Why I Won't Forget September 26, 2009

Have you ever had one of those days which seemed to start quite ordinarily, only to find out that the day would be a day of surprises?

It all started with my phone alarm going off at 6:00 AM on September 26, 2009. It was a Saturday, so why was I up so early? I was supposed to have a bazaar the following day. I wanted to get my errands done early for that bazaar.


I checked my to-do list to make sure my itinerary was efficient. I didn't want to be going back and forth as it was raining. Typhoon Ondoy was in the South, and it was raining steadily in Metro Manila. I didn't want to get caught in flooded streets.

First in my list of to-do's was to go to UP to have my flyers photocopied. But since I got caught in traffic along Balara, I decided to skip that and go straight to Marikina to meet with Tita Cora. She was supposed to take me to the hungarian sausage supplier.

I got to Marikina at around 9AM. Since Tita Cora and her daughter were celebrating her daughter's birthday with a Starbucks breakfast, I decided to eat as well.  I went to McDonald's beside the Sports Complex and reviewed my to-do list while enjoying my Big Breakfast and coffee.

At 10AM, Tita Cora picked me up from McDonald's.  However, we had to take a small detour first, she announced. Her helpers called and told her that their bungalow was already flooded inside.

We drove to their house and as soon as we got in, they busied themselves with disconnecting cables from TV's, DVD machines and desktop computers. At that time, the water inside the house was only ankle-deep.

I didn't want to get in the way, so I sat on the sofa and leafed through an Ikea catalogue. However, after a few minutes, I noticed that the waters were rising steadily. I asked Tita Cora how I could be of help.  She gave me instructions and I got to work.

When we got most of their stuff up chairs and tables and kitchen counters and beds, she invited me to go to their other house at the back. We sat there and chatted for a while. However, after about half an hour, her daughter hollered. The bungalow was already knee-deep in water and that most of the stuff we placed on beds were getting wet.

Tita Cora and I rushed back to the other house, only to find their things floating in water--books, shoe boxes, pieces of parquet flooring and whatnot.

This time, the flood water was quickly swelling. We couldn't hold anything down anymore so Tita Cora decided we should take everything to the other house.  The water hasn't reached that area yet.

First, her helpers got the dogs and placed them in the maid's quarters. Then we went back and forth from the bungalow to the 2-storey house and took as much as we could save. But first, we had to turn off the electricity as we didn't want to get electrocuted while moving stuff.

By this time, the water was thigh-high. But just as we thought we were safe in the 2-storey house, water came seeping under the doors. So we had to move the stuff up to the second floor.

We didn't know what time it was anymore. All I remember is that we kept on moving clothes, books, photo albums, documents, TV sets, computers, medicines, and everything else in their closets.

By the way, did I mention that the family had 2 bed-ridden elderly people with them? Tita Cora and her family had been taking care of her husband and her aunt in the 2-storey house. And before the waters could reach dangerous levels, we had to move them upstairs.

I didn't know how 5 females could have possibly lifted 2 people up a flight of stairs, but we did.  Maybe it was adrenaline, but whatever it was that we had gave us strength to do just that.

Finally, by 4PM, we had all the important stuff safely up the second floor. Even the 3 dogs (one of which, by the way, is a huge German shepherd who thinks he is still a puppy!).

After we changed into fresh clothing, we sat down quietly, listening to the rain pound on the roof, while keeping a close watch at how fast the waters were rising. By that time, the flood was up to the 4th step of the stairway. The dining table was floating, so was the refrigerator. Their 3 cars were floating in the garage as well.

Then it was 5PM. It would be getting dark soon. So we ate whatever we were able to salvage from the fridge, mostly energy bars. Later on, we also found chocolate bars and a packet of beef jerky.

All the while, as we were moving furniture and people and stuff, each of us were praying silently. At around 6PM, Tita Cora called us around so we could pray the Rosary together. It was almost dark, and the water was at least 6 feet high downstairs. How high was it outside? Let's just say you would need a motorized rubber boat to get around.

Personally, I didn't know what to pray for anymore.  Safety? In a way, we were safe upstairs. We were dry, we had provisions, and we had each other.  Rescue? Yes, I was hoping that rescuers would come and get us because we didn't know if the waters will still rise. If it did, we only had a few hours before the flood reached us. Peace of mind? I guess. Tita Cora was always mentioning relatives who lived in the area, and wondering whether they were able to go to higher ground or not.

I myself was getting worried about my own apartment.  I had a picture in my mind about my books floating in flood water, with Yoda sitting on top of the dining table, looking helplessly around him while scolding me for not being there.

At some point, I think I even asked God to protect my house and my pet and my stuff while I was away helping another person protect her family and the things that mattered to her.

Finally, at around 10PM, the rains died down completely. The water downstairs was at least 7 feet high already. Everything was quiet outside. It was a blessing that the street lights were on. At least we were not in total darkness. At around midnight, we were able to sleep. Maybe it was because of fatigue, but I guess it was more of the assurance that we will be safe through the night. God will keep us safe.

We got up at 6:30. The sun was up, and the waters seemed to be receding. At around 9, we noticed that the first floor flooring was already visible. We went downstairs to clear up a bit. At 10AM, I had to say goodbye and go home. The water in the streets was knee-high and manageable.

I thought my episode had ended there. Not! Outside, it was pure mayhem! Business establishments were destroyed, fastfood chains were in shambles, cars were on top of each other, there were dead people on the pavement, the traffic was in its worst!

Everywhere you look, people were walking here and there. They seem to be neither coming or going--just walking, moving. I myself had to walk from the Marikina City Hall to Katipunan Avenue. Tita Cora's 2 helpers were with me.

We had to get food for the family, and ice to preserve the milk-based osterized food of the 2
elderly patients. We were almost faint from hunger (the last meal we all had was breakfast of the the previous day) and thirst. Finally, after 2 hours of walking, we were able to sit down a fastfood joint in Katipunan.

We ate quickly, bought food and ice, and I took the 2 helpers to Aurora Blvd. From there, they had to walk back to Marikina. Hopefully, the ice wouldn't melt.  I wished an Army truck would take them in so they wouldn't have to walk far.

As I rode the jeep to UP, I said a prayer for Yolly and Ana, the 2 helpers, that they may arrive safely.  I prayed that Tita Cora and her family will be rescued soon, as her 2 patients need medical attention. I prayed that her other 2 children would be able to fly back to Manila soon so they could be together. I also prayed for God to take away Tita Cora's anxiety, and assure her the He is in control.

Yes, God is truly in control. That was the one assurance that God showed me through this episode.  The floods came without warning, and as easily as the water came, it has receded. As easily as blessing can come, they can also go, just like that. And as easily as God can give us life, He can also easily take life away.

But He can also keep you safe, give you enough for what you need, and if push comes to shove, show you that you don't need much to live in this world. You only need to love much.