Statement of Ms. Cristina C. Cocadiz Cristina C. Cocadiz, 34 years old, currently residing at Ridgewood, New York City. (The Statement of Ms. Cristina C. Cocadiz was taken through Skype call on 27 August 2018 by Atty. Hasminah D. Paudac, together with Ms. Desiree Llanos Dee and Mr. Mohamad Rayyan M. Domado.) Q1: Can you please give us a brief information about yourself? A1: My name is Cristina Conanan Cocadiz. I was born and raised in the United States, although my roots are from the Philippines. My dad is from Calauag, Quezon Province, and my mother is from Aklan. I am currently working at The Door, a youth social services agency, as the Training Coordinator for Roundabout Theatre Company’s Theatrical Workforce Development Program. Q2: How often do you visit Philippines? A2: The first time I visited Philippines was when I was a toddler, but I don’t remember that trip. The first trip home I remember was when I was thirteen (13) years of age. The reason why we were there was because my mother wanted us to visit and meet her dying father, my lolo. I went there last 2010 and 2012 for vacation to visit my parents’ hometown. The recent visit was in 2014 when I volunteered with Gabriela New York relief operations to help the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban City. Q3: You seem involved in socio-civic activities. Have you personally encountered any typhoon, hurricane, or any extreme weatherrelated calamity here in the United States? A3: Yes, Hurricane Sandy. Even before that, a year before Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irene also hit New York. I had never expected to see a hurricane in New York City. That was the first time I have heard that the government shut down the subway. I was scared and nervous that time. I did not go to work because I had no way to get there. I remember that it was a major event because it was rare for something like that to happen. There were really long lines in the grocery store. However, for that incident, there was much less damage than was expected. In Detroit, I have not experienced hurricanes, only tornados. Q4: Can you walk us through the day hurricane Sandy hit New York on 29 October 2012? A4: I was living in Red Hook, New York, at that time. I moved there September 2012, but I have been working over a year in a restaurant nearby before moving in there. Red Hook is an isolated peninsula in southwestern Brooklyn. It is surrounded by water on three sides.