If you’re thinking that this “storm” is your ordinary drizzle you see on TV, well think again. Never, did it occur to me that prestigious-subdivisions in the Philippines could get so flooded, it made past storms before looked like a petty “shower”.

Living an above-average lifestyle in the Philippines, when you watch people being “save” by rescuers due to a violent storm. You felt pity… However in the back of your head. There’s always this assurance that it will never happened to you because you are living on a “prime-lot subdivision”.

Yesterday (September 26, 2009) All those ”bubble-dreams” said above were destroyed, as Bagyong Ondoy/Storm Ketsana terrorizes Philippine terrain. Even celebrities, malls, main expressways, quiet communities weren’t spared.

According to PAG-ASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), this storm is the longest-measured rainfall ever recorded in the Philippines. Ousting the 1967 flood.

Here are the catastrophic-highlights that shook the Philippines by storm “literally”

• NLEX (North Luzon Express Road) “One of the busiest road in the philippines” not passable for  several hours?
• EDSA (The longest road in metro manila was transformed to a virtual swimming pool for a couple of hours)
• Makati city’s prime subdivision became flooded like those flash-floods you see in suburb provinces on Babuyan Islands.
• Quezon city (90% terrain-overview is not anymore visible)
• SM branches (SM north, Mall of Asia, SM Megamall) got its 1st floor swamped with flood.
• Never before you’ve seen people in Metro Manila sheltering themselves in malls fearing for their own lives due to flood.
• Other prime-lot subdivisions across National Capital Region (e.g, Whiteplains, Corinthian Garden, Philam-homes, Filinvest etc) were flooded too. Try to imagine Washington DC’s finest subdivision getting swamped?
• Never before you’ve seen buses in Manila getting so flooded, you barely see the tip of its roof. These vehicles didn’t even have the time to move, for “ondoy” was so dang fast!
• Marikina River over-flowed to an extent where people haven’t seen in their wildest nightmares.
• Angat dam – Lamesa dam. Open their safety valves, ‘coz the water reached one of the most critical levels. DAM-n!

All these catastrophic-phenomena happened not in 24, not even in 12 but in 6 “effin” hours! only. Isn’t crazy?

Christine Reyes: (No.1 FHM-Philippine’s sexiest model 2009) Fears for her own life as she climbs onto the roof of their house along with her family (located in Marikina) begging for someone to help them.

In a phone interview with ABS-CBN News on Saturday, Reyes tearfully appealed for rescue teams to help them.

“Sana may dumating na rescue kasi kanina pa kami dito ng 1 p.m. Kapag hindi pa tumigil ang ulan aabutin na kami sa roof. Hindi ko alam anong gagawin namin,” Reyes said.

English Translation: I hope someone will rescue us for we have been here for 1 p.m now, If the rain won’t stop the water will inundate us here on the roof. We don’t know what to do anymore”

“Mommy ko kasi, hindi marunong mag swim at may kasama akong dalawang bata,” “Mommy ko, pamangkin ko–dalawang bata–isang five years old at isang three years old. Tapos yung bunso namin, yung PA ko, yung maid namin, tapos driver tapos yung kapitbahay namin pumunta na dito sa roof namin kasi mataas yung house naming,”

English Translation: My mom don’t know how to swim and she has two children with her.

On the roof with the actress are her mother, a sibling, two children, household helpers and some neighbors.

Here’s the full video coverage of the said interview:

The actress sounds under stress… It’s really hard. Imagine all your life seeing floods happening on your tv-screen only, then all of a sudden you wake up one day and a flood, walloped your house in just a matter of hours?

Now, I can’t understand Jessica Soho (the chubby-reporter) keep bugging Miss Reyes, like they are on an Oprah Winfrey Interview? It’s like hello madam! She is already in the roof pleading for her family’s safety, I hope you don’t mind cutting that “little crappy” interview and ask rescuers to save them pronto…

Here’s to say that in Philippines… Don’t say you are a celebrity, a politician, a wealthy investor etc. In times of trouble; Help is “surely” out of reach!

On top of that, here are some of the “twitter-updates” by other Filipino celebrities who were affected by the storm.

Bubbles Paraiso (click to enlarge)

(She is referring to fellow celebs like the Pratts family, Raymond Guitierez and Christine Reyes if they were all safe?)

Maxene Magalona (click to enlarge)

And a lot more to mention. You could actually see in the tweets, that they are “irritated” on how crude the rescue operating capability of Philippines.

Let’s analyze the situation.

In these time of stress, emergency-help should come out handy. In other words, its on these worst-conditions you need these emergency-teams the most but where are they now? It seems Philippine rescue team has one alibi to say with Filipinos.

“We didn’t expect this to happen”

We too! but aren’t your team suppose to be the one we should call to, in this kind of situation? I hope you could say that useless alibi to the faces of Filipinos who had just lost a love one or relatives. They didn’t expect this too, you know?

I hope next time, you could pin-point to the public the reason why help is out of reach like (not enough man power, materials, emergency boats, corrupt public official etc) So the problem could be assessed. Again, don’t use alibis please.

Other remarks:

Hilariously, during the bashing of bagyong “ondoy” CHED (Commission on Higher Education) says:

“Classes will be suspended in Manila according to the jurisdiction of Universities”

What the _ _ _ _?? Can’t at least CHED show some balls in this catastrophic-situation? Its like 70% of whole NCR is flooded and you can’t even simply state “Classes suspended for all college level in NCR? I hope CHED people didn’t forget to bring “common-sense” on their way to the building.

Forget your “rigid” guidelines for the meantime. Remember rules were meant to be bend a little but not to be broken. Simple common sense will tell you that, students can’t wait for the announcement of universities for (deans and other school head) have a different issues to attend also. As an Education Committee, announcing suspension of classes is your responsibility when school-announcement is not viable.

The same “funny” yet irritating story happened in PRC (Professional Regulatory Commission) The said committee are still “hesitant” to postponed the BAR-EXAMS? (Licensure exam 2009) and they are still “waiting” for some sort of confirmation?

GRRRR. Could someone please give me a hammer? I want to pound the head of these folks.

Realizations:

It’s also worth including that weeks before the landfall of Storm Ketsana/Bagyong Ondoy, there are some extreme irregularities on the Philippine-climate, like occurrences of “small hail-stones” “petite hurricanes”.

We all know that hail-stones and hurricanes don’t happen to a “Two-seasoned Asiatic” country right?

All in all, this disastrous event is just a reminder of what could have happened worst, if that storm lasted for an extra hour or so. As the “cold-tone” of Nathaniel Cruz (PAG-ASA head) says:

“This is just nature’s way of calling the attention of the people”

He maybe right, what do you think? Is this storm an eye-opener to (rich/average/poor) Filipinos?

by the way, if you like this post feel free to check this link: Alleged “Mikey Arroyo buying wine” photo during bagyong “ondoy”.

(sources: ABS-CBN, GMA, globeandmail, aljazeera )

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