13 Years After the Storm: Palo Mass Grave Remembers Yolanda Victims

Posted on November 8, 2026 at 05:31 PM

Palo, Leyte — Thirteen years after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck Eastern Visayas, the grief has not faded for families who lost loved ones in the disaster.

On Sunday, families returned to the Palo Cathedral Memorial Mass Grave to pray, light candles and offer flowers for more than 400 victims buried there after Yolanda devastated the region on November 8, 2013.

The commemoration was led by Palo Archbishop John Du and Mayor Matin Petilla, with prayers offered for the victims and for families whose loved ones remain missing.

For some families, the mass grave is more than a memorial. It is a place where they continue to remember those they lost and hold on to hope for those who were never found.

As part of the commemoration, families hung prayers on trees for their missing loved ones, expressing a longing that remains 13 years after the disaster.

White doves were also released, symbolizing peace and healing for families still carrying the pain of loss.

The candles, flowers and prayers at the mass grave served as reminders that while 13 years have passed since Yolanda, the memories of those who died—and the search for those who remain missing continue.

For the families, remembering is also a way of keeping their loved ones alive in memory.

Photos by: April Cuesta