BY MINNIE QUEMUEL
SPECIAL REPORT
Las Pinas, Metro Manila, Philippines, Sunday, September 27, 2009
The rains started even before 8 a.m. last Saturday. I was awake and was supposed to wash clothes but didn’t.
The rains fell hard and next thing I knew, the bridge connecting Phase 1 (us) to Phase 2 was under water, kaya pala a long line of vehicles was lining up in front of our house, they couldn't see the bridge. The water outside was already knee deep, and it’s a good thing may pader kami, kung hindi, pumasok na ang tubig sa bahay.
After several minutes, passing tricycles (ito na lamang ang pwedeng lumusong sa baha) would push debris to our garage. The debris/basura came from the nearby creek.
I was dumbfounded to know that the Project 8 house (remember the Quemuel house?) was under water and all my in-laws had evacuated to higher grounds....WALA silang nadala. The water rose that fast. The Q house is near a creek, too.
Meanwhile, my youngest brother who lives in Sta. Mesa, was crying for help—the water had submerged the first floor of their house and they fled to the second floor—WALA rin silang nadalang kasangkapan. He has three young children and his elderly in laws lived next door.
I was desperately contacting all government agencies, the Red Cross, the radio/TV stations—but to no avail. Busy lahat. The rains continued until almost 6 p.m.
Nakakatakot. This is the first time that the whole Metro Manila and nearby provinces went under!!! Nataranta ang gobyerno—and the local governments are not prepared for such a big disaster.
In a certain subdivision in Marikina, rescuers found dead people who had climbed to their roofs but couldn’t stand the cold or fell to the waters.
On TV, there was a group of people (relatives maybe) who were atop a roof that had dislodged from the main house and was carried away by rampaging waters in Marikina!!! Horrific—in front of you, you see people needing help, but you couldn’t do anything. Namatay yata ang lahat na iyon. They couldn’t have survived those angry waters.
I was praying na huminto na ang ulan, kasi kung hindi, we will evacuate—on foot! Wala akong kotse at walang sasakyan dito like jeep, bus, or taxi na dumadaan Digoy (2nd son) was in their subdivision and couldn’t come, kasi baha din ang dadaanan niya at hindi pwede ang kotse niya.
Tootsie (1st son) was already on alert with his two young daughters (aged 4, and another, 7 months) and wife in case they also had to evacuate on foot. The water in front of their house was already waist high! Tumirik na ang aming Pinoy jeep (all of 38 years na ito!).
All of us were on edge. We kept texting each other and sisters from abroad were texting too. Yung mga kapatid ko sa Japan and States were panicking—they wanted to know what was happening.
All of us here were mesmerized by the visuals before us—buti na lamang may koryente. Hindi naman kasi malakas ang hangin. I couldn't bring relief goods to my in laws and brod, baka bukas na kapag wala na ang baha.
That is the latest muna.
AFTERMATH: Tuesday, September 29
Among the relatives, itong youngest brod ko ang tinamaan—lahat ng kasangkapan niya, sira na kasi nababad sa tubig sa first floor nila. Yung in-laws ko ang hardest hit kasi they had to evacuate when the water rose while they were watching “Wowowee.” Buti na lang may back door sila. But all they had were the clothes on their back. Sila itong tinutulungan ko kahit pakonti-konti. (MQ)
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
For more information on typhoon aftermath and Relief Sites:
1) A map that helps the victims of Ondoy/Ketsana: http://baratillo.net/
2) Alerts and information (updated): Manuel L. Quezon III—The Daily Dose
http://www.quezon.ph/category/daily/
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