A Waray coconut vendor at Tacloban Public Market, 2010.

A month after Typhoon Haiyan ravaged my home town, stories of death, destruction, and survival linger. However, listening to the song “Waray Waray” never fails to snap me back into a positive mode. The popular version is in Tagalog and has been sung by artists of global fame, like the late  Eartha Kitt and Lea Salonga. It extols the grit of the Warays, especially its women.

A wounded Typhoon Haiyan survivor seeks help from Catherine, a Waray midwife.

Eartha Kitt had a saltier translation. In her spiels while performing at Cafe Carlyle she said,  “I suppose you wonder what language this is? It’s the language of the Philippine Islands called Tagalog. And it says, the women of Waray Waray have muscles of steel, and we can fight any battle, but our kisses are as sweet as wine.”

The original version was in Waray language (See rough translation into English below.)It’s poignant in its

Dried Fish Vendor – Tacloban Public Market, 2010

narrative of abundance, especially these days. It also speaks of the people’s resilience, something that photojournalist David Guttenfeleder of the Associated Press and National Geographic captured in his photographs and shared through his Instagram. With this wealth in spirit, there’s no doubt that the Leyte and Samar region that Haiyan ravaged will recover.