By Ramil Digal Gulle
All I wanted to do on Saturday morning was to go to my doctor. After getting off the MRT station in Kamuning (about 10 am) I waded through ankle-deep floodwaters to accompany my wife to the TV station where she works. The rest of the day was already clear in my head: Go to the doctor, finish my business there by around lunchtime (there are usually quite a number of patients, and I wasn't expecting to finish earlier than that), pick up my wife and we go home for some needed time with the kids.
I thought nothing of it when the doctor's nurse texted me to say that the doctor's clinic was already flooded. The clinic is in the low-lying Kamias area. Fine, I told myself, I'll just go to Hi-Top and buy a bottle of wine and ingredients for dinner. My daughter had requested that I cook for dinner.
After Hi-Top, I proceeded to the TV station where my wife works. I was walking the whole time because of the rain. I felt no danger despite the rain. The rain wasn't that strong by the time I left Hi-Top. Then I reached the corner of Panay Avenue and Sergeant Esguerra. Holy shit. The floodwaters were neck-deep in Esguerra!
I turned left on Panay, planning to take the train at the Quezon Avenue MRT then disembark at Kamuning station, so I could just walk towards the TV station. I reached Hen Lin (a Chinese fastfood) which is right under the MRT station. I was surprised to see that Edsa was flooded. The area in front of the McDonald's outlet was waist-deep in flood.
There was a guy--he was soaked from head-to-foot--who was warning people getting off the Quezon Avenue MRT station. He was telling everyone who could hear him:
"O, wag na kayo dyan sa Esguerra. Hanggang leeg doon. Dito sa may Edsa hanggang baywang. Mamili na lang kayo kung saan niyo gustong magpakamatay."
[Don't go to Esguerra. The water there is neck-deep. Over there at Edsa it's waist-deep. You guys choose which side you prefer. You choose where you want to kill yourself.]
The guy was trying to be funny. I went up the MRT station, boarded the train and got off at Kamuning. When I reached the TV station, my wife texted me that she won't be going home. All TV news staff were required to stay because of widespread flooding.
I called the kids at home. Thank God there wasn't too much rain in Cavite. Finally, I saw what was happening in Marikina and Rizal on the TV set at the visitor's area. Shit. I won't be able to go home. Then I also learned that the way to Cavite was impassable.
After talking to my 9-year-old daughter some more and assessing that Cavite would likely not be affected by the typhoon, I made up my mind to wait for my wife. I didn't think it would be a good idea to let her go home alone, with floodwaters rising in Quezon City.
People were coming to the TV station. Every single one was asking for help. They had loved ones trapped inside their house by floodwaters. There were loved ones already on rooftops. The floods were rising too fast in some areas. And so began my long day: filled with the weeping of women, worries about friends trapped in rooftops, worries about my kids (what if the typhoon turns and hits Cavite?), and a feeling of utter helplessness.
My wife worked till about midnight. We tried to get to Cavite but even before we reached the tollgate of the expressway leading to Bacoor, huge trucks were already turning back. We were in a cab. I decided not to risk whatever was ahead. There could have been floods, an accident, etc.
My daughter kept calling my mobile phone. She was crying. When were we going to get home? After getting assured that there was no flooding in Cavite, that our kids were not in danger of any flood, I told my wife we should just wait for morning. We turned back and stayed in a hotel--the hotel lobby to be exact. All the rooms were booked. It was already 2am. We couldn't sleep. We simply waited till the sun was up.
When I finally got home today, the first thing I did was gather wife and kids for prayers. We prayed out of gratitude. We were all safe. Then we prayed for all those who were still trapped, who were still struggling to stay alive amid floodwaters. I was crying.
I find myself unable to sleep after being awake since 6 am yesterday morning. I'm still keyed up. My wife's asleep, finally, after getting a massage. I want to sleep but each time I manage to doze off, I jerk awake at the slightest noise. So I'll just write.
