Meet Julito Daa, a fisherman from San Jose, Tacloban.
The first time we met Julito, it was difficult to see a smile on his face. He had just lost his wife and 9-month old baby, along with his parents and sister to the fury of Typhoon Yolanda. We saw his first smile when he received a Peter Project boat to replace the one that was also lost to the typhoon.
Even as he returned to fishing, Julito continued to do odd jobs at the Tacloban airport nearby, because fishing only occupied his time very early in the morning.
Because of his good performance, Julito landed a full-time job at the airport. He still fishes early mornings when the weather allows. Being both a fisherman and an airport employee allows Julito to better provide for the needs of his remaining child, and is also helps him cope with the emptiness that enveloped his life after the loss of his loved ones.
When we bumped into Julito again at the airport, we found that the smile on his face was able to stay on longer than before!