Chronicle From the Night of Sendong: Foolish, Yet Awakening I'd Say

2011-12-31T07:23:00.005-05:00

The night of December 16, 2011, the time when I almost lost six of my family, 3 of my cousins, and 3 of my titos and titas whom I consider my second parents. It was on a Friday, night of December 16, 2011, when for the first time in my life, I ever thought of giving up on life. It was foolish, yet awakening I’d say.

As early as 7pm, I was knocked off to sleep by my migraine. I texted my tita Lali (Tita Aye) how I could no longer get out of the house and have dinner. My tita Lali, tito AG, and their children lived in a house just adjacent to where I stay. I have been practically living alone in this older house for the past 4 years, with my grandparents and aunt tita Dra. Apas and her family staying in at least once a week; and it always had to be on Fridays. Alhamdulillah, my grandparents and tita Dra. Apas did not make it in Iligan that Friday night. But in a way that saved my life, her husband tito Atty. Bos and their daughter Shams came over to stay overnight. I was awakened from my sleep by tito Bos at around 11pm when he called for me to open the door for them. We both could not get back to sleep from thereon. I turned on my laptop instead and browsed the web for updates as to the weather. It was raining hard that night, the wind was beyond furious. My Ome (mother), Owah, called to check, out of worry, cause she she knew our area gets usually flooded. Tita Aye then texted me warning about the water level in the garage, that it was already knee level. That was not any peculiar to us, however. I still went outside to check and was surprised to see tito Bos looking after his car. The rain was nightmarish. I couldn’t sleep, thus I allowed myself be entertained by my laptop before there was blackout by 12 midnight. And because it was too hot without an electric fan, I knew it would be a long struggle to sleep. I decided then to watch a few episodes of my favorite TV series until I’m lulled to sleep and my laptop’s battery drained. It was supposed to be one of those Friday nights when I would just spoil myself to the pleasure of a TV series marathon with a bar of Twix chocolate on one side.

Then my phone rang. It was Tita Aye screaming out of intense fear. They were already fighting against the strong waters in the other house. The floodwater was running too fast only for me to find out it was already knee level as I got out of the bed. There was total darkness, making the increasing level of water escape my notice. I then hurried fast to my Tito Bos and woke him up. Cause I thought it was going to be no higher than thigh-level, I busied myself lifting up a few of our home appliances, my laptop, my shoes, to name a few. I even thought of lighting up a candle, but before I could even find one, the water was already waist-level. That’s when Tito Bos decided we rush out of the house fast. We couldn’t open the front door for the water was already crouching in from outside. There was a small open in that door where the water was coming through. I could swear to God it looked like a beast ready to kill its prey, us. Then we rushed to the back door, when to our hopelessness, could not be opened as it was already too heavy to pull. Back to the front door again, where the water turned out to be more impossible to swim through. Back to the back door again, and to my surprise, it opened a small inch wide. A firewall just across the door fell down, thus releasing the pressure. It was one of the many miracles that night.

Tito Bos, Shams, and I monkey barred to this corner of a broken wall, clinging only to these thin wires we had for drying clothes in the backyard. For a few while, we were continuously screaming “Tabang!”(Help!). We were submerged into the water while some of our neighbors were already on the roof. We even tried to check on the other house for Tita Aye and her family, but it was already impossible for us to do so. The current was too strong, water level too high. Not long before Tito AG suddenly voiced out from the roof. Alhamdulillah, they were all safe from the other house. Tito AG, Tita Aye, Nona, and Anya (2-year old) had to struggle their way to the roof as well. It was then time for the three of us to climb the roof. Tito AG reached for Shams, a 4-year old strong girl. She was not even crying; then came my turn. I was not too confident I could cross towards the roof with only a frail bamboo tree to depend on. I was afraid I might cause it to fall or break, and that will only drown me in the waters. That was all I had imagined. But then at those very times, one would need all the optimism one could possibly have, one just have to do whatever it takes to survive. So I jumped into the roof side and got hold of tito AG’s and our neighbor’s hand. They were both trying to pull me up, but it was almost impossible. They couldn’t grab any farther than my hand, I was too heavy, and I could not do my part of pushing my body up. I got too exhausted and even asked them to let me go and that I will go back to the corner and try again. I looked back and I knew it was impossible. There can be no second takes. I kept on kicking my legs up and up, until I found this edge of the roof which helped me climb my way up. Tito Bos did also the same before he got muscle cramps in his leg, thus disabling him to climb the roof. He was submerged in the water from 2am-6am, holding on to this steel in a broken firewall and to a money tree at the same time. While Tito Bos was fighting his spirits up and his body stamina all at the same time, the rest of us were all praying in the roof and calling for help. We were able to phone my mom, my stepdad, my uncle, and our grandparents, but they were all just as helpless. No one could rescue us without facing the risk of dying as well. My stepfather Elian was able to swim towards us, but couldn't get any farther from the street. It was also too dark. We could only pray the rain would stop. For almost 5 hours, we dwelled into the wind, the darkness, the cold, in fear, hunger, and despair. We were rescued by stepfather's workers at around 7am.

