Ondoy’s Way of saying, “We are on the way”?

As I turned on the TV last night, up today, there are so many news about Ondoy’s massive effect in our country; those telethons, people’s angry reactions, PAG-ASA’s old equipment, students being glad about having suspension of classes, appealing for help, and many among others. I can’t help but ask myself, is this really the fault of the government, the phenomenon, or by us, people ourselves?

09:00 a.m. September 26, Saturday

I woke up finding many text messages in my cellphone, asking if the camp that we will hold later that afternoon will be cancelled. I had a feeling that it will be suspended because of the heavy rains that the storm gave out since the night before. Just then I received a message that it was indeed cancelled.

11:00 a.m.

I was very busy discovering this new “Farmville” thing on Facebook. My mother called out and said that we should get ready as a lookout from the river said that it is almost full. I never panicked because we had experienced the flood before. But I can feel my mother’s worry: worry of carrying heavy things upstairs and saving the expensive machines and equipment of our business. I can’t blame my parents, they DID work hard to establish the business that we have.

The image shows the water level inside our house. It reached up to the third step of the stairway.

12:00 nn.

My mother started to lift most of the things inside our store. I was still hesitant but when I looked outside the terrace (2nd floor), I saw the water coming from the San Vicente Loob aisle just beside the San Vicente Church. I went downstairs and told my father that “Apaw na po yung ilog.”(The river is already full) in a very calm voice. Then I started to lift some of the furniture and things from our sala, also in a very calm manner.

2:00 p.m.

We are staring at the flood waters inside our house. Just waiting for the level of the water goes down. I looked into our terrace again and saw these people and vehicles trying to pass the currents of the flood.

My father decided to cut our electricity for a while because of some outlets.

The image shows stranded passengers trying to pass the national hi-way

The explorer as it makes a u turn because of not wanting to take a risk to cross the currents
The view from the San Vicente church and the stranded passengers & vehicles

4:00 p.m.

I was watching the waters outside and I felt that the water level continues to rise. So I went downstairs again to help my parents to lift things which will be greatly affected if it will become wet. The business of my parents has something to do with refrigerator, washing machine, and aircon matters. My father was saving the “compressors” which cost a lot. I tried to lift one of those things, but it weighs like 5 kilos or something. It’s really heavy! So I rested on the smaller ones and placed them on each step of the ladder going upstairs.

Meanwhile, we tried to lift the new videoke set which my father brought on a safer area.

5:30p.m.

The water is finally receding slowly. We already ate dinner with hot rice and just a can of tuna. We prepared the pails and mops as we removed the mud altogether as the water recedes at the same time. The living room in our house is a lower ground. So we need to put water in pails and throw the water one at a time.

8:00 p.m.

I am already tired but my mother wants to finish cleaning the living room set before going to sleep. I fetched water from the nearby water pump (poso). I went back and forth to get some water. We had none because the water system motor had shut down. And then finally, I fetched my last pail of water for my bath.

10:00 p.m. September 29, Sunday

I turned on the TV for the first time after the tiring experience. The news about Ondoy was all over the television. I watched it for a while. And it seems that the storm was a serious hit in the country. The National Capital Region was greatly affected, considering that it was an urban area. Marikina and Rizal is under water, literally. People continuously crying for help and aid in affected areas. After watching, I surfed the net. I saw some pictures from different sites about the typhoon. It was really unexpected. The sudden flood and the amount of rainfall that the typhoon gave I would describe as “extreme.” One article I read from Inqurer.net stated that the amount of rainfall Ondoy gave is equivalent to a month of rainfall. As a result, water levels of floods have reached higher levels than before, not mentioning its swift spread all over the place.

I have read people’s comments about the events. Some students are happy that there are no classes the next day. (I would rather have a class, and have a good weather than see a lot of people suffering.) I also read one of my friend’s comment, “we should be ready” or something like “this is a lesson for us.” I have also seen how it affected celebrities and people living in middle and higher class subdivisions. Comments about the government officials’ slow response to the situation. Military rescuers were missing in relief operations. Global warming taking its effect on climate change as this typhoon is described as “unusual” and there is an end note; “It may happen again.”

Whatever are the purposes of this, we should always be aware that the life’s lessons are learned through hard and difficult situations. I am thankful that the experience had helped me be sensitive of other people’s situations. I am thankful that my family and friends are safe. And I extend my prayers to the people who were affected by this typhoon.

I still believe in the power of prayer.