I can't get the sound of weeping mothers out of my head. That's how I spent the night while stranded in Quezon City. All these mothers kept talking about their kids. One mother, Lina, could not help but cry for her kids, who were trapped in the third storey of a neighbor's house for out eight hours already by the time she spoke to me. Her husband was also trapped by floodwaters--he could not leave his office in Quezon City.
Here are some things I learned from the experience. I can write them down in the comfort of home with my wife and kids safely with me. I actually feel guilty that I'm in this situation. I feel guilty that I'm not out there on a rubber boat saving people.
So I'll write some more and go to bed. After I get some sleep, I might have a saner perspective.
Our families are not prepared for climate change. Typhoon Ondoy was true to its name, which means "little boy"--it wasn't a supertyphoon. And yet, we all failed in so many fronts.
In our own home, we don't have an emergency kit. The flashlight is no longer where I always put it. Furthermore, I'm not aware of any evacuation plan in our community. Who do we call? Where do we evacuate when waters start rising? I have no idea. It's the sort of ignorance that kills.
One friend of mine lost her possessions in the floods. Her husband and kids are safe. She had the quick and sensible thinking to have her family evacuate shortly after the water began seeping into their house and after the power was cut off. They left everything and booked themselves in a hotel. "I lost everything," she told me over her mobile phone. I told her that the most important things in her life were saved.
Our government--both the national government and the LGUs--is not prepared for climate change. If people are safe now--relatively, for some, because it's again starting to rain and many are still trapped on rooftops, awaiting rescue--it's because of prayer. So many people were--are still--praying. It seems the prayers were heard because we all got a respite from the rain.
Filipinos have a saying, "Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa" (God dispenses mercy but man has to do the work). God has already dispensed his mercy. Will we do our part?
There's no excuse for the lack of rubber boats, for example. We have floods every year. But every year, we are unprepared. The two rubber boats that began rescuing people in Marikina were a relief to know about, but why only two?
Philippine National Red Cross Chairman Dick Gordon tried to transport several more rubber boats but these had to come all the way from Olongapo. And with the traffic jams at the expressways, they could not get to Metro Manila in time.
The headquarters of the National Disaster Coordinating Council and the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are both in Quezon City. And yet, for nearly 12 hours, Quezon City residents trapped in floods could not be rescued. The AFP, if I remember correctly, usually has the biggest slice of the national budget every year. But where were the choppers? Where were the rubber boats? Clearly something is very wrong.
Then we recall how General Carlos Garcia, former AFP comptroller, was caught (by US authorities, not by Philippine authorities) trying to bring in millions of pesos in cash to the US. It does not inspire faith in the military leadership.
We also recall a lot of things that are disquieting: government resources being used to secure a questionable telecoms deal with a Chinese firm; millions of pesos spent on Presidential dinners abroad; millions of pesos in campaign contributions unaccounted for; millions of pesos spent on a California mansion; billions of pesos spent on foreign trips; and a cancelled plan to buy a new Presidential jet.
How do you explain all that to kids trapped on their rooftop for nearly 24 hours--soaking wet, hungry, crying for their mothers and going insane with fear?
How do you explain the fact that the government can spend millions upon millions on so many other projects, but could only produce two rubber boats to rescue scores of residents trapped in a flooded Marikina village? How do you explain the President's lobster and steak dinners to Rizal residents neck-deep in muddy floodwaters?
Every year, we get floods and typhoons. Every year, we give money to the AFP and the NDCC. And all that the Marikina residents get are two rubber boats?
And wasn't Marikina always being trumpeted as some sort of "First World City in a Third World Country"? Clean and green Marikina. Disciplined Marikina, a jewel of law and order in the chaos of the Mega Manila.
The Marikina River floods every year. Every year. But when it really mattered, the City Government of Marikina did not have enough emergency equipment, did not have enough rubber boats. Or if it did, it did not have the capacity to deploy these resources in time. It seemed to have no plan for the evacuation of residents at Provident Village before floodwaters could reach it.