For the first part, they say, we’d feel relief that we are alive, that we survived. Then for the next part we feel depressed over the loss of the things that used to define our everyday habits. We’d long for the comfort of our room, our house. We’d miss home. But then it came to me, we may have lost our most important belongings that night, but nothing could me more important than a life. Alhamdulillah Ya Allah for giving me the strength and courage that night, for showing me how powerful a prayer can do. I look at our roof now and only God knows how I was able to climb it up. I look at my bruises and wounds, but then I think of those who have suffered more. We lost a house, but many lost not only a house but a home, a family. All those material things can be replaced with much better ones. I think of all my books that I lost, my MacBookPro, my most treasured gadgets, my certificates of achievement, but nothing will be a testament of my true strength and wealth but my faith in You Ya Allah.

Thank you to all my aunts, uncles, friends, and relatives who showed their love and sincerity. It was very humbling to receive clothes, food, and even cash. Your prayers, most importantly, helped us in our fast recovery. It has been two weeks as I speak of that night, and I can say I am almost fully recovered, Alhamdulillah. It was a near death experience, “sumyagad kami sa kapapatay” as how we’d say it in our native tongue, but the tragedy nevertheless strengthened my faith in Allah, in myself, and my love for my family. Alhamdulillah!

I may have been slowly recovering a few belongings, found a new shelter, but I continue to pray to the other victims of the typhoon who continue to bear their own loss.

And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the patient, Who says, when afflicted with calamity: “To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return”: They are those on whom (descend) Blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

(Baqarah 2:155-157)

dining area
the back door
notice the level of water
my room
Photo taken by my Tito before he could rescue us. That's the seven of us in the green roof.
At the back of the house, the corner where Tito Bos and I were able to swim into.

Zeitgeist 2011: Year In Review

2011-12-26T07:08:00.000-05:00

Zeitgeist 2011: Year in Review (Zeitgeist-"the spirit of the times")

2011-11-19T08:37:00.002-05:00

You are your biggest inspiration.

Continued: When Accountancy Meets Diplomacy

2011-11-06T21:02:00.001-05:00

Participants from 264 universities come from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Other States. The 8 schools from the Philippines who were able to send delegate/s were Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines-Diliman, University of the Philippines-Manila, University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, St. Scholastica’s College-Manila, and the MIndanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.

It was only last year, after participating in the 2010 Boston Model Arab League that I have developed the enthusiasm for the lively, passionate debate that is common in MUN simulation. GMUN provides an amazing opportunity to both learn about the UN’s capacity to make real change and meet new friends from around the globe. I am amazed by the melting pot of cultures a MUN conference can create, the beauty within and beyond the diversity. I believe MUN forces an individual out of his/her comfort zone as for the past two MUN’s I’ve been to, I took all the guts and pleasure to perform Meranao cultural dance, one thing I have never done even in my own university. Simply put, GMUN not only did bring intelligent ideas and minds work together, but became an avenue for cultural understanding as well. Understanding is a prerequisite of peace. I come home with over 600 new friends from all continents, love and appreciation for Korean culture, and the renewed motivation and inspiration as a youth ambassador.

heaven--right smack in the middle of hell.

Chronicle From the Night of Sendong: Foolish, Yet Awakening I'd Say

Zeitgeist 2011: Year In Review

Continued: When Accountancy Meets Diplomacy