAAGBO63MYM4.jpg?smart=true&auth=b3b5419addd4342f88866ca470131e1cbde163a1bd87be27f4bfc7d9ecd6b37f&width=400&height=225)
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3ZFQSVWJB5KAHFFMOWMPKGSGLI.jpg?smart=true&auth=e77a0bcfbfa50a689dd5cac23e62d985342193100805f857eecad942b0a2c24d&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida, carrying her two-year-old son, watches husband Jericho Caga picking up pieces of coco lumber. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/J54YHT76I2UIUVBUE3M3Y2HGLM.jpg?smart=true&auth=ef031281f39f9feca89510de608cf2058401f2e6f042cdc9cf3a4a32f2f7669b&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida beside her son Jaizen Jericho Caga, two, with husband Jericho Caga and her father Gualberto Tonido inside their temporary shelter. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RYL6MGL36KRII6QFOVPVT6KZ3M.jpg?smart=true&auth=dce536515843492ee72fe763464cc5fb5c246e41320b8cb019b7333394b7f6a9&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida used to work in this commercial building in Tacloban City. The company where Ms Tonida worked ceased operations after Typhoon Haiyan. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 10, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HF2PS5QYAX3AN53O7MIUQNEPFY.jpg?smart=true&auth=4fd40bb9e9725e5f088b6cad82e428b6b0e3cd36bb3c87848ed23d2c099d8fbc&width=400&height=225)
![The building where Aiza Tonida used to work in Tacloban City is now shuttered down and covered with graffiti. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 10, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OFVIUYHPRBFKMDIUVIF53H2GPU.jpg?smart=true&auth=db74d6e6b86bdff933556c3bf484127b086b5215514a71e217fab578cd7c816b&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida prepares lunch in a make-shift kitchen at their temporary shelter in Barangay Merin. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TLVQII3HLICGOCY5I4J6QFYV4Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=ce8ce058b96aafd2148dd147a1156efdf9a0b198dfdd48ebadad46e02df40448&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida sun-drying laundry, in the remains of her parent’s house, which was largely destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6H7UJS3RCQWEVKHRGTW6VZEPFY.jpg?smart=true&auth=fcaeba759a2adc0fb34b466480a1f9c069fab8bbda2815ee064042cf2a81f4f9&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida, right, with her parents Maxima and Gualberto Tonido standing at what remain of their house in Barangay Mering, Tabon-Tabon, Leyte. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/R6ATPXMKYSRK2VATHJH7ZM4PZI.jpg?smart=true&auth=2fecf5a050690412dc2364b27de8825cae08f777418aec4aaaf4bd9c80cc383c&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida watches over her two-year-old Jaizen Jericho Caga. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/H2NIN4YM6CK3Y44P66HDI5DIRQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=b77eff698c1916ce9b2c822b6ac8ad759932932ede5c0f2e69bd6d6b077078da&width=400&height=225)
![Aiza Tonida and husband Jericho Caga with their son Jaizen Jericho Caga at the site of their totally destroyed house in Barangay Salvador, Tanauan. (Joey Reyna for The National / April 9, 2014)](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YWKUS2JUHQOC3YGAAGBO63MYM4.jpg?smart=true&auth=b3b5419addd4342f88866ca470131e1cbde163a1bd87be27f4bfc7d9ecd6b37f&width=400&height=225)
In pictures: The devastation of Typhoon Haiyan continues to force Filipino diaspora
Rob Gurdebeke
April 22, 2014