DOROTHY’S VINEYARD

December 16, it was already raining as me and my father watched the Christmas Program at St. Mary’s School in Mandumol.. The play was entitled “Psalty’s Christmas Calamity”, but since it was raining hard already, we didn’t wait for it anymore. After the performance of all grade levels (1, 3 and 5 only as 2, 4 and 6 would be for the next day), we went home. My father had to stop by our pad at St. Ignatius Street because my daughter had to change clothes and get her clothes for the next day’s activity, which is a swimming party with my father’s friends and fellow SMS parents and daughter’s and baby brother’s schoolmates in El Salvador.. It was really a very disturbing rainfall that I had doubts sending her off with them, but it had been planned weeks before, and if I had no work that night, I would have gone with them too. Around 9pm, my father replied to my text message that they have arrived in Balulang safely. I always ask my father because of his heart condition, and I find that the rain that night made driving more challenging for him with his age and eye sight. I sent the text message at around 7pm. I received his message hours late, but it was a relief.
I started working right after I sent my daughter off.. SUN Broadband was having some issues, as always, especially with a not so good weather, so I asked Smart load from my aunt in Butuan as I could not go out and buy some due to the really strong rain and winds. When load arrived I immediately shifted connections. Smart has always been handy in times of strong winds. But it was the electricity that didn’t cooperate. After the first black out, I managed to have all gadgets batteries recharged when lights came back. That was 9 pm already.. so, with my father’s answer, despite the weather, I was at ease. Then loads of work came at 10, but I was quite disturbed because it was too noisy on the streets. It seemed like huge trucks were passing by and there were sirens communicating with one another. I think there were more than three of them. My sister said there was an ambulance that passed by too. Then lights went dead again. Little did we know that such noise was due to the fact that Tibasak was already in flood waters since 8P.M. I managed to monitor the weather condition while working on my opps because I was still online despite the third black out.. But then, when my laptop battery died, I decided to sleep. I had the urge to call my father again, but his phone was unreachable. So I presumed he turned it off or he charged his phone through the night. Still, the thought of calling them bothered me.

December 17, at around 1 A.M. or so, cousins Nonie and Norie arrived and tried to wake my cousin Arkin up, whose family lives with us in this compound. My sister and I were alarmed with the words used.. “Kuya, kuya, tabang.. wala na tay balay, sila Mama tua na sa atop.” (Elder brother help, we do not have a house anymore, mom and the rest are on top of the roof) Ultimately, my cousin, woke up and went with his brothers to help rescue my aunt, my nephew and all others in Del Pilar street. We went outside and asked, and cousin Joan, Arkin’s wife told us that their son, Kurt, three years old, was with our aunt’s family. We started crying.. panicked, and tried calling people for help. Thank God it was only Sun Broadband that’s unusable at that time.. Having Sun post-paid meant being able to call unlimited numbers, for as long as we were able to call them. Joan called friends of theirs and luckily, one or two responded. All four brothers, with their friends, united in saving their parents. Meanwhile, my sister and I tried calling friends and relatives who lives in Balulang. No one seemed to answer our calls. But I was able to talk to an uncle, a pastor who at that time was in Manila, but my aunt, his wife, have already informed him that they were on the roof of their church in Ilaya, Balulang. I tried calling friends and relatives and an aunt who lives in NHA, Balulang finally called me and informed me that an hour ago, water was at the roof level according to her house help for the entire family stayed at her in-law’s place in Gusa. They were spared, but my uncles, her younger and older brothers, the younger brother’s wife who just recently gave birth, with their week old baby experienced being submerged in flood waters, and had to stay on the roof as well. Having heard that, I panicked all the more. We could not reach our parents, my brother and anyone else at home.

About 2 to 3 A.M. we prayed— me, my sister Sweet and cousin Joan. That was the only sensible thing to do as we felt we could not do anything at that moment. It was the time when we left everything to the almighty, in faith. At almost four in the morning, Kurt was already delivered safe in Joan’s arms. We tried calling again, and Sweet’s friend confirmed that the storm in Balulang have already passed, and water in Villa Angela, where she lives has just been waist deep when it rose… Thinking that Villa Angela could have worst conditions for being near the river, we thought that our house could not get any worse. But we had doubts all the same, because NHA was also far from the river, but the people were on the roof…
At 6 A.M. my aunt and uncle with all cousins arrived all wet and harassed-looking, and went straight to Arkin’s house to freshen up and rest, while me and my sister went with another aunt and her son, another cousin together with the Monterey Meat Shop delivery van driver and headed for Balulang through Taguanao. I had been communicating with cousin Bogie through text since 3 A.M and she informed me that Macanhan was not passable when they tried going in at 6 A.M., that is why I suggested going there via Taguanao. And I was right.. Most people who have relatives or friends in Balulang that they wanted to help went to Balulang via Taguanao…

