Don’t tell me we’re doomed!

It's a little late but I have to do a follow-up of my last post. My wife and two boys arrived in batches the following day, Sunday. They braved the waist high flood to reach the house. Mickey, who was supposed to go to Bulacan Saturday was stranded at Osmeña Blvd., Nitz stayed at the University, and Coby stayed with a friend's friend's condo unit.

Since then, love has been coming our way. While I believe we do not really need relief at this time, friends have been coming and offering help. Mickey's friends at the orchestra came and gave us a gas tank, a sack of rice and other goodies Monday brought to us by his friend, Bob Brillante and his friend. This morning, my eldest's company, represented by their HR gave out several donations, too. I also received a message from Trudy and Stephe, Arlene's children, offering help. We all had a tear in our eyes when Trudy said "consider it as a gift from mom!" Arlene is by far the most generous person I have ever known and now, even her children are showering us with so much. I don't know if I can even reciprocate such friendship. While we do need some supplies are these were about to be depleted soon, we plan to share our blessings to relatives who have been victims of the calamity. My siblings in Marikina, for one, needs help I'm sure, although they have not asked for anything at all. My wife's brother's house was also heavily inundated.

It’s been days since typhoon Ondoy struck Luzon and still the country is barely able to address the pressing demands for relief for the victims. And to think typhoon Ondoy did not hit Manila in its full intensity. It was just a signal number two alert. As a matter of fact, CHED never called off classes relying on PAGASA (which also means hope in tagalog or the lack thereof) saying that it wasn't a full blown typhoon yet. The downpour was very heavy though that the clogged flooding system in the city just cannot contain the onslaught of water. We have known this to be a fact since the seventies and still we have not done anything. Squatters still live miserably along river banks, the river is still plagued with the city’s debris of chemicals and toxic wastes. However, we cannot blame this malady to just the squatters alone but the whole Filipino populace as well. We have been complacent and passive. To say the least, we had it coming. We have known the benefit of proper garbage disposal, segregation of waste, the ill effects of using styrofoam and plastic but we do not heed. No matter what we say, people are still wantonly throwing their wastes irresponsibly. We still think that laws are made for others while we are exempt from it.

Let’s face it. Manila is not ready to face a calamity. We rely heavily on the private sector to aid us in the most trying of times. Government do not have the capability to address a major catastrophe. Too bad for we are situated in a land where calamities are wont to strike anytime. We lie in a very unsteady earthquake belt and typhoon infested zone and yet we do not do anything about it. It would interest you to see what I discovered in facebook.

I saw a video clip of a committee hearing the impeachment complaint being railroaded by the majority members.