It was a very sad and tragic day for the Philippines and the Filipinos. On September 26, 2009, typhoon Ondoy hit Metro Manila, Southern and Central Luzon with such magnitude of waters that caused flashfloods and inundated the area with tons of floodwaters up to the rooftops of most houses.
We were also hit by floodwaters in Bocaue, Bulacan. Water was waist deep inside our house and five to six feet in the streets outside. Good thing we transferred to a house with a 2nd floor still remembering our sad experiences with another typhoon and flashflood two years ago where we lost almost half of our hard earned resources. We were marooned at the 2nd floor of our house and was without power for two days. Only when we got our power back that we learned about the devastation brought about by typhoon Ondoy to our countrymen in Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan and Pampanga.
The devastation, death and destruction were so overwhelming that I could not help but cry when I saw the video footages of it all. Ondoy was no respecter of persons. Both rich and poor, young and old, male and female suffered the brunt of that typhoon. Scenes of people crying atop their rooftops shivering in cold and darkness, of people trying to wade through chest deep rampaging waters, of the heroic deeds of soldiers and volunteers who helped saved the stranded victims even at the cost of their own lives.
My losses were minimal compared to those who lost everything including their very lives. Ah, how I remembered when two years ago my family and I fought our way against similar raging waters to seek refuge to a neighbor's house with two floors as we abandoned our one storey house to the mercy of the elements. But the Filipino spirit is undaunted. The resiliency of the Filipino people was there. Tons of donations started pouring in and thousands of volunteers offered help to the victims. Tons of dirt, wreckages, debris, dead people and muddied vehicles littered the streets. It was a cathartic experience for the Filipinos. God showed the dirt and filth of the collective soul of Filipinos as typhoon Ondoy showed and washed away the collective morass of filth and dirt. And we can only hope for a better future where Filipinos will be united and help their brother Filipinos to rise above their woes.
Tags: Philippines, Filipinos, Typhoon Ondoy, Flashfloods, Floodwaters, Devastation, Death, Suffering, Hunger, Deprivation, Catharsis, Soldiers, Victims, Volunteers, Donations, Magnitude of Destruction, Calamity, Drama, Lives and Properties, Resiliency, Hope, Filipinos Unite
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Current Events/Drama
26 comments:
mel!!!
i'm so glad you are okay. i was texting you since saturday. was wondering how your were.
i texted you again yesterday. didn't know if you got it. i was just chatting with sylvia and told her that you might be affected too because bulacan was also badly hit.
let me know if you need anything. i'd be glad to help.
I was thinking about you when I heard this bad news.
It is so sad.... my heart is broken.
I pray for you Mel and for your family and for those who were affected by this terrible Typhoon Ondoy.
I'll be glad to help you too, please put 'donation' in your blog.
I feel bad about who lost their lives from this tragic moments. I am glad however, that noone hurt with my loveones in Cavite
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Mel, you have my prayers for you, your family and those many who are suffering so much from this terrible disaster. Since the typhoon, there has been so much upheaval in the world--earthquakes, tsunami--sometimes all we can do at a distance is pray in our small way, but with the faith that joining together in loving wishes will change the world...just a little bit! And thanks for all you do--it does not go un-noticed.
Hi Mel - I am sorry that you are going through that but glad that you are all alright. Also that you all came through the other one.
Life has so many blessings but things can change like that.
i was feeling a little down but certainly there are much more important things.
The human spirit... especially God inspired is amazing.
the news for some reason is getting to me tonight.
War, earthquakes and in my country.. I feel like our morals are becoming backwards for too many. Movie stars that don't think that Polanski guy did anything wrong by drugging and raping a 13 yr old girl, a very misguided lifestyle cartoon shown to young school children in California, our American empire state building lit up red at night honoring communist day or something in China,??? Innocent school kids being killed by gangs, taxes, the economy, health care. So much negative news.
I do pray that you will all be well... and no more typhoons.
I know it is good to remember that no matter what... God *is* in charge.
I know not all of it is new news... but for some reason feel especially grieved by it tonight.
bro, let's continue to pray.
Hi sis Pia,
Thank you so much for your concern. God bless you more for that. I'm sorry that I was not able to answer your text messages since there was no power in Bocaue since the start of the typhoon and we could not charge our cell phones. There was also no signal so it was useless even if our phone was charged. My cell phone also got wet and damaged and I only recently have it fixed. We are okay now although there were anxious moments during the storm since water was already waist deep inside our house and shoulder or up to the head deep in the streets. Good thing we were able to transfer to a house that has a 2nd floor. Our former house in a nearby subdivision was inundated with water up to the rooftop. Praise the Lord that He shielded us from that calamity. We are okay now and preparing for another storm that may come our way. But with the grace of God I know we will survive all trials. Thanks for your visit and concern. God bless you always.
Hi Krystyna,
Thank you so much. I know I can always count on your prayers. Thanks for the offer of help but my God will supply all our needs according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Your prayers and concern are more than enough my friend. God bless you more for that. It is so heartwarming to see friends who are concerned about me. It is more than enough reward for me for my blogging efforts. Thank you so much for your visit and expression of support. I really appreciate that. God bless you always my friend.
