(Warning: This is a rather sentimental entry)
Today is National Heroes Day.
Today, many Filipinos lost their homes, some unfortunately, their loved ones as well.
Today is Disaster Recovery Day for the country.
Many good-hearted and brave citizens/ rescue volunteers are still out there as of this writing, continually risking their own lives to save other’s lives. They are the deserving heroes this day should be dedicated to.
If it wasn’t for the evening news, I will not be aware of how much devastation yesterday’s typhoon had inflicted on so many helpless people in the South. To me, a clueless city girl, it was just the usual heavy rains. Continuous heavy rains throughout the day, during (fortunately) a non-working holiday. Hell I even went shopping till late last night.
Now I feel so ashamed and guilty.
While I watch all the news reports and video coverage showing what those poor people in Infanta and Real in Quezon went through last night, I felt so blessed. While I was peacefully tucked in my comfortable bed, protected by my building’s strong structure from all the fortuitous events happening outside, a hapless little girl was hit by a falling structure and is being carried away by the strong flood current from her house in Quezon while a loving father determinedly clung to a slim rope attached to a bridge, desperate not to lose in his arms his three small kids to the strong current of the overflowing Marikina river.
It was the first time that I cried while watching the evening news.
Way back during my high school days in the province, our small wooden house almost collapsed after a super typhoon. We have to give it up and live again with my grandparents. Thus, I have experienced first-hand the fear (as a child) of sitting in your bed in the middle of the night unable to sleep, fearful that your roof will be flown away by the heavy winds. And to think that there were no floods threats then. Imagine the fear and hopelessness those wretched people felt last night.
We may not be able to extend concrete and immediate help to those unfortunate ones… but we can surely include them in our daily prayers.
I hope us fortunate ones TRULY appreciate, and put to good use, all our blessings.
Today, many Filipinos lost their homes, some unfortunately, their loved ones as well.
Today is Disaster Recovery Day for the country.
Many good-hearted and brave citizens/ rescue volunteers are still out there as of this writing, continually risking their own lives to save other’s lives. They are the deserving heroes this day should be dedicated to.
If it wasn’t for the evening news, I will not be aware of how much devastation yesterday’s typhoon had inflicted on so many helpless people in the South. To me, a clueless city girl, it was just the usual heavy rains. Continuous heavy rains throughout the day, during (fortunately) a non-working holiday. Hell I even went shopping till late last night.
Now I feel so ashamed and guilty.
While I watch all the news reports and video coverage showing what those poor people in Infanta and Real in Quezon went through last night, I felt so blessed. While I was peacefully tucked in my comfortable bed, protected by my building’s strong structure from all the fortuitous events happening outside, a hapless little girl was hit by a falling structure and is being carried away by the strong flood current from her house in Quezon while a loving father determinedly clung to a slim rope attached to a bridge, desperate not to lose in his arms his three small kids to the strong current of the overflowing Marikina river.
It was the first time that I cried while watching the evening news.
Way back during my high school days in the province, our small wooden house almost collapsed after a super typhoon. We have to give it up and live again with my grandparents. Thus, I have experienced first-hand the fear (as a child) of sitting in your bed in the middle of the night unable to sleep, fearful that your roof will be flown away by the heavy winds. And to think that there were no floods threats then. Imagine the fear and hopelessness those wretched people felt last night.
We may not be able to extend concrete and immediate help to those unfortunate ones… but we can surely include them in our daily prayers.
I hope us fortunate ones TRULY appreciate, and put to good use, all our blessings.
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