And former Marikina mayor Bayani Fernando wants to run the rest of the country the way he did Marikina--or at least, that's the impression we get. We could be wrong.
To be fair, none of us expected something like Typhoon Ondoy. But the lack of rubber boats, the seeming lack of coordinated response, the empty promises made over the media--these are simply not acceptable. These do not inspire our confidence in government once the next super typhoon hits.
I mentioned Marikina only as an example. I'm not blaming Fernando or his wife (the present Marikina mayor). I'm just stating how things appear. The real story about the slow rescue, etc. might unfold in the next few days.
[Kris Aquino was talking on TV about Marikina rescue efforts. She said that according to one Marikina resident, there were rubber boats deployed by the Marikina government--but the river's currents were so strong that the rubber boats got overturned. It was also pointed out that Marikina Mayor Marites Fernando did everything she could but "nature's wrath" was just too powerful. In the interest of fairness I should point this out.]
What happened to Marikina can happen anywhere. The local governments of Bulacan, Pasig and Rizal fared no better. Are our local governments prepared for climate change? Are they prepared for typhoons like Ondoy, or much stronger ones? Your guess is as good as mine.
What would have happened if Ondoy didn't leave the country in the hours following the massive flooding? What if it was a super typhoon that decided to stay for a few days?
The answer is so obvious that we're scared to state it: Death and Chaos. So many people, so many children will die. Our loved ones will die. We will die.
The next few days, weeks and months will tell us whether the government cares to prevent this, or whether it wants to use climate change as a kind of population control.
The government's priorities have been clear in the way it spends its money and allocates its resources. For example, the AFP budget keeps growing. But what about the budget for the national weather agency PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration)? There were reports a few years back that the budget was actually slashed.
During a report on GMA-7 news last night, PAGASA OIC Nathaniel Cruz said that there was a piece of equipment that could help the agency estimate a typhoon's potential amount of rainfall (very useful in the case of Ondoy, which poured a month's worth of rainfall in about five hours)--a Doppler radar. Does PAGASA have this equipment?
No. The national weather agency, the only one that could warn us if we should evacuate because a typhoon will bring a deluge, does not have a Doppler radar. But it's on its way, clarifies Cruz.
PAGASA, in Filipino, also means "Hope". Based on how the government seems to prioritize PAGASA, the weather agency, do we have reason to hope?
It was drummed into my head a long time ago that when we use the term "government" in a democracy, we should really refer to ourselves. After all, in a democracy, governance must be by, of and for the people.
So it's either we're not really a democracy (because we always stand back and just let a bunch of evil yoyos run things for us) or we're all just not getting this governance thing right. We're not governing things the way we should.
It's raining again. I hope we get our acts together soon.
Same old things, same old bureaucracies , same old politics and corrupted politicians , same old government faailures to protect fliipino citizens.
SHAMME, SHAME SHAME ON OUR OWN PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT ..
very good article--my wife and family live in ozamis city--I'm an american and I follow the news there very close --in fact I usually learn of events before her or her family know of them ,which illustrates your point in the task at hand facing preparedness and where public monies are "REALLY " being spent . I totally love your country and wish you the best--and hope our country see's the need and does the right thing and helps your nation--who has always been our friend--MAY GOD BLESS YOU
Blame blame blame...
"The Filipino people are only victims . . . they can do nothing . . . . blame President . . . blame it on the elite . . . blame it on the rich . . . blame it on the military . . . blame it on the politicians . . . blame it on the mayor . . . blame it on the barangay captain . . . blame it on your neighbor . . . . . . blame the Spaniards . . . blame the Americans . . . blame the Chinese . . . blame the Indians . . . . blame . . . blame . . . blame . . . blame
Just never blame it on me.
- The disgruntled, but do-nothing, Filipino
-- taken from the sig of one of those forumers of a military forum.
