slacker mommy files

residents of GMANews.tv

Yesterday, we were all devastated by the sudden rise of waters caused by a passing tropical storm. It is not a very strong storm per se. It only had a maximum windspeed of 85 kmph. What was devastating was the sheer amount of water it had dumped on us. In a matter of six hours, Manila was under a month’s worth of rainfall. A huge part of Manila was under at least waist-height in flood waters. Not to mention the low lying provinces in the vicinity. Marikina was especially devastated where 70% of the houses were submerged and residents were forced to seek refuge on the rooftops, with their umbrellas, jackets and each other the only protections they had from the elements. It is a sobering sight.

I was able to hear of the news around 4.30 pm yesterday, having been asleep the whole day (thanks to the kids who slept at 10.30 am). My mother-in-law woke me by calling on the phone to check up on my parents in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. At first, I was like, “Huh?” I had no idea at all. Then I thought of going down to Mommy Susan’s house to hear of any news. They were watching the tv then, and what I saw took the sleep from head. waist- to neck-high waters in Espana. The first floor of my husband’s aunt’s house in Sta. Mesa is under water, and the water level was still rising. It is like Noah’s flood right before our eyes. I felt a chill on my bones and hastened to get my cellphone to call my parents. By then, the kids are awake and I took them with me to Mommy Susan’s house. My husband, unfortunately, wouldn’t be woken so I let him sleep. He’s safe in the house anyway.

I wasn’t able to call my mom so i sent a her a text message. I was relieved that they were able to go to Bulacan, to my father’s cousins. I know that the area is high up so they will be safe from the floods. Then I texted all my friends and everyone else in my phone’s contact list, trying to make sure that everyone is ok. Some texted back and those that didn’t, we called. Eventually, almost everyone was ok. Some were stranded in malls, in their cars, but they eventually got to a much safer place. But a few of our friends were totally unreachable. They all lived in Marikina and we have no idea of their well-being, or of any other way to reach them. All we can do is pray for their safety and hope they are fine.

We then watched the news for any updates on the floods, but all we heard are calls for rescue and the media’s hen-pecking and issue-mongering. I can understand the and the the texters. They are worried for their families out there in the middle of the storm. But why do these media anchors and reporters have to add to the anxiety that people feel? Can’t they wait until the end of the calamity before they “look for the truth”? There is a time and place for everything, and giving out commentaries and speculations in times of emergencies when emotions run high isn’t the time for your political theories and mudslinging. But then again, there is nothing sacred to the media.

When we went back to the house at around 9 pm, I opened my laptop to look up some online news on the crisis. Aside from looking on news sites, I also looked into youtube and facebook. Somehow, people found a way to blame the floods to blocked drainage, crooked and corrupt politicians, and wanton disrespect for teh environment. They even had the strength to fling mud on each other, (pardon the pun). Why do we always play the blame game? Though I would agree that there were some factors that contributed to the flooding, they are not solely responsible for the water’s rise. The flood happened too fast. Nobody had anticipated that. No matter how well-thought out your disaster preparedness plan is, you can’t possibly have thought of a month’s worth of rain flooding your cities in a matter of hours. It is a freak incident. All we can do is clean up the silt and start anew. Don’t give yourself a heart attack by getting angry over a politician not doing his job (it may be your fault as well if the politician is on the job in the first place). Just put your head down, look to your own and ride the tide.

What happened in Manila and nearby provinces in the Philippines is unprecedented. No one saw it coming. Nature is in flux and this may as well be a glimpse of things to come in the future. We all must be prepared though we have no clear idea what to be prepared for. Also, just keep it cool. Blaming others will never get things needed to be done done. We just have to do it ourselves and do it the best we can. If we can’t help by doing, we can help by giving. We can donate 100 php to help the Philippine Red Cross to raise 160 million pesos for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Text RED (space) AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe, amount can be 100 or 300).

Let us help each other stand up. Don’t let us bring each other down. Start now.