A storm to remember

Today's not a weekend, as Ondoy washed away homes and stopped commuters in streets for hours amidst rain and flood. Indeed, there's so much loss today. Ironically the calamity peak happened while I was with ginpom people, celebrating Tisha and Jay's birthday in Alabang -We could've stayed longer at Starbucks ATC, if not a lot started sending text messages on how the flood is ruining almost the entire Metro Manila.

So even if it was only 4pm, we got up and decided to go home. Tisha planned to drive everyone to Susana heights to get buses (EDSA and Lawton-bound buses) while I planned to go with her till the corner near their house as I live just nearby. After dropping them, we two didn't go home right away as we waited for them to get buses, which never happened because each bus that passed by (at the rate of 1 bus per 15 mins) was so full. There were no jeeps going to Alabang either as all vehicles were stuck in San Pedro flood. So... in short, the birthday celebration turned into an impromptu Muntinlupa sleepover, with the majority of people in Tisha's house. the transpo problem was a blessing in disguise though. if they got in a bus then they could've been stuck for hours all night.

I didn't realize how serious the situation was when electricity went back and we finally got to watch TV. Ondoy damaged A LOT -poor and rich alike. I can't get over the videos of washed out houses, people waiting for rescue, and bodies found after mud flow =( I myself know a friend who lost their house, saving nothing except themselves (I just got the news this afternoon). I don't know how I could help at the moment, except for giving some of my clothes and sacrificing my coming salary.

I just have to share what everyone has been posting in facebook (I'm sorry for stealing pictures ehehe). I got the following pics from this facebook profile. Gosh, look at the marian quadrangle! I really feel like I have to show this to my fellow lasalista alumnus:





Ondoy is such a great storm, one of the storms I'll never forget (like Rosing when I was in grade school, Caloy during our company outing in Calatagan, and Milenyo 3 years ago). This time it was a storm that chose no one, it damaged all walks of life in Metro Manila. It wasn't even a signal #3 storm, but it brought water instead of wind, it poured a MONTH-worth of rain for just 6 HOURS, ruining most cities in very unexpected ways. In fact, according to the news, there are still people from Rizal, Marikina, Pasig and QC who are on their roofs and some inside their houses, trapped by flood, waiting for rescue since yesterday. In Arayat, Pampanga meanwhile, a lot were buried by landslide. By now, all in all, 70+ are dead, and 20+ are missing.

May victims get rescued soon, and may these places and bereaved families, recover after the calamity. May this storm also serve as a message to everyone (not only to filipinos), that mother earth can get even to anyone, anytime.