TYPHOON ONDOY UPDATES
From Sr. Regina Victoria, R.A.
San Lorenzo, Philippine-Thailand Province
Day 1, Sept. 27, 2009
Day 1, Sept. 27, 2009
I’d like to share briefly my personal experience of this unprecedented deluge all over Metro Manila that turned our city into an ocean in less than 6 hours of heavy rainfall. The weather station says that what happened in 1969 in 24 hours happened yesterday in six hours!....The Sisters of the Novitiate moved to the third floor as the water already destroyed the gate and got into the first floor. Our Antipolo sisters were stranded in Cainta, stayed overnight in a fastfood restaurant (no way to get home!) and reached Antipolo only this afternoon. They started relief operations right away.
The Novitiate has been devastated. Our sisters are safe, but the ground floor will need restoration. In Malibay, our alumnae started a water and food brigade so we were able to deliver emergency goods to around 300 families. Everywhere people were cleaning up muddy houses, and so were we in our compound. Anyone’s heart would break at the sight of the damage in the school: books, computers, etc. floating in mud. We just decided to discard many things and build up the library and ground floor again. No water, no telephone lines, no electricity, but no complaints. All worked in joy even with background music from transistor radios. The same situation in Magallanes. This typhoon attacked all sectors of the city. From chaos to blessing is what I call this day. Shared experience of material loss, of mutual care and help, of lightheartedness ran through everywhere. Malibay and Magallanes had no Mass today, Sunday, as the churches had to be cleaned up from layers of mud as well. But the music and laughter everywhere are just as present. I felt that the people were celebrating the Eucharist in the streets and in their neighborhood all day. I am sure their Eucharistic celebrations in church will be more meaningful in the days to come.
We started to receive local & international calls; Family Councils & Alumnae are coming tomorrow. So we’ve organized ourselves in San Lorenzo for better coordination with our sister communities and other Makati-based schools for the relief operations this week. It is so touching to know so many care and we want that care to reach as many as possible. San Simon is all right, so is Boni.
Day 2, Sept. 28, 2009
Today, San Lorenzo was a sea of solidarity. Hundreds of families came to bring goods and lend vehicles to assure that these goods reach as many as possible in Malibay. All gave themselves in great generosity to assure that packages were enough for the day’s needs. By early afternoon, we had more than expected so that we are able to share with Antipolo and San Simon who are also ministering to their neighboring villages. This evening the Ayala-Zobels brought kitchen packages (gas stove and utensils) that will be given to the 500 most direly affected families of Malibay. Really, I can say I’ve seen a glimpse of the Kingdom today! Pinky Valdes presided over the whole operation: students, parents, alumnae, friends, personnel and sisters who worked in a very organized and joyful manner. The same atmosphere reigned in Malibay the whole day.
In Malibay many of us really cried to see a mountain of books and school materials go to the garbage heap. Our sister Silvia coudn’t stop crying as more things went to the dump truck because we can no longer restore them. But the good news is our children and their families are alive and they have the will and the hope to recover soon. I know God is here and will see them through because there are people who care. Today around 650 families were served and tomorrow we expect around 800.
I had time to visit our Little Sisters of the Assumption in the other side of Malibay. They are well and Margaret has access to the internet around the corner already, so she can communicate to her sisters. Isla, where they live, is in a very bad state. They lost one of the schoolchildren in the flood. Pleasepray for them, too. We share what we have with them and the Assumption Fathers are also helping them
Pag-Asa, our weather bureau just announced two incoming typhoons within the week. Please help us storm heaven. Hope with us that they will not fall, and if they do, that they will not bring more damage. Tonight Ondoy’s death toll is at 160 with thousands still missing in Metro Manila alone. I don’t have the figures of other provinces. God must have something in store for our nation in this great purification.
Day 3, Sept. 29, 2009
Classes are cancelled for the whole week in MetroManila. More bodies are discovered as the water-level goes down. Death toll all over the country as of 4 p.m. today is at 282, more than half from Metro Manila. Status reports on damages are beyond our imagination.
I’ve been asked to give status reports, on our “AssumptionOperation Tulong” (Assumption Operation Help). I can’t believe that classes are suspended because of traffic jams outside our gates and along our driveway. Today I realized that indeed Assumption is a school of life. The Assumption family comes to school this week because like Jesus we want to save and give life. I met a very young child who told me how happy she is to work like a cow for those who lost so much.
Pinky Valdes was able to take some pictures yesterday and today. These will be sent by installment to Sr. Marjo who will surely share with all of you. Some shots look dark, as tents have been put up in the open space of Malibay to be able to do our daily work. But they are enough to give you an idea of post-Ondoy activities here.
Today, with more donations, we were able reach out beyond sister-communities. Chiqui Violago and Sr. Sheryl ventured to visit evacuation areas in Pasig, one of the worst-hit areas of Metro Manila. The site gripped their hearts and Chiqui is now back in Pasig to bring a small truck-load of bottled water. Rescue help has not yet reached some areas of Pasig and people haven’t eaten for more than 48 hours. We’ve decided extend our help to some evacuation areas especially this week when we have more than enough food to share.
Sisters Roshni and Junalyn were able to visit San Simon. Our school is in good shape and classes resumed today. But all along the highway to San Simon was like a sea and there will be no rice harvest in many parts. Tomorrow the high school students and faculty will visit the worst-hit areas of Arayat and share the 350 food packages our Sisters brought.
In Malibay our Assumptionist fathers and brothers came to help us minister to 926 families who came for their food packages. Luli A. Bernas sent Malacanang kitchen staff to serve a hefty afternoon merienda for these families. Sr. Fe brought a group of Ambassadors’ wives to the Little Sisters of the Assumption who were overwhelmed by the outpouring of help. The Ambassador of Chile sent us a sack of rice for them, too.
A new typhoon is entering our area of responsibility tomorrow. As we brace for the new threat, we all beg God to spare us further damage. Please join us in this prayer. Meanwhile people, especially the young, are inspired by an 18-year old construction worker who saved 31 lives at the peak of the raging floods and then died of fatigue. Today, the nation is thanking him and the 6 soldiers who also lost their lives saving as many people as possible in dangerous areas last Saturday. We have new martyrs of charity to inspire us in the forthcoming days.
Day 4, Sept.30, 2009
Today e-letters and calls from many friends and alumnae outside Manila abound. We are very touched with the great sense of solidarity. Some “Old Girls” (Assumption alumnae) in other parts of MetroManila and neighboring provinces tell me about their touching experiences as they help through their parish-based organizations or with local government units and television stations. I’ve not heard yet of anyone who is not doing something for others.
There are staff members of San Lorenzo who have been badly hit by Ondoy. It is only today that they start attending to their own needs after three days of generous service. So are our own Sisters of Malibay. There was time today for much-needed medical care and to buy Sisters’ supplies as their basic commodities and footwear were swept away, too. Fe and Ana Maria are attending to them.
Medical missions are ready to serve now to attend to secondary needs in Malibay. At the same time the Alumnae Association is organizing for the rehabilitation phase that will come soon. We are grateful for all those who offered to help in terms of cash. Should you know of friends who want to do bank-to-bank transactions, just let me know because we have $, Euro and Peso Account. Numbers.
Meanwhile relief service continues in Antipolo (helping Angono and nearby areas), San Simon (helping Arayat) and San Lorenzo. Today the overflowing numbers of volunteers and donors continue in San Lorenzo. A house helper brought her own piggy bank coins worth 1,000 pesos! We were able to deliver the 500 family sacks (kitchen ware, mats, blankets, pillows, etc.) for the 500 worst hit families of Malibay. Chiqui Violago was able to borrow 2 army trucks to help her and some Sisters bring goods to critical areas of Marikina and Pasig. Neil and other College staff were able to reach San Mateo, Rizal. These areas have not been reached by any group as they had to take rubber boats and wade through muddy waters still reaching the thighs. Many said, “Thank you! It has been three days that we have not taken rice. We can take hunger, but our children cannot take it anymore.” In Marikina and Pasig, the goods were delivered house to house by Sr. M.Ignatius and High School teachers. Families were so grateful that they have food for two days now without lining up in distribution centers for hours and end up not having anything left.
These things make me imagine how much God labors to give us life. We feel privileged to labor with God. As we serve our own people, we also think and pray for those who are now being hit by Ondoy in Vietnam and by a terrible earthquake and tidal waves in Samoa and Tongga.
This might be my last chronicle for the week as I go back to work at IFRS.
I shall try to resume next week.
Day 5, Oct. 1, 2009
The very first thing I heard over the radio this morning is the request of the inmates of the biggest city jail of Manila to be served only twice a day. As they cannot go out to help, they asked that their third meal be given to evacuees. Suffering can indeed bring out what is beautiful in us. This is what I contemplate each day right here in our land.
Our volunteers who went to Marikina yesterday in Air Force trucks were able to go home only past midnight. Everywhere they went, people were crying for food and they pursued relief operations till way past sunset through dark streets as electricity has not yet been restored in these areas. Today, they went back again, this time with the same trucks and more vans filled with clothes and bottled water. Mud water level is still very high. We don’t know if classes can really resume on Monday, especially in Pasig and Marikina.
Malibay (San Juan Nepomuceno School) immediate relief operations finished today. Yesterday 1, 278 families were served. Today the 500 family sacks were given to the worst hit families in an orderly way. The Sisters and lay staff started with the Gospel of the day: “…and they went out two by two…” so did they, visiting homes as far as they could go, coming home at the end of the day to rest and be still before Jesus in Adoration. There must have been many things that took place in deep silent prayer. The Little Sisters of the Assumption accepted to host the medical mission in Malibay and we forwarded all medicines and pharmaceutical tools to them. SJNS can now start cleaning up and try to be ready for the opening of classes on Monday, hoping and praying that super-typhoon Pepeng will not hit us again. There is a lot to repair, reconstruct, but the teachers know how to resume classes in limited space. Creativity and resilience are God’s gifts to us.
Today, too, my e-mail inbox was full of letters expressing solidarity in many ways. We are receiving more help from our big Assumption family. Sisters Fe and Ana Maria, Pinky Valdes and Milette O. Recto spoke with each other to delineate roles and tasks in the next stage of rehabilitation. Starting tomorrow we will continue to receive donations at the College Lobby. Packaging will continue in smaller scale, but deliveries might wait for a few days. We are aware that big TV stations and politicians are now reaching needy areas with more relief goods. Our San Lorenzo school staff needs time to clean-up and prepare for the opening of classes on Monday.
Monday and the days to come will have many stories to share. I think we need time to reflect on these true stories and hear what God wants to tell. At the same time, live day to day for we don’t know what Pepeng will bring. All we know is that God is with us.
