City of Gold – Flooded

I am not a fan of watching Filipino TV for obvious reasons that they’re biased, they have no worthwhile programs, and they dwell too much on sensationalism.  By saying that, I think you’ve already guessed that I’m referring to the Oligarch owned ABiaS CBN.  That’s the reason why my first awareness of what happened in CDO comes from Al Jazeera English.  Marga Ortigas reported the damage and the rising death toll of the tropical storm Sendong that ravaged the country.

The first person I can think of when I heard the news is my friend Erwin.  He went for his annual vacation last 1 December and he’ll be staying there for 30 days or until after the New Year’s holiday.  I waited for 2 days for Erwin to be online but I was out of luck.  Yesterday, I became worried so I posted a message in his FB wall, asking if his family is okay.  Luckily, he replied and said that they’re okay.  The flood did reach them but only on the knee length.  Their major concern was the cleanup, the stinky surrounding and the mud.

I asked Erwin whether they’d still celebrate Christmas despite what happened.  He says that his family decided that Christmas will push through regardless of the damage that the flooding caused.  This year though, it would be celebrated low key and his family will attend a Eucharistic celebration.  He is thankful that there was no casualty in his family.

The Sendong flooding was not the first time that CDO was flooded.  About two years ago, while my youngest brother was still studying there, all his belongings were also swift away by the flooding.  When a city is flooded, there’s a big chance that it’ll be flooded again in the future.  I’m not going to blame the people from CDO and its city government but they should’ve been prepared for the worst.  Unfortunately for the 1,000+ people, it’s too late for them.  They’ve already lost their lives, they’re dead.  The surviving families could only cry because they did not only lost one or two of their loved ones, they’ve also suffered great loss in their properties.

The NASA has warned the Philippine government of the Ondoy like rains in Mindanao but they did not heed the advice of NASA.  The President was even partying while people in CDO are dying.  It took him three days to make an appearance, as always, the president is the last person to arrive in the disaster area.  PGMA has been demonized and called names but no one can deny that she had the balls.  She showed to the rest of the country that during calamities, she’s there to support and comfort her people.  People in Malacanang are now red faced because of the embarrassment that Abnoy is doing to the presidency as an institution, partying while people are dying. 

Our president should be start being the father of the nation.  People are dying but he can only think of his vindictiveness towards his perceived enemies.  Not even Sendong or the Christmas holiday can stop him.  But how can you expect a bachelor who can’t even make a serious commitment with a woman be the father of a nation?  I say, too bad for Filipino people who did not vote for him.  It’s also worst for those people who voted for him.  President Abnoy’s partying while people are suffering is, the only think I can think of, is that’s too much insensitivity.