Has anybody noticed the amount of people necessitating help from the movies? I mean if they are that many, probably the plot of the movie is that the hero will be fighting against the villain who caused all the destruction in the city, and it made me wonder, "How about the people languishing in the wake of the tragedy? Was the hero able to save 'em?"
Last night, a close friend of mine came to know of her family's predicament in Manila and was so angry at the response of the government at helping people. You might say that, it's easy for me to say because I'm not there, but logically, if I were to be angry because the response at assisting/helping/rescuing me is so slow, then what about the others? Oh I forgot, I'm not the only victim in this tragedy. The bad habit of being me-ish, me, me, me just me, without thinking about the other people suffering the same fate as all the victims.
In this calamity, there's no such thing as a villain, so even if Spidey or Superman is there, he might as well be asking "Where's the villain? Direk! Tell me, where's the villain?". In the absence of the villain, the plot of the story can be changed in such a way that superhero will be blowing away the typhoon clouds from his unbelievably super-ultra-mega-high-pressure lungs, but hey! I'd say wake up! This is no movie, and everybody knows that nobody is able to blow away the winds to keep the people from harm's way.
OK, granted that there’s the Doppler radar to detect the level of forthcoming adverse weather, what’s next? Granted that there’s equipment waiting to be dispatched at the airfields, how do we dispatch it? It is a known fact that Metro Manila is one heck of a crowded place with 10 million people sharing the same area, even the Superfriends will have a problem at helping people.
It’s more than just corruption, more than just equipment procurement. After all it’s a tragedy, not even the mightiest of nations can withstand the wrath of nature. So let’s cut the blaming, and start the walking…
And shame on the people who put those people in the government...
Let's admit it, there's really something wrong with our people's voting habits, and it's easier to blame somebody else, than blame ourselves...
tnx for this article coz it's also what i wanted to say but my words failed me. i was just stunned with the way this typhoon has affected us. like you i felt so grateful that me and my family are safe yet ( cause i too am from cavite) cant seem to think that others are suffering and trapped and wet and all i can do is watch it and do nothing....
typhoon ondoy served as the final exams for the 9 year long arroyo government and it did exposed how shabby and how poor did it performed during that corrupt laden administration. they really did not make their homeworks which explains their dismal failure. it has been a normal scene like this during rainy season, but what did we prove from them - failure after failure. people's money wasted to corruption. may their tribe perish in hell!
Hi Ramil. I know you through your uncle Johnny. You used to come over to our office in Pasig to write articles. How's your brother and mom? I know your dad passed on.
I'm glad you're fine and can't help but be reminded of Typhoon Rosing back in 1995, except I don't recall any flooding.
I find all that happened in Manila rather timely and I hope people don't forget about it come election time.
Heads ought to roll. Think about Obama's victory for a minute. It was made possible largely because of the financial crisis. McCain looked indecisive and feeble while Obama was cool, calm and collected.
So in this hour of truth, the nation can see for itself who is made of leadership material and who isn't.
This crisis will pass. I pray that those who died and are homeless and lost possessions will not suffer in vain.
And some good come of it.
Hope everything will be fine there, we're here in cagayan de oro city, we know how it feels to be stranded in a flood... we had one last january...we're all praying for your guyz safety and hoping that our government will be able to do their job... not just by merely saying that we've done everything... hoping that this will be a lesson to all of those in position... its easy to say that we've done everything, but need to consider also the feelings of those people who are affected... its not easy to be on their shoes...hope everything will be ok...
during the golden years of the new society of marcos, during calamities like this, the military is very reliable in rescue operations. in comparison to what happened last saturday,the military looks awfully helpless. their assets are gone. maybe this served as a "bitter karma" to what they have done in supporting gloria arroyo by participating in the massive cheating in the 2004 presidential elections. even during warfare against the enemy, the military are being overwhelmed by their adversaries. what's happening general to our country as quipped by pelaez to karingal during those days. karma, karma, karma!
