It was the worst the Philippines has ever seen. For the first time in history, the whole Manila area was flooded together with other 14 or so provinces. And not just any flood, flood that will make Noah build his legendary ark. At first I thought my mom was exaggerating when she said she wouldn't be able to go home last weekend because the flood in the Cainta Junction was already 10 feet high. I have never heard such thing so I thought she just feels tired and doesn't want to go home anymore after her meeting that 1pm at Antipolo. I even told her that she has a service to bring her home so that wouldn't be a problem. When she replied in our ym chat that Edsa is also flooded, I replied with a pouty "Ok. Bahala ka." then turned on the TV and tuned in to DZMM at Channel 3. That's when I accepted the hard reality that what my mom was telling me is indeed the awful truth. For 10 hours, the news screamed of pleas of help from stranded victims in their rooftops asking to be rescued, of landslides and flash floods. No one was spared because places that were never affected by floods before were now submerged in water. Electric power was cut in the condo by 1:30PM and my mom kept texting that the water is rising and that she is running out of battery soon. Our condo is located near Ortigas Extension in the Pasig-Cainta area besides the Pasig River. The water rose so high in our unit that it covered the 1st floor destroying the units located there. My mom was also stranded for 2 days with no decent food. Other than that, she is fine.
Ondoy then proceeded to Central Luzon where in stayed in Pampanga to play for a couple of hours. When Ondoy arrived, water in our backyard (a farm) began rising as well as the water in front of our house. Thank god our house is elevated so we need not worry too much about the water in front. What worried us is the accumulating water at the back. When the water got so high years before, it needs an outlet of release thus destroying houses in the process. The first year that happened it destroyed the house extension of our neighbor bringing with it the neighbor's washing machine, car, Tv and other appliances. Two more houses were destroyed the same manner. The next year another neighbor got destroyed. The raging water brought with it parts of the house as well as the fence that seperates it from the other neighbor. Again, another two houses were destroyed the same manner. So this year, we are afraid it will happen to us. After all, weve been spared twice already. But lighting struck somewhere and the poor unfortunate house still has a waterfall in it. That won't stop until the water at the back is all drained.
So why all this destruction? Ondoy was not a super typhoon but it was able to bring Luzon down. I have a few theories:
1. Global Warming
We have been warned this would happen sooner or later and yet we sneer thinking it won't or at least it won't happen until a couple of hundred of years or so. But it is happening. Climate change is happening all over the world and it's all man's fault. The snow caps are melting thus more water to precipitate thus more water to bring down on us. It's a freaking cycle and it's just going to get worse! But man is still oblivious until a few thousands have suffered. We continue to quarry our mountains resulting in landslides like in Montalban, Tanay and Antipolo. We also continue cutting down trees that's why we don't have their roots to help support the mountain soil. I could go on and on but that would be a waste of energy. What we need to do is to remedy this. In our own way, save a tree if you can't plant one. Conserve energy and fuel. Why buy a Hummer if you know it disposes so much smoke that it can clog the air? Etc, etc. Little ways help a lot!
2. Our Garbage Disposal Sucks
When the water subsided in Metro Manila, what was left? Garbage! People throw their garbage everywhere. Garbage that clog the sewers. So when we need these sewers to suck the water, they can't. If we just help by disposing our garbage properly then the water won't get as high as it has been. Even the rivers overflowed because they are now so shallow because of garbage.
So basically what I am saying is this is all our fault. God has not forsaken us; we have forsaken the environment and now it's payback time. I hope that after this catastrophy we now think of ways to remedy the bigger problem. I don't want another Ondoy to happen.
Ondoy then proceeded to Central Luzon where in stayed in Pampanga to play for a couple of hours. When Ondoy arrived, water in our backyard (a farm) began rising as well as the water in front of our house. Thank god our house is elevated so we need not worry too much about the water in front. What worried us is the accumulating water at the back. When the water got so high years before, it needs an outlet of release thus destroying houses in the process. The first year that happened it destroyed the house extension of our neighbor bringing with it the neighbor's washing machine, car, Tv and other appliances. Two more houses were destroyed the same manner. The next year another neighbor got destroyed. The raging water brought with it parts of the house as well as the fence that seperates it from the other neighbor. Again, another two houses were destroyed the same manner. So this year, we are afraid it will happen to us. After all, weve been spared twice already. But lighting struck somewhere and the poor unfortunate house still has a waterfall in it. That won't stop until the water at the back is all drained.
So why all this destruction? Ondoy was not a super typhoon but it was able to bring Luzon down. I have a few theories:
1. Global Warming
We have been warned this would happen sooner or later and yet we sneer thinking it won't or at least it won't happen until a couple of hundred of years or so. But it is happening. Climate change is happening all over the world and it's all man's fault. The snow caps are melting thus more water to precipitate thus more water to bring down on us. It's a freaking cycle and it's just going to get worse! But man is still oblivious until a few thousands have suffered. We continue to quarry our mountains resulting in landslides like in Montalban, Tanay and Antipolo. We also continue cutting down trees that's why we don't have their roots to help support the mountain soil. I could go on and on but that would be a waste of energy. What we need to do is to remedy this. In our own way, save a tree if you can't plant one. Conserve energy and fuel. Why buy a Hummer if you know it disposes so much smoke that it can clog the air? Etc, etc. Little ways help a lot!
2. Our Garbage Disposal Sucks
When the water subsided in Metro Manila, what was left? Garbage! People throw their garbage everywhere. Garbage that clog the sewers. So when we need these sewers to suck the water, they can't. If we just help by disposing our garbage properly then the water won't get as high as it has been. Even the rivers overflowed because they are now so shallow because of garbage.
So basically what I am saying is this is all our fault. God has not forsaken us; we have forsaken the environment and now it's payback time. I hope that after this catastrophy we now think of ways to remedy the bigger problem. I don't want another Ondoy to happen.
