Tropical storm Ketsana

Although there’s nothing serious about the accident last Friday, I can’t help feeling thwarted waking up the next day, considering the steps that we need to sort out to get our car fixed. My thoughts were again clouded with anxiety built up with laziness to do what needs to be done. It was raining. Probably the reason I chose to delay getting started for the day.

While I revel at the warmth of our apartment on the cold breeze of an autumn morning, I sleepily surf through my facebook home page. I was planning to post a shout of gratefulness for the previous day’s misfortune or maybe blog about it. What caught my attention though was a friend’s plea to pray for her relatives and our fellow Filipinos struggling against a tropical storm in the northern part of the country. Since storms are rampant in the Philippines, I paid little concern about it. Yet another friend posted a shout out with a similar content. Out of curiosity, I searched for news about the said storm.

My own worries melted away as we watched the news. I realized how negligible my cares were compared to what my kababayans were going through at that very same hour. My heart felt the anguish of what the killer typhoon “Ondoy” has brought to my countrymen. Houses were torn down to pieces, some of which were dragged by the enraged current of floodwaters. Unfortunately, some people were left with no choice but to hold tight to these very same pieces of wreckage to hopefully save their lives. A video footage showed a family waving their hands, maybe screaming for help as the raging flood hauled them off together with their ravaged homes. Others managed to climb up to their roofs, not only anticipating rescue but also trying to evade the growing wrath of floodwaters- they were drenched, cold and hungry at the same time.

Photos courtesy of Inquirer.net

I know both the national and the local government sections were and are still doing their best to act upon the situation. Yet it is sad that Filipinos always have to suffer before apparent issues are addressed. Floods and landslides have always caused lives of many families due to typhoons but no serious action was implemented to solve the problem since time immemorial. None that I can tell since we always end up listening to the same news stories when the country is faced with a calamity. I understand that this is not the time to point fingers and blame anybody. But I do hope that this will be a lesson to the government- that before savoring that luscious million-dollar meal at a New York restaurant, may these government officials remember the less fortunate people in the country. The agony of our poor fellow Filipinos was prolonged since there were no immediate rescue equipments available. That money spent on a grand restaurant may as well be spent for reliable equipments in preparation for fury disasters that may hit a poor country like ours.

I was teary-eyed watching the aftermath of the recent catastrophe that struck the Philippines- not only for the properties ruined and lost but mostly for the lives shattered especially those of the little ones. As much as I feel sorry for my fellow Filipinos, I am proud of those who went out of their way to help in any way they can. To those who braved the floodwaters to rescue people, I salute you for your courage and to those who donated cash or good, God bless your hearts for your generosity.

To those of you reading this entry, please help me pray for all those devastated by typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines. More than anything they still need to know that God is still good amidst this heartbreaking incident in their lives.