‘Our spirit is waterproof’
For Michelle Ferreol, the devastating effects of Typhoon Haiyan struck too close to home. A resident of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, Ferreol ’15 said she is thankful that her parents, siblings, and friends were relatively untouched by the massive storm. But she and fellow members of the Harvard Philippine Forum know that too many of their countrymen were not so lucky, and they are working to make sure their struggle is not forgotten. “Being so far away, I feel that the distance makes it really difficult to fully comprehend what has happened and what is going on in terms of relief efforts,” said Ferreol, the forum co-president. “And because of the distance, I just feel somewhat helpless. But worse than the distance is the fact that the media is not talking about what is going on there as much, and it’s really not on people’s minds here.” In an effort...