When We Least Expect It - Even On Christmas

"When they call on me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them." - Psalms 91:15

We thought Ondoy was a big blunder and the last of such scale. Then we saw all fingers directed toward government inefficiency. Those affected thought they had not been properly warned. The president in his rage sacked the Pag-asa chief for incompetence. Ondoy had claimed many lives though it poured out its wrath in daylight. But who can escape such a fury unleashed in the middle of the night the way Sendong did?

People of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities did get warned. They knew they were at the storm's path. As to the extent of the damage it had to leave, they could only predict, it was to be another storm meant to be forgotten, as oblivious as history should put it to be. Older folks had no recollection of a storm that ravaged their cities in the past, and the young were told so, as history validates, then people flirted with complacency. After Sendong had left, the lives of those lucky to make it will never be the same again.

The figures are staggering: over a thousand dead bodies piled up with debris strewn across the city, hundreds more are missing. Funeral parlors have no capacity for such a deluge of cadavers streaming their gates, not even a chance to identify the victims. The pictures are horribly graphic. Jessica Soho of GMA likened the onslaught to be that of a 'thief in the night', albeit the culprit took no accountability.

Take note of this: survivors frantically looking for their missing loved ones were advised to go to the city's dumpsite to search for their mothers, fathers, sisters,  brothers, babies and relatives. You don't believe this is happening. The sheer number of bodies recovered rendered the city incapable to bury them that they are left with no choice but  to dig a mass grave to contain the stench and a likely epidemic.

What's even incomprehensible is how human hands had actually played a role in the fate of those who had perished. Whether people still remain clueless and  have the temerity to point a finger at nature when thousands of logs and tree trunks swamped the city, is totally beyond me. Now people realize that they are paying dearly for the endless rape of our forests due to unabated illegal logging. Now, no one wants to take responsibility. How many times entire communities get wiped out and thousands of lives taken as a result of illegal logging? Even if someone gets crucified for the wrongs of many, I bet lessons will serve no purpose, as long as human greed comes in abundance.

Life always remains a mystery. When we think all is well, suddenly destruction hits. At times when we think we have security and things are going alright in our lives, tragedy comes our way. Then most of us don't know what to do when we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere. We don't know where and who to turn to and how we are going to get by. But if we were offered a way to live without ever having to worry about anything ever again and it won't cost us a cent, would we jump on it? Judging by the world trend, things are  not going to get easier, they are going to get worse, especially that materialism and greed by some come before the good of many.

In facing repercussions, there will always be more at the losing end. In life, there are countless possibilities that we may face but only one thing is certain - death is forthcoming - in whatever manner, we are left clueless. It will come still, yes, even at a time when we least expect it. But no matter how much people weep for those they've lost, their lives will never be the same again, because indeed very few find the real reason for living. He is in fact the reason for Christmas.

I still wish my kababayans in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities a happy Christmas! We from Saudi Arabia may not be able to hand you a bottled water or a noodle, yet our prayers at your time of distress abound for you. Life is short but as long as we are blessed with air to breathe, there is hope, and that hope is just within your reach. In fact, He is the reason why we celebrate this season. His name is Jesus. Have a blessed Christmas!

Please click HERE if you wish to make a difference in the lives of those who survived.

Lessons From Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy)

"I don't demand that they be sages to foretell the scale of Ondoy's fury..."

The past two weeks have been very disturbing as the world witnessed a series of grim scenarios across the Pacific territories. Notably, the recent calamities that had struck the Philippines courtesy of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. It's hard to comprehend how a poor country like the Philippines would be able to cope from the aftermath of these disasters. Notwithstanding the collective efforts by various sectors from all corners, the prospect of getting aids delivered to the victims remains a hard task. How many weeks or months will it necessitate until our unfortunate compatriots would be able to rise up from the rubbles of despair and desperation?

One positive thing that Filipinos can be credited though is their unwavering resilience and optimism that should be indispensable in these trying times. My heart and mind go out to the victims especially the old, the sick and the children. On a personal note, I may be lucky or shall I say blest because I have no immediate relatives experiencing this awful predicament lest I would have been a very restless soul. Watching their situations on television has become a painful and unbearable experience.

These natural phenomena cannot be questioned as the Philippines is naturally prone to such. But could the damage have been lessened if we only had enough preparations? I think it could have been so. But why our government officials did not anticipate this worst scenario to occur? And that they have become oblivious to the fact that these events are forthcoming? Is it because the culture of corruption has first inundated our social fabrics that the sitting government officials themselves have become the perpetrators of a disaster this magnitude?

In relation to this, I strongly agree with Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago's call for these concerned officials to be prosecuted by law for dereliction of duty and so forth. The repercussion from this terrible tragedy could have somewhat been alleviated had government funds been properly disposed of and not gone to the already swollen pockets and bank accounts of our unscrupulous government officials. We always claim that Filipinos are never short of talent and brilliant minds. And why no one, no one had forewarned the public or the government officials that an unthinkable disaster is imminent because of the continued conversion of supposed floodways into residential settlements? It could be because the bribe of the rich real estate developers are too powerful to resist? Maybe! Maybe not. But who's to blame?

I don't demand that they be sages to foretell the scale of Ondoy's fury, but my point is the damages and the loss of lives could have been minimized had we done the right preparations and had we taken heed from the urban planners that a disaster is impending because of a flawed dynamics in urban settlement. Thousands of families are still grappling to survive in the evacuation centers. I just cannot imagine how to exist in such awful conditions with the stench, the noise and diseases all over hanging around your head. The children for the most part are also the most vulnerable from hunger and diseases let alone the trauma that could be haunting them for the rest of their lives.

I wish we are strong enough, for us to be able to rise up from this abysmal conditions that our country is suffering from right now. I wish our human frailty and vulnerability do not get the better of us. I wish we have leaders who are genuinely passionate enough to care for their people. Leaders who will not only think of enriching themselves upon assuming office but have the right attitude of a public servant.

If we could only hear the sighs and moans of the destitute in our country, they might sound telling us that enough is enough. Yes we have had enough but lessons learned and not exercised are deemed useless. Sad to say, the poor have always been cunningly used in some distinct political slogans that have been proven effective in elections but behind that heavenly sounding pro-poor promises lie a sinister genuine motive that would deprive the poor themselves and rob them of a better future. It is for us Filipinos to decide about our future. We have always the choice. Let's use democracy to our advantage. We have been blest to live in a society where freedom is not a commodity but an inherent right of every citizen. Why can't we be capable of effecting change in our country? Of course we can, and it starts within us individually.