When we arrived at our place, it was really devastating to see dead bodies on the road, from Ilaya to Villa Nena 2. I saw cars turned up side down and dogs on top fences, broken windows, broken houses, uprooted trees, trash all over the fence line, and plenty of ankle deep mud. Upon reaching Ilaya, we saw our relatives who were on top of their church roof, but they were already inside their church when we passed by. All smiling and happy to be alive. Next stop, the warehouse owned by Monterey owners, and we stopped to look for Ondo, the caretaker. He was not in sight, but my uncle said we should first go to our house and look for Ondo when we come back. Sure thing, upon entrance to our village, the sight was the same. Ravaged houses, steel gates crushed, vehicles crashing upon walls, dead bodies of animals and humans, owners and relatives crying, more dirt and lots of mud. When we approached our address, all three vehicles crowded the street, so we had to park far away from our house. It took quite some time to convince my parents to leave. They were in shock and hard headedness took over. They wanted to stay and clean the place up, as if it were that easy. I saw the marks left by the water on the walls, and I was thanking God at that time for making sure they were safe on the ceiling. Saw the mess and more mud, and I felt like crying for my parents hard earned earnings have gone to waste. Of course, nothing could be done that day, so we had to convince them to come away with us, to eat breakfast, freshen up and rest. Our uncle invited us all, including the relatives who were at their church for breakfast and to clean up at their residence in Xavier Estates. Upon leaving Balulang, the sky has already turned so bright, and when we arrived there, it was like a scene from a dream: From nightmare to sweet heaven… What an irony.. When we entered Xavier Estates, people were just having breakfast with friends at their veranda, a man simply walked his dogs, and a beautiful woman doing her rounds jogging. No traces of the storm, just some leaves to sweep, and some wet pavements. After having washed and freshened up, and while breakfast was served, there was a temporary feeling of glee. We were happy that our family and relatives are still alive, despite the damage to properties. When we left Xavier Estates at around 9 A.M., that was the signal that we are past the REM stage, and had to wake up. As we headed for Nazareth and Macasandig, we passed by the Rodelsa Circle, saw much more damage to the city and people who may be survivors as well. More dead bodies on the road, as we passed by, and more disgruntled displaced people. More mud. When we arrived at the pad, upon entering the compound, my aunt and my parents met as fellow Sendong victims and survivors.. they wanted to go back to our house, and it was really quite tough convincing them to give it one day or so.. Well, it was just me and my siblings, with an aunt who came from Butuan City and my brother’s workmates who were able to go back to our home. Retrieval of some useful and washable items, gadgets and all others took some time to finish that Christmas and New Year simply became our rest days.. It was difficult to see two senior citizens being worried about the future and not enjoying the holidays. We all deserve happy holidays, but it was just too painful. Learning about friends and neighbours who perished during Sendong and even after due to the outbreak of Leptospirosis, water contamination and even Dengue, was unbearable, but we have all managed to keep a positive front, helped fellow Sendong victims and survivors by sharing to them what were shared to us (clothes, food, water) and indulged in positive thoughts of finding a new home to transfer to, a new safe environment far from the river and funny as it may seem, that which is two-storey. While my family faces these challenges, it is heart warming to see and hear from friends and family from near and far who showed love and concern, sent support and prayed for us. As days went, it was a blessing that some positive energy came knocking that people in my little pad have started bouncing back.. Kids are now back to school, and adults now back to work.. We are slowly rising, and even if it will take some time, I know we shall see better tomorrows ahead.. I have the same hope for all Sendong victims and survivors, and the same for the entire city.. Better tomorrows ahead— for all of us..

By the way, this is just my story.. I shall post the accounts of Sendong according to my mother, my father, my brother Elden, who is the reason why all family members, including my daughter, are still alive..and of course, how River, and Lili saw their experience with Sendong… Every Sendong story is an eye opener, what’s yours?

***Here’s a link for all the people who helped us in the course of our Sendong related challenges…