seriously, we should all be more aware of cleanliness in our surroundings. hindi na talaga natutuwa si mother nature.
yung sa quiapo underpass na nagmukhang lawa... yung mga nasira sa marikina... sa malabon...
we should start by cleaning the drainage. tsaka kasi yung mga ilog na marurumi. mga creek/ilog na tinirahan ng mga squatters. i know, nakakapagsalita lang ako ng about squatters because i am not one of them. but then again, i would not risk the life of my family by squatting in an unsafe place. bakit kailangang sumiksik sa maynila at mag-squat kung may mas maayos naman na buhay sa probinsya.
yung mga maliliit na bagay katulad ng HINDI pagtatapon ng basura sa daan, malaking bagay na yun. kung hindi man kayang linisin literally ang mga kalsada, then atleast wag na natin dagdagan diba?
What happened during the weekend was really an eye opener. If we will look closely from Antipolo the geographical location of Marikina, Pasig, Cainta including Pateros, Taguig, you will see that the place is a catch basin. Having that amount of rain fall will definitely submerge those areas. If we are going to talk of "climate change", we should consider evacuating those places because time will come, those places will become part of Laguna Lake. I think we need real experts to assess the future of the area in relation to climate change.
yeah! same old story...SIRANG PLAKA NA TALAGA ANG GOVT. NATIN!!!...no cure!
nakakasawa na naaaaaaa!!!
but big thanks for sharing this,actually it´s past midnight here and can´t sleep bcoz of this latest tragedy..and thanks God! my friend in Marikina is alive but she almost lost thier house w/c is covered by mud...documents, phones, etc.
GOD BLESS...
very nice article.. im from Mindanao, cagayan de oro city.. i follow the news, read articles about what's happening in Luzon.. hopefully those who were trapped will be rescued as soon as possible. I cried for feeling helpless.. Right now all i can offer is my sincerest prayer.
Why everyone always blaming govt and making political propaganda out of every event? The Filipino people are as much to blame as the govt. They vast majority of them don't have any responsibility to their community, their environment, and they completely disrespect their own nation and history. If they want someone to blame, they just need to look in the mirror.
Nice article.
The devastation that has occurred within the last 48 hours or so have made thousands of filipinos, as well as people all over the world, how serious mother nature and global warming is.
I am just thankful that despite the tragedy, you can really see that the "bayanihan" mentality of the Filipinos is still deep within us.
i think i know where the money for the rubber boat and dopler radar went...try this link....
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=147193032804&h=0YU9W&u=Q1OJm&ref=nf
If you want to talk about typhoons, you should talk to Bicolanos. They experience this every single year, while Manila goes on without even a glance to their hapless brothers. It's a wake up call guys. So wake up. Wake the f*ck up.
We hated same old same old, the way politicians are bleeding our country to death. And in thimes like this, we cry for change. For decades we did cry for change. Elections just brought us new dogs but the same collar, so elections never brought us change. If our government can't help us let's just run it ourselves then. Tayo tayo na lang. Mag bayanihan na lang tayong mga mamamayan. Desperation can either bring us unity and cooperation or anarchy.
It's high time for us to realize , that our present system will never bring us a government that will seat honest officials. I don't suggest the chacha, since it's going to be same old same old again. Magbayanihan na tayo. To help one another is the only thing that's left for us Filipinos.
This story reflects the feelings of many people who really felt helpless and frustrated (even now) knowing that the tragic outcome of this calamity, could have been minimized by simple and uncomplicated preparedness.
while im reading this article i felt the rage and heartbreak out of my nerves. everytime calamities come in our country our government always caught by stupidity, where have all the taxes goes?? why only two as in only TWO rubber boats??? what the hell's going on with this goddamn government of our beloved country!?
Stop blaming, do something. Or just go under the floodwaters and please don't surface again...
