Last Saturday, I woke up at 9:45 in the morning. I looked outside and saw the rain pouring down heavily, the flood slowly rising. I checked my phone and saw around 20 unread messages, asking if the prayer meeting in the afternoon would push through or not.
Tito Jerry called me up and told me that the prayer meeting needs to be cancelled due to the bad weather condition – typhoon Ondoy. Immediately, I started sending text messages telling the youth about the prayer meeting being cancelled.
At 10:45 AM, Mama told me that the flood had already reached our car in the garage. I told myself “Si Mama exage nanaman, eh ang taas na ng bahay natin, pano naman aabot yung baha”. After a while, Mama was in panic, asking me to get the tool box on the rooftop because Papa needs to pull out the battery in the car – and that’s what I did.
I got the toolbox, went downstairs and handed over it to Papa. I was shocked! I saw the water bumper high already in the car. Inabot na pala kami ng tubig.
Then my sister started shouting, Kuya! Kuya! Yung mga gamit ng youth nababasa na! The water already went inside the house. I could not believe it because it’s the first time it happened since we renovated the house in 1996.
Panic and adrenaline rushed through me. I used everything I got to carry all the youth equipment to the second floor of the house. I was carrying Carvin, Soundtech, Roland, Keyboard, Genesis, Praise Box, the brand new Ashdown and all other equipment. Ang bilis nung pag angat nung tubig. I tried my very best to save all the equipment but I got tired right away as well realizing that I was carrying it all by myself from the living room to the rooms upstairs. Papa and Mama was busy with the other furniture in the house (TV, computers from the shops, laptops, DVD players, VCD players, all other stuff in the house) then Jallyn was arranging everything upstairs and Adrian was in school (school was not suspended when he left the house).
I had the adventure of my life! All that time, I thought, hindi dapat abutin ng tubig yung instruments but the water was rapidly rising.
Papa tried to keep his cool seeing that only the window up is left visible of the car.
After I placed all the equipment upstairs, I helped my parents in fixing the telephone and cable wires, then we elevated the sofas by placing the chairs below it. We brought the food upstairs as well. Papa turned off the circuit breaker in the first floor of the house so we’ll be safe from being electrocuted.
The water rose up until the first step of our stairs. Water inside was knee high.
We thought everything was ok – that was, until the relatives of our boarder called Papa in his mobile. Since we were busy fixing the house and saving our things, we totally forgot we had a boarder stuck in the apartment (by the way, the apartment is at the back of our house). Ate Lisa (our boarder) could not go out the apartment, afraid of what might happen to her. Papa asked her to open the door and to bring some clothes just in case she would be sleeping in our place.
Papa and I went to the apartment - lo and behold the water was already up to my shoulders. As she opened the door, I saw the appliances (refrigerator, washing machine, fans) and all her things floating in the water. It was dark; Papa turned off her power supply before hand. We placed the refrigerator and the washing machine in a higher place. I placed her TV and other important things upstairs. Then we brought her home.
After that, I washed up and watched Teleradyo on Channel 26 of Sky Cable. I saw houses in Marikina with people already on the rooftops. I saw Metro Manila turn into Waterworld in a span of one day.
People say a lot of reasons why this happened: climate change, La Mesa Dam releasing water, heavy rainfall, poor drainage system, pollution, garbage – people even blamed the government for it. People were asking for Noynoy and Mar, and some are calling from other countries crying for help for their relative’s safety. Stranded residents called radio and television stations for help.
Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro’s name was mentioned a lot in Teleradyo.
Now I know what NDCC means. National Disaster Coordinating Council. Oh diba?!
Death toll rose from 50 to 60 to 70 every hour and as I write this blog, it already went up to 280 dead people because of this tragedy. See http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091001-227890/Ondoy-death-toll-climbs-to-280
Cars were being washed out like toys in the streets.
Cities like Cainta and Marikina were mentioned every time.
Text messages started coming in asking for prayers for their missing relatives and friends.
There are so many sites right now that describe what occurred last weekend. It’s really a sad experience for all Filipinos. But I also realized that the Filipino people are one heck of happy people because whenever they are in front of the camera, regardless of the situation, some would still smile and even wave.
I learned that the mere fact that when a person can still smile means the problem has not consumed that person.
I slept around 2am Sunday already. I was just praying while watching Teleradyo and I just told God to protect His people and to guide Adrian since he was not home yet. Since I didn’t know what to pray I just prayed in tongues and just continued telling the Lord to keep His people safe.
Sunday, we brought Mommy Lo and Tita Nenen to the airport because their flight was not cancelled that day. So we braved through the flood. Thank God, the van was parked in JP Rizal. It flooded there as well but fortunately, not enough to destroy the engine. Praise God! After the airport, we received a text from Adrian that he is in St. Andrew, so we picked him up there.
As we went home, Adrian said he had bruises on his feet, meaning it would be dangerous for him to walk in dirty water. So I just carried him from JP Rizal/Honradez to our house. I think I may be out of my league, carrying him home. Or maybe Adrian is just getting heavier each year. HAHA!
Anyways, our street is still flooded now. So I still have to brave through it later. HAHA.
I pray that we may see God’s perspective why He allowed this tragedy to us. May we not rant or be foolish about this but may we place our trust in Him that He has a wonderful plan in our lives.
In times like these, I always remember the prophet Job wherein God gives Satan permission to destroy Job's possessions and family. But because he was faithful, Job did not curse God after this but instead he shaved his head, tore up his clothes and said, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return : Yahweh has given, and Yahweh has taken away; blessed be the name of Yahweh". So despite all Job's sufferings, his response is to worship the Lord.
I know we have questions like why God allowed death, why God allowed pain, suffering; why did God allow our house to be covered by the flood; the brand new car to be just thrown into the flood like that?
Well friends, I don’t know as well. But you know what? God knows. And that’s more than enough for me.
God won’t protect you from all pain but He will allow that pain to turn into a great blessing. The Bible says, All things work for good to those who love God.
I invite everyone to be like Job that despite this storm, sufferings, deaths, despite all the questions why God allowed this to happen - our response to Him is “blessed be Your Name, Lord.”
God bless everyone!
JaN
P.S. The rest of the pictures and video are uploaded in my facebook account :)
