A few years ago, I remember going to the mall near our house to buy chicken and pizza with my dad. There was a storm ravaging the Metro that time – Milenyo. When we reached home, we found two trees in our place cut down by the storm – one was the Duhat tree in our garage and the other, the Mango tree in our neighbor’s place. It was the 28th day of September. And I was celebrating my birthday.
A few days ago, I heard from the news that a storm by the name of Ondoy is about to hit Metro Manila. Before September 26 (Saturday), I was still busy with my OrCom Silver outfit. Even if it was already drizzling, I still went to SM Marikina after distributing the OrCom Alumni Homecoming tickets to some undergrads to buy the accessories that will complete my outfit. I happily went home not knowing that the following day, something will happen.
A Lazy Morning
Septmeber 26, 2009 | around 6 a.m.
My mom and dad kept on waking me up because I have to leave the house at 7 a.m. if I want to be in school by 8 for the OrCom Conference. It was raining outside and the weather lured me to sleep some more. I stayed on our sofa (Yes, I love sleeping on our sofa even if I have my own room and my own bed) and slept some more.
I guess my mom got tired of waking me up ‘coz I remember hearing her grumble, then she went upstairs.
September 26, 2009 | around 10 a.m.
I was able to pull myself off the sofa to get ready for school. I was exchanging text messages with Ate Lou, Ericka, and Paula then. I was ready to attend the conference in the afternoon, but I was waiting for the postponement of the OrCom Silver in the evening. It was raining so hard and people know how fast Taft gets flooded.
After taking a bath and dressing up with my pambahay clothes, I fell asleep on our sofa again.
September 26, 2009 | around 12nn
My mom woke me up to tell me that there’s flood in our place already. It was nearing our dad’s aunt’s house which is only a couple of blocks from our house. I readily called my dad to ask if my brother has to move the car out in case the water reaches our house. My dad’s answer: Hindi tayo aabutin nya’n.
After some time, I saw the water outside our house building up. I called my uncle to tell him that there’s water at their backyard already and their clothes might get wet if the water rises. He was calm. Just like daddy, he believed that our place won’t be flooded.
[Note: It’s a little difficult to picture our compound. I think, it will be quite easier for those who were able to go to our house already. There are four houses in our compound. Ours is the one located at the back most part. And almost all the people living in our street are our relatives.]
The Tragedy that is Santolan
View from our mini veranda
View between our house and our aunt's house
The flow of the flood water was very fast. In just a span of, I think, 30 minutes, our house was flooded. But because our house is higher than those of our neighbor’s the level of the water is higher in their houses. One of our neighbors (our uncle and his family), wasn’t even able to save their things. Lahat nabasa.
Our dining room
Our floating sofa -- minus its pillow and cushion.
We were able to bring most of our things upstairs — electric fan, microwave oven, television. My mom, brother, and I helped each other in making sure that most of our things are safe in my parents’ room and my room. During these times, my dad wasn’t still home. He was stranded in Taytay, Rizal. We no longer got to contact him after telling him that the the water entered our house already.
A Story of Love
I am always amazed with the love my parents share with each other and with me and my kuya. During this situation, my mom never got tired of thinking of our dad, who was stranded in their plant in Rizal. The last news we heard from dad was he was still in their plant and was waiting for the flood to subside. The water entered his car already and it would be difficult to drive home.
This thing that happened to us assured me of family love — not only of the love we share within our small family, but also with our other relatives. My cousin called in behalf of my aunt to ask if we need any help in saving our things and if we have food to eat. My uncle went to our house to ask if we need any more help. The following day, we all shared any food that we can share with each other.
But the story that touched me the most was when mom, kuya, and I were staying in mom and dad’s room already. My mom suddenly thought of something I deem very important to her. “Anak, may hindi ako nailigtas.” I wondered what it was ‘coz most of our valuables are already on the second floor. “Ano yon?“, I asked. Then mom said, “Yung wedding album namin.” I actually laughed. But it was so mom to think of that.
My parents' wedding album
To save the memories, my mom had to destroy the album
At around 9 or 10 p.m., we heard our dad’s voice outside our house. He came home even if there was still flood outside. He drove even without his car’s headlights. He walked through the flood just to get home.
The Aftermath
It was the first time I went outside our house since Saturday. And I was aghast with what I saw. I’ve been living in our little barangay for the last 20 years, and that was the first time I saw our place like this. Disaster. The place is full of mud. And since we live near Santolan Elementary School, I got to see evacuees in the place. I even overheard a child asking his dad “Uuwi na ba tayo?”
One of the trash piles in Santolan
No man's shoes
*****
A couple of hours ago, I remember going to the supermarket to buy hotdogs and marshmallows with my dad. A storm just left Metro Manila – Ondoy. When we reached Santolan, it was still the same Santolan since we left – full of mud, full of trash, full of people walking and vacating their places. It was, and still is, the 28th day of September. And I’m still celebrating my birthday.
This, I believe, is just a story of a thousand stories of the many people who were affected by the typhoon Ondoy. This will serve as a constant reminder as to how blessed we still are and that we should be thankful that we can still celebrate life.
) In other words, ‘traditional TV’ somehow controls us. And this online video channel makes us in control.
