The Wrath of Ondoy

"OH...CRAP...!!! Ang laking damage. GRABE!!! Lalim ng tubig. Mga kotse nagpapatungpatong. Ang daming bahay na natabunan ng baha. Nakakaawa naman. Mga bata't matatanda, nilalamig at nagugutom. Grabe talaga si Ondoy!!!" This is how I reacted when I saw the news the other night.

A heartbreaking tragedy that brought destruction to many. An unruly calamity that made a lot to suffer. A vicious disaster that took away so many lives. A wicked nightmare that will forever haunt the casualties.

It was during the night and the people were asleep when Ondoy chose to strike its madness. The noise of the heavy rain brought by the said typhoon might have awaken some of the residents. But it was the flood that was building up at a fast pace alarmed the entire neighborhood. Panicked, people tried to save their families, their stuffs, their home. Many were so blessed to have survive the entire night of sudden misfortune. But some were unfortunate to make it to the next sunrise.

But for those who were fated to live, their sufferance was not over yet. They may have made it through but the absence of the necessary commodities started to become a burden. And what adds up to it is that families are missing lives. Lives that got apart. Lives that, until now, has no surety if they would turn up freezing but breathing or they would end up in the morgue as cold stiff corpses.

Ondoy did not just took so many from the people but also left a mark. A mark of agony, pain and suffering. A mark that, like a scar, would forever be a reminder to the victims that they once fought against nature's wrath for their sake to live.

Ondoy may have been unkind to the human realm but it also showed one thing to the people. The occurence of such tragic happening is a clear visual that we can never be assured of our security here on earth. May we be rich or poor, an icon or just a commoner. When nature strikes its wrath, money is of no value. When nature moves, we are all equal beings.

So, for us who are so blessed to be spared by the onslaught, we should all bring out the "bayanihan" trait that Filipinos are known for. We should all be united in giving out a huge helping hand to those in need. May it be in monetary, in kind or in prayer. Whatever we do to reach out to these victims, however we do it, it would be a great help for these lives to stand up and start anew.