Very well-written, almost like a de Quiros. I had the same experience during the typhoon Milenyo. We live in Laguna. My wife and I were already on our way to the office but I decided not to report for work so I just dropped my wife in Alabang. The sight of floodwaters creeping at your doorsteps was outright disturbing. Suddenly, I was in utter disbelief that my car was submerged in 2-meter deep flood. Our household help were crying in fear while my 4-yr old daughter innocently played with rainwater which started to drench our 2nd floor. We prayed hard and after an hour, the flooding was gone. It made me realize that we were truly not prepared. And if we are now, we have learned our lesson the hard way.
I think this is not the best time to put blame on anyone but we should all rather focus on helping one another and extend as much help as we can especialy to those who suffered and were greatly hit by the typhoon. Needless to say, I guess nobody expected this kind of tragic event. We were all caught unprepared. For us who are in the capacity to be of help to others, this should serve as our "calling" -- our Filipino folks need us. Let us all pray that this tragedy will never happen again and that a great lesson has been learned.
We should also commend those who volunteered to help and went out of their ways to save lives despite of known danger. We are still one great nation, a nation with a BIG heart that cares for one another... And this was very evident during times like this.
Very inspiring article.
God Bless the Philippines. MY COUNTRY. MY HOME.
God Bless My Country. My Home.
I was moved by your article, very well written indeed. It's an awakening to government officials that they should know what their priorities are. It is their DUTY to serve and not to be served and it is their duty to PROTECT the people and not to protect their political aspirations and pockets.
Much has been said against the government's capability when it comes to responding to it's citizens' needs but it seems like that people in the government is playing deaf and just turning their heads to other things that are beneficial to them than to those people whom they should be serving. It may be sad to accept but i don't think this government will no longer improve, instead of developing it will just retrogress. I pity those people crying out loud for help but i pity more those that ignores them. "Public Servants" as what we call them but they are the ones being served with luxury. Rude as it may seem, unless they'll experience the sufferings that most of us is experiencing then they will never really understand what we're trying to get at. To the author, i know where you're coming from, I myself felt so helpless as well knowing most are in pain while i was just stranded in the office, I hope those people's weeping reverberate more on those "leaders" who were sitting down on their half-a-million couch while others are exerting all of their reserve strength just so they can stand on their rooftops and praying not to be taken away by the life-taking floods.
Very well written.
Read the article and keeps wonderin' why I did not vote for 3 consecutive elections... because as a sign of protest to the government, I do not intend to. But does it matter now?
First, I DO NOT believe the 'past and present' government are pro-people anymore. Filipino citizens are even promoting vote-buying during campaign. Now what happened to them?
I'm not a stereo-type person but everytime I convinced people about these political exercises... THEY DON'T LISTEN just because of money. I think EDUCATING people on these political exercises will hinder ignorance and will stop bureaucracies.
I would rather go 'infront' advising and educating filipinos about political morals and values than to vote.
After Ondoy, are we now ready to learn? The answer is within ourselves and NOT in the government.
good feed indeed.
pinas is battered by typhoons at least twenty x every year, it is common knowledge. how come the govt agencies were not prepared for this "ondoy" which devastation could be called "ontoy" (big boy)? what could 2 rubber boats do with hundreds (maybe thousands more) trapped by rising flood waters? where have all those monies gone? graft and corruption now, i feel is worst than the marcos regime (where's the ill gotten wealth?) in a crisis such as this, one could only reflect what kind of govt leaders the pinoys have, sorry to say but... is the filipino worth dying for?
think, there are other options wise or otherwise...when the filipino is worth living for. that would be in another commentary.
very good article. I am touched. I am a mother and the only thing that I am thinking last Saturday morning is how can we go to the Mall and how my newly washed clothes will be dried....after watching the news, my heart was torn into pieces...We are all safe, but I wish all the people are fortunate enough like us.
i'm a filipino working here in Guam...i'm so sad to hear and see our kababayans shouting for help, suffering on flood, waiting for rescue....but our GOOD government dont have the capacity to rescue...no equipment, even rubber boats (just 2), choppers, etc. Maybe Philippine Gov't cant afford to buy some rubber boats, all we can afford are a dinner abroad, a new presidential jet...etc....ARAY KO....MAAWA NAMAN KAYO SA MGA FILIPINO
This is actually a well written article summing up the ills that plagued our beloved country. However, I am still trying to figure out why it is titled "Salamat Ondoy" a Bisaya (Cebuano) phrase which means "Thank you Ondoy". Can someone point out the connection between the title and the message? Is the author being sarcastic? Or is he thanking Ondoy for showing the usual government's futility and nonchalance towards its citizens?
When do we Filipinos learn? Think of it..Politicians are thieves.If they are accused of stealing peoples money they denied to death.Philippine politicians are like malignant cells no matter what chemotherapeutic drugs you administer it keeps coming back and metastasize.
What a timely wake up call to all Filipinos! I don't blame the Filipino people at all, but can we wake up and ponder what we do and decide for ourselves. It's election year in 2010, and this will be a ralltying point for all of us. Shall we be bought for a just a bag of rice and and a can of sardines, and trumpet to our neichbors that this politician gave us some food, all in exchange for our votes? Wake up kababayans! It's time! We all know that these politicians focus on our weaknesses. Isang supot ng bigas at isang latang sardinas ka lang! The problem is we never learned. Kailan pa?
nakalulungkot at muli pangitang-pangita ang 'kahirapan ng buhay' ng kalagayan ng mga bayan at ating mga kababayan...
I believe that everything must have a reason. True, our government fails so badly in many ways, but at least some officials do attempt to do something to the extent that they can. Let's not be quick to blame everything on "the government"/"the AFP"/etc as a whole. Of course I understand and respect your point, but, for example, it makes me feel sorry for the soldiers that died rescuing people. They are part of the group we call "the AFP", for instance, and are under that untrustworthy "military leadership" that you said. I won't deny that there are corrupt people in every nook of the government, though; but I just want to give justice to those who died and worked (are working) hard. They're still part of "the government" but I believe that they don't deserve to be lumped up with the real 'kurakots'.
Also, regarding those choppers... I don't know much, and I won't claim to be an expert, but I don't really think they can be deployed that easily. Choppers are more unstable compared to planes, and a little turbulence while on air could cause more damage than its worth (especially if it crashes in the middle of the city). I think they were just trying to make sure that no rain would come in the next few hours if they were to go and fly. Just to be safe, you know?
Anyway, just wanted to say some little bits. I agree with you, though: we were not ready, are not ready, and probably will not be ready still. Its sad that the little things like not knowing rescue hotlines, not stocking emergency rations, not having first aid kits and etc could determine whether we live or die.
But anyway, we can complain later. Let's all go help out first!
that is pretty pathetic. why can the philippine government NOT afford a doppler radar? the president and her allies can afford lavish dinners overseas but NOT a doppler radar?
the wrath of typhoon ondoy served as the final exam for the graduating arroyo administration. what ondoy has proven is that arroyo adminstration is not making their homeworks. they dismally failed the exam and has to receive the “kalabasa” award. the typhoon proved them weak and as usual can not coup-up with disasters. even her military performed awfully helpless. their assets were no longer in plain view. this i am sure due to massive corruption committed by their generals. i could still recall during the golden days of the new society of whom they called corrupt as marcos. in disaster like this, the military could readily display thier amphibious equipment. but last saturday’s ondoy onslaught, they are nowhere to be found. i could readily conclude it is because of corruption. poor filipinos. because of their permissiveness, they suffer a bitter fate
Well written article. I can only say that there is a lesson for us all to learn from what has happened. This brings me back to my boy scout training with the the motto of be prepared always. That's how Americans minimize deaths in disasters like this because of their preparedness and the way they allocate and budget their resources. I hope that our officials in our nation will come to their senses and think in a manner you have so eloquently describe in your article. I can only pray and hope for the best our nation in the future. Yes daghang salamat ondoy you have shown us so many things and to be thankful that despite property destruction, minimum human casualties was also kept to minimum. I am from Misamis Occidental and now a resident of USA but I am always updated with news from our country, the Philippines that I love.
Nice thoughts indeed!! You said it all! May this event bring our politicians to their senses and set their prorities right!! Mat God help our beloved Philippines by renewing the minds of our leaders.In 2010 elections,we hope to have a new set of leaders;leaders ho can't only lead but with compassionate hearts and God-fearing(in the true sense).
Sa kabila ng trahedya, may dapat nga na ipasalamat kay Ondoy. Isang pagmumulat sa mata ng mga Pilipino na matagal nang nakasara. Na ang gobyerno ay walang tunay na malasakit sa sambayanang Pilipino.
Ang kawalan ng kahandaan na iiwas ang mga tao sa nakaambang panganib ay napatunayan sa dami ng buhay at ari-ariang nawala. Ang laking kakulangan sa kasanayan at kagamitan sa pagtugon sa mga taong nasalanta ng bagyo ay nagpapakita ng pagkainutil ng programa ng gobyerno. Dala rin nito ang katanungan kung saan napupunta ang buwis na tapat na inaambag ng mga Pilipino. Sana nga ay ginising tayo ni Ondoy. Sana ay alam na natin kung anong uri ng gobyerno ang nararapat para sa atin lalo na sa pamamagitan ng pagpili ng mga mamumuno sa darating na halalan.
Looking forward this article will reach the common sense of every current concerned public officials and would-be public servants. No reason to wait for disasters, just a mean thinking of "be ready".
Your blog was linked by the New York Times blog
Check it out:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/28/filipinos-document-their-katrina-online/?hp
Mao ra gihapon ang pinas, walay nausob, nasamot pa. Looy kaayo ang mga biktima ni Ondoy. For every disaster, ang mga kawawang pilipino ang nag sa-suffer at walang pakialam ang gobyerno. Imbis ang budget ipalit og mga himan in terms of disasters like this, wala. Useless man na ila budget kay paingon ra tanan sa ilang bulsa! Mao kitang mga pinoy, kita kita ra maneho sa atong kaugalingon kay manghinaw ra man ng gobyerno...tsk..tsk..tsk...
If you figured God already dispensed his mercy; why do you suppose he dispensed his wrath to begin with? Nasa Dyos ang awa pero sya naman ang may gumawa na to
My one centavo suggestion is do not vote for candidates next year who have failed to do their mandate.Also, write, text or email your Congressman to support the passage of the bill on Disaster Preparedness (whatever it is called).Thank you! Lastly, prepare for the next stronger typhoon by having food stashed away, first aid kit, rubber boat, life jackets, flash lights, rechargeable lamps, etc. Organize a group within your community to respond to any emergency!Thank you!
it is really us filipinos to be blamed for all of these circus in our bureaucracy. remember how stupid filipinos put gloria arroyo into power. first was edsa 2 and later the massive cheating committed by crocodile politicians and the power hungry military. now is payback time to the hilt. sorry filipinos. so be wiser next time!
i think there is no need for a bill or a law on disaster preparedness because every province or city has already an action plan to this effect. in fact this is drawn for them to received funds for its implementation during disaster/calamities like that of ondoy. but more often, the funds are pocketed. so, when the time comes for its needs-bokya!
Sir Ramil,
Regarding the Doppler Radar that should be mandatory with our PAGASA, would like to let you know that 2 Doppler Radars were already included in the 2007 National Budget, with a provision for a total of 13 units to be completed by 2010.
All of us should be wondering where that supposed budget went to...
dude.. get your facts straight.. marikina has 6 rubber boats and only marikina do have the complete equipment.. its just that this is too much for everyone..