THE C CIRCLE

Everything that we have is temporary.

26 September 2009 is a day Filipinos will never forget. It is already a history that is inked in our lives. About 150 people have died and nearly 500,000 people have been affected by tropical storm “Ondoy” that caused heavy downpour and massive flooding in Metro Manila particularly in Marikina, Cainta, and Pasig.

I did not give much thought of the typhoon Ondoy when PAGASA forecasted it a few days prior the 26th since they said it will not cause much trouble. Unfortunately, since PAGASA did not have sophisticated technology to accurately forecast a storm, the people were wrongly informed.

And so the 26th of September came. There was already a heavy downpour when I woke up at around 9 in the morning. During that time, I thought it was just one of those “crying days of the heavens”. However, when I realized that only after about 4 hours, flood was already evident on the streets and it is quickly rising, I told myself, this is already something.

I turned on the TV and tuned in to a news channel. I was shocked when the newscaster broadcasted how massive the flood is already and started to show videos and pictures of the areas and people who were greatly affected by the typhoon.

A young girl is carried to safety through floodwaters

Residents help a woman get off the flood

People in Cainta wait for rescue on top of their submerged houses

According to the news, typhoon Ondoy delivered 410 mm of rainfall which is 20 mm higher than the average rainfall in a month.

If there is one thing I realized in this calamity was that we are powerless when we are faced with mother nature. I just hope that people, not only in the Philippines, will start to be more caring of mother earth. After all, this is the only home we’ve got.