Weiß: "Every little helps"

In early November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines. Thousands of people lost their lives and millions of homes were destroyed. Michael Weiß, coach of the Filipino national team, has worked in the country since 2010 and experienced the devastation first-hand. In an interview with DFB.de reporter Gereon Tönnihsen, the 48-year-old recounts the devastation and explains why support from Germany is crucial.

DFB.de: Mister Weiß, where were you when the typhoon hit the Philippines?

Michael Weiß: I was with the national team in Abu Dhabi, where we were preparing for a match against the United Arab Emirates, who are one of the best sides in Asia at the moment. We lost 4-0 but obviously the game was overshadowed by news of the typhoon tearing through the country. It was shocking to see the pictures, really awful. Thankfully none of the players’ friends or families were hurt, but our general manager Dan Palani, who virtually founded football in the Philippines and who has done so much to professionalise the national team, comes from Tacloban. The typhoon was particularly bad there.

DFB.de: What did he say?

Weiß: Two of his housemaids died in the destruction. They drowned – the water rose within seconds. His brother who was there tried to save them, but he wasn’t able to. It was terrible to hear. One of his houses was destroyed, as well as the school he helped at.

DFB.de: How extreme was the damage?

Weiß: It’s difficult to put into words, but it’s going to take years to repair and rebuild. I remember being at the training camp on Mount Fuji when the tsunami struck [in 2004]. We were supposed to have the training camp in Fukushima, which thankfully didn’t work out. We noticed that the earth shook beneath us, though. The difference in the Philippines is that the houses here have a completely different structure. They had no chance against the power of the typhoon.

DFB.de: What do people need most at the moment in the crisis areas?

Weiß: Lots of things – basics such as food, sugar, crops, milk, clean water and medicine. A lot is being done, but it’s difficult to provide for them all. One major problem is that in Tacloban, the airport was destroyed too, as well as the roads, making it very difficult to get the necessary aid into the region. It’s also making it difficult for those working there.

DFB.de: What can you do personally?

Weiß: I’m hoping to get involved in two projects – to help rebuild the school in Tacloban where Dan Palani works and to support the people in northern Cebu, an island bordering Tacloban in Leyte.

DFB.de: How important is the Egidius Braun Foundation in situations like these?

Weiß: Very important. Every little helps at the moment. What’s especially important and something which the Braun Foundation facilitates is actually getting the money to the region. I’d like to contribute and hopefully as many people as possible will donate because it’s a huge country and every Euro donated by the Braun Foundation is doubled by ‘Sternsinger’, which is great.

DFB.de: Have you thought about leaving the country?

Weiß: No, not at all. I like working in the Philippines and my family is settled here. It’s not as if we don’t feel safe in Manila, where we live. I have a contract here and I feel a sense of duty. My players are very keen and I really enjoy watching them develop. It’s our aim to win the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 in the Maldives and secure qualification for the Asia Cup 2015 in Australia. That would be great for the whole country and a fantastic opportunity.

DFB.de: Is it possible to think about football when something like this happens?

Weiß: Life has to go on. We have to accept the situation and do the best we can with it. I think we have a certain responsibility towards the country too. The famous boxer Manny Pacquiao fought recently and the whole country watched it on TV and got behind him. He lost recently, but they still got behind him. Then he came back a few weeks ago and won again and the people really celebrated – just two weeks after the catastrophe. Sport can have a big psychological effect. It can offer a diversion, as well as hope. It’s something we’re hoping to give the people with the Filipino national team.

DFB.de: Christmas is coming. What are you hoping for?

Weiß: That the country recovers as quickly as possible. Unfortunately natural disasters are part of living in the Philippines, but this one was particularly bad and affected such a huge amount of people. I hope the support from abroad is as much as possible. We can’t just leave these people alone. Every Euro helps and brings hope that they can pull through this suffering.