Hi Tey,
Nakakakilabot talaga ang sinapit nang napakarami nating kababayan. Hanggang ngayon ay sobrang haba pa rin ang pila sa mga nagbibigay ng relief goods. Gutom na gutom ang mga tao. Please pray for them my friend.
Thanks for your visit and comments. God bless you always.
Hi Firebird,
Yes, the world is entering into some stages of convulsions and we can only pray that we be spared from these natural calamities. I think that what people need most are prayers especially for the transformation of characters so that our world will be a better place to live in. I am also well aware of your noble efforts in your meaningful posts. Thanks for your visit and expression of sympathy. God bless you always.
Hi Seaspray,
Don't feel down and depressed because of the sad and bad news coming out of the papers everyday. As you say, God is still in control. And He allows all these things to happen so that people will stop doing foolish things and instead harness their energy to godly things. It is no wonder that what you said (the bad news) are happening in the US. People must return to the Lord on whom your country was founded by your original founding fathers. And we can all pray for that intention. I still believe that prayer is still the most potent weapon in the hands of man. He just have to humble himself and acknowledge the Lord. Thanks for your visit and meaningful comments my friend. God bless you always.
Hi sis Pia,
Yes, I am always praying for all of us. Thanks for the reminder. God bless you always.
Thanks God you and your family are okay KuyaM! Ondoy left Filipinos a devastating scar but with God's might help, I am sure that everyone will get through it.
I remember when typhoon sisang wiped away our house into the ocean which almost killed four of my family members but thanks God, He is always watching over us!
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Rose and I were watching some video clips of the typhoon Ondoy and it is scary to see that the flood is washing away the cars and there are people on top of it. May God bless all of you with much strength to face this challenges. We'll be praying for you Sir Mel!
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How are you Mel?
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Hi Rose,
I always trust God in all situations. He never left us nor has forsaken us. That experience of your family whereby your house was swept to the sea and your siblings almost lost their lives was indeed a very traumatic experience. Thanks God you survived that ordeal. My family and I are fine. Nothing to worry about. Thanks for your visit and words of comfort. I appreciate that. God bless you always.
Hi John,
Thank you so much. Your prayers are most welcome. Filipinos are very resilient. We will surely overcome this national tragedy. Thanks for your visit and kind words. I do appreciate that. God bless you always.
Hi Krystyna,
I am very fine my dear friend. Thank you so much for your prayers. I appreciate that very much. God bless you always.
dear mel..
i emailed you the other day and i figure i had better come here to see how you are.
i was so sorry to learn only this week about the devastation in your country.
reading the comments at crown of beauty's i heard of it.
i am sorry that i could not come then to visit you but you have been on my mind and i am glad that you are ok...so sad about the people who weren't as fortunate mel...so so sad!
please know that i am praying for you and knowing you, i can only imagine the ways that you will use this tragedy to speak to some dear souls.....love terry
Hi Terry,
So sorry that I was not able to answer your email. We were without electricity and internet for almost a week. My family and I are all okay by the grace of God. I was not afraid though since I know that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Thanks for your visit and message of concern. I really appreciate that. God bless you always.
Typhoons usually hit Southeast Asian countries around this time of the year but I think the typhoons are becoming incresingly stronger and ferocious. A couple of years back, my workplace collected donations for typhoon victims in Asian countries. I hope many people would open up their wallets and hearts to help the Phillipine's victims. My prayer goes out to those that have lost their lives and to many who are struggling to back on their feet.
Hi Rose Belle,
Thank you so much for your prayers and your kind words. They are very much appreciated. Thanks for your visit and comforting comments. God bless.
My prayers are with you, your family and community. I think I heard on the news that your community recently went through yet another tragedy. I do question your belief that God is punishing the masses for the collective sins. I do believe that God sees the heart of all people. He does not look at us as we do. Surely there is good and God in all his creation.
Blessings my brother in spirit. Again, my prayers are with you and yours.
Peace, Light and Love, Cordieb.
Hi Cordieb,
Thank you for the words of comfort. We have different views on how things happen to be. My views are always Biblical. I will never question your own point of view. You are entitled to them. Thanks for your visit and comments. God bless.
Of course. I suppose I find this issue somewhat personal because of a Hurricane that occured here that affected so many...I heard many such comments that it occured because God was punishing. But I do understand your views too; and if they are Biblical, then perhaps you are right. I feel very bad for even questioning this; especially on such a peaceful, god-loving site as yours. Blessing in abundance!
Hi Cordieb,
I never want to argue with anybody. That is counter productive and unBiblical too. I never said that God was punishing the Filipinos. What I meant was God was exposing the spiritual conditions of the Philippines as a nation . He has done that with Israel so many times. Since the Philippines was prophesied by Cindy Jacobs to be the next Gospel capital of the world who will evangelize the whole world, God has to move the Filipinos to mend their wicked ways and return back to His fold. As it is, the Philippines has been declared as the most corrupt country in Asia yet Filipinos pride themselves to be the only Christian nation in Asia. It is my fervent hope that the Filipinos will rise from the quagmire of their self inflicted moral degradation and grinding poverty. I really appreciate your views and I wish you well. The peace of the Lord be with you always.
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