Sendong devastates Northern Mindanao

Thursday, December 15, I had heard that a typhoon is coming. Northern and Northeastern Mindanao were already placed under Storm Signal # 1.

The following morning, both parts of Mindanao were already under Storm Signal # 2. Automatically there will be no classes for both Elementary and High School. Since it was cloudy during that day, I heard no classes were suspended. It was not a typical Storm Signal # 2 atmosphere. The weather was like a regular cloudy day in Northern Mindanao. Reason that people just continued to do their daily routines. Reason, perhaps, that rescue and disaster prevention teams were not yet mobilized. People were holding Christmas parties around the city.  It was DTI-10 Christmas Party.

In the afternoon, at around 4PM, rain started to pour. It was a kind of rain that you won’t even think it can flood Corrales Avenue. And it never flooded the street. No strong winds were observed though there were showers of rain from time to time. It was no longer raining when I reached home at around 7PM.

Strong wind started to blow before midnight and the light went out. I am used to typhoon wind. Typhoon wind in Surigao is stronger than the wind brought by Sendong. I was observing the wind direction since I was taught by my father that changes in wind direction is a sign of typhoon going away. I was afraid that if the rain won’t stop our subdivision will get flooded. Fortunately, there was no rainwater flooding the street.

Come morning, typhoon gone. I am an early riser because our cute little girl usually wakes up at 4AM. I checked the streets and there were no signs of flood. I surveyed the creek near the subdivision, water level was not alarming.

Then I wondered why our faucet is no longer working that early. Thought it was just another tantrum of COWD’s operators. I never realized that Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City were badly hit by Sendong.

It was the call of my neighbor to someone that prompted me to listen to the radio. There was no electricity and water yet. It was only then that we knew that a disaster had struck CDO and Iligan City. But we cannot assess the magnitude of the damage of the flood based on radio reports. We knew that most of the times radio reporters exaggerate their reporting.

From time to time we listened to the radio just to get an update if the road from the west going to CDO City is already passable. Since we have stored water, wifey had our baby’s dirty cloths laundered. In the afternoon, they decided to go to Limketkai Center to buy shoes for Nico. It was only then they realized how large the extent of the damaged typhoon Sendong had brought to the city. They were stuck in the middle of traffic. Had difficulty of getting meals from some Jollibee outlets. Had a hard time of getting a cab in going home.

Fortunately, they were able to get a cab which is owned by a resident in the subdivision. The driver told them what he went through during the flood. He was with his family at Macahan. Flood water rose quickly from knee deep to the second floor of the house, he relayed.

Electricity went back at 7:00PM but there was no water. News reports mentioned that a transmission line of the bulk water supplier of COWD got wash away by the huge flood. It would take them a week to a month time to replace the transmission line. The water supply on the west side of the city is totally crippled. And I live on this side of the city.

Sunday came. We only have a pitcher of drinkable water. But water for washing and comfort room use was already running out. I had checked the old water line I used to get water; it was not working. There is no option but to get water from the water spring near Phase 3 of the subdivision.

Fortunately, a new water spring was found and it gives more water than the old one. There is a long queue but water containers get filled faster. The only problem we have at the subdivision is supply of drinkable water. Stores are running out of stock.

We are still thankful that we didn’t get flooded. It would have been a different story and a more difficult situation especially that we have a 4-month old baby. Thank you. Lord, for sparing my family from the tragedy.

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photos are from reuters and robstroy.com

Zyza’s 1st Airplane Ride

The farthest place my less than a year old pretty little girl was able to visit is our home province, Surigao del Sur. Her first escapade, however, is in Davao City. Just barely 4-month old, she already has her first airplane ride while I had mine in my 20s already. Her mother had hers when she was already 26 years old.

I was expecting that Zyza will have trouble during the flight but she totally behave differently. I was holding her tight during take off and she just hold tightly on my fingers. I noticed she took a deep breath when the plane lifted the tarmac.

We experienced some turbulence when we were approaching Davao City but our baby’s face registered no untoward reactions. I surmise that it was because she is already used to bumpy rides.

Fortunate enough we encountered no trouble during the entire flight. I was afraid that she may be affected by air pressure during the flight. This is a common problem of the passengers. We had her sucked on her feeding bottle, I think it did help.

We noticed her tummy shrunk during landing. She is accustomed to this since she had already rode on cars even she was still a 2-week old baby. She didn’t cry. She was even smiling after the landing.

Si Budoy at si Buntis

This is a case of Filipino superstitious belief and the now high rating teleserye, Budoy, of ABS-CBN.

The teleserye highlights the case of a special child being played by Gerald Anderson as Budoy. Budoy is a happy person who wants nothing but to make other people happy. The show tackles the issue of a special child living in the community. It touches on the society’s acceptance of undeniable reality existing around our midst.

The said TV program is making a buzz among people in the neighborhood. You can hear people mimicking Budoy’s mannerism. People are even heard saying, “Be happy, be Budoy!” or “Ako Budoy!”

It was amazing how the Filipino audience accepted the program. I just wonder how the parents, husbands, and pregnant women react to the show. We are a country of many superstitious beliefs particularly for pregnant women. Would the parents or husband have their preggy wifey watched such show? Would preggy women be glued to the idiot box like they always do with shows like “100 days to Heaven” and so on?I am asking these questions because of a Filipino pamahiin that by watching Budoy the baby may turn out like Budoy. Like we use to associate the mother’s cravings during pregnancy to the attitude, color, etc of the child. Say, if the mother craves for buko, the child will be born with fair complexion. If she likes cat’s eyes, her baby will get the color of the pet’s eyes. Or if she is a fan of Kristine Reyes, her baby would have Kristine Reyes’ dimples.

I just wonder!

Analyzing Pacquiao-Marquez III

Manny Pacquiao, the fighting congressman of the Philippines, won controversially the Pacquiao-Marquez III, as many pundits say. Based on the punches thrown and landed, Pacman surely won but is winning totally based on said numbers? No, it is the computer who did the punch counting. Judges doesn’t score based on the number of punches but on how this punches were delivered by the fighters and its effect on the receiving boxer.

I am a Pacman fan and a true blooded Filipino. My opinion on the fight outcome, however, is it should have been a draw. Of course, I always want our Pacquiao to win. The first four rounds were like watching a boxing play of two young school boys. It was always a war in the ring when Pacman is in it, particularly in the early rounds but you have not seen that. There was no need to test the boxers’ power since this is their third meeting.

Why Pacman was not able to send Marquez kissing the floor? The answer is so simple. Marquez had worked hard to make his knee stronger like steel. He hardened his chin like IronMan so no punches of PacMan are powerful enough to send him crashing on the floor. Most of all, he just wanted to kiss his wife not the canvass.

Why it was not an impressive fight of PacMan? Simply because we are used to see mayhem in the ring when PacMan is inside the box. We saw it as a friendly match. We saw it as a pillow fight in the luxury hotel in the Sin City.

Generally, I saw the Pacquiao-Marquez III as Bob Arum’s ploy to Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather won over Marquez in their last meeting. Marquez did not win a single round in that fight. This is an invitation to Mayweather to fight PacMan. It is like, “if Pacquiao can’t finish Marquez, you did. Then, fight Pacquiao now!”

But let us not raise our hope so high for the megabuck clash between PacMan and Mayweather. Like the earth’s weather system, Floyd is so fluid to change his mind. We know the storm is brewing but would Floyd bring it on with Pacman? He still chooses where the storm will take the land fall.

Nonetheless, a boxing fight has only three judges. We, audience, can’t decide who should win or lose. One judge scored it as a draw. The other two judges favored Pacquiao. Whether we like it or not (impress or not) it’s the PacMac who won the fight according to the judges. The judges’ decision is always final.

Zyza’s 1st Trip to Surigao

Who does not love to visit the province?

It is nice to be home to the town where you grew up. It is good to be back to the province where you were born. And because of the long weekend, my family decided to go home to Surigao del Sur.

This is our first long trip with our baby in tow and my baby’s fist trip to her parents’ beloved province. Who does not love Surigao del Sur with its splendid tourists destinations, cool climate, and abundant fresh sea foods?

Since it was our first trip, we were worried that our baby may have trouble on the road for it would be a very long trip, almost 12-hour land trip. And we were commuting on a public utility bus since we don’t have a car.

Our first stop was Butuan City. We left at 8AM from Cagayan de Oro City. We had encountered no trouble while on our way Butuan City since we were on-board an aircon bus. She was asleep almost the entire trip. We arrived at noon.

After lunch, around 1PM, we left for Tandag City in Surigao del Sur on board a deluxe bus since there were no aircon bus scheduled to our destination. Aircon bus trips to Tandag City are during 1AM and 10AM only. We arrived at San Francisco, Agusan del Sur at 4PM, travel time is supposed to be 1 hour and 45 minutes or 2 hours at most. Zyza was not complaining yet.

Then the bus left for Tandag City, arriving there at around 8PM. We should supposed to arrive there at around 6PM. Distance covered by Butuan City-Tandag City is actually similar to the distance covered by Cagayan de Oro City-Butuan City. Butuan City is 198 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City while Tandag City is 207 kilometers away from Butuan City.

The trip from San Francisco to Tandag was no longer pleasant. Our baby was already exhausted by the long travel plus the bus driver cramped his bus with too many passengers. Passengers had occupied the alley and were packed like sardines. From Lianga down to San Agustin, Zyza continued to shout wild cries and couldn’t be appeased. Fortunately, she fell asleep when we were in Marihatag.

In our return trip, we decided to take an aircon bus bound for Davao City; took an aircon bus bound for Butuan City at San Francisco Bus Terminal. Then, had a connecting aircon bus for Cagayan de Oro City. It was a less troublesome trip back home; only that we had to transfer more.

Lesson learned. On our next trip to Tandag City scheduled this holiday season, it is just right to take an aircon bus from Butuan City to San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. From there, it would be wised to hire an aircon van bound for Tandag City.