Floods

My eyes were flooded with tears as I watched the footages of the wreckage comrade Ondoy brought upon most parts of Luzon. How helpless we are as a nation, with our mediocre ways in responding to national crises such as this.

Inspite of everything, There is always something good in every tragedy. We end up better people if we respond correctly. I think of this as a wake-up call to all Filipinos. It is a good opportunity to think things through so that we will vote wisely in the upcoming elections. I have been glