Reflections: Typhoon Ondoy
On that quiet Saturday morning, while I was in my IT Application class, a fierce typhoon named Ondoy reached the PAR (Philippine Area of Responsibility). Around 11:00 AM, a security guard from our school went to our laboratory and told our professor that the classes are already suspended. But due to very strong rain pour (as if it could really destroy all of our umbrellas), we said to our professor that we would stay in our lab until 1:00 PM reaches, since it is our actual time of end of classes.
The rain pour began diminishing in terms of volume it reaches the land around 12 noon. All of us in the section decided to leave the school. On that time, we were not really aware of Ondoy’s real face… In fact, I, with my some of my friends in the campus, still decided to go to SM Fairview for some bonding moments and for enjoyment.
We didn’t thought that from that moment we rode a jeepney to SM, Ondoy is starting to introduce its real identity. While we were in the middle of the trip, the jeepney that we were riding became stranded for almost two hours at the front of Meriam’s bookstore in Jordan Plains. Yes, it’s about two hours, and it’s because of high water level that we suddenly encountered. On that moment, we experienced a bit hunger, the neediness to go to the comfort room, and a sheer cold feeling. Still, we were able to laugh and smile in the jeep, and to make the moments still worthwhile. We finally arrived to our destination around 3PM.
After the all of the enjoyment in the mall, of course, we still have to go home. One of my friends went separate ways to us. The rest of us, just courageously decided to walk to Bayan due to the fear that we may be stranded again in the jeepney for too long. And its getting darker and colder. Sooner we luckily survived to reach Bayan, and all of us noticed the darkness in the area due to brownout, and there’s so many people there who seemed to be stranded. The place appearance seemed to be unusual to us. We began separating in groups because some of us are near to their homes already. But I’m with two other friends of mine. We can’t find any means of transportation to use, and we started worrying that our own families would be worrying for us. We discovered that our planned route was unavailable due to floods that are so high. Soon, we decided to use much longer route, from Bayan-Fairview-Tandang Sora-Mindanao Ave.-Bayan. That was insanely longer, but we have no other choices left.
Luckily and still blessed, I finally reached home. I began explaining what happened to my mother. My brothers and sister are already sleeping on that time. I was at the comfort of my home. I was warm and had many to eat—and not even a single drop of rainfall remained in my skin. But when I watched the television, I realized… how really dangerous our malling in the middle of a typhoon was. While everyone else was stranded in their schools or offices, drowning in at least knee-deep water/mud or scouring every store to find food as Typhoon Ondoy swept Metro Manila, we were just enjoying and giving all for our crazy juvenile interests.
And no, I’m not especially proud that while 80% of the metropolis was drenched in flood, all I had to do was worry about is the condition of my loved ones on that moment.
With the television by my side, I only had it to tell me exactly what had been happening. And, must I say, the television gave sufficient information as to what the state of affairs at that time really was. Which leads me to some lessons all of us may have learned from Typhoon Ondoy, thanks to social media.
I proved that media is really a good an very reliable source of information. With that, we can also have at least less worries because it can answer some of our questions in mind. Actually, it made me a little bit happier when a weather forecaster said that the typhoon would not directly hit our area. But with that fact, still, we suffer through Ondoy’s tails. Media is a means of helping also. It is more than providing information. We can easily notice that, since many organizations, companies, and other people who are not really affected by the typhoon channeled their help by the use of social media. I was very glad to know that many Filipinos are able to help others and there are still heroic people in this generation that I am living with. In fact, I felt prouder to be a Filipino. But not to myself at that moment. I thought of ways to help. I felt a need to give help to my fellow countrymen.
But my opportunity came when the NSTP Office of our campus began announcing about a cleanup drive to be conducted at various parts of Quezon City. It felt good to me and I was very contented when I was in the actual activity, where I was one of the people who cooperated for the country’s recovery, slowly, but I knew it would open a brand new start for us all. And I realized, it is the matter of “how much can we give out of our self to make a difference.” And at least, I can say that poverty is not a barrier in helping others and sharing and showing one’s concern to his/her country. I knew, that was a heck of a trip. And I knew, Ondoy was a way to give lessons to all of us Filipinos, and that was just one of significant pieces to complete my duty, as well as any Filipino’s duty, as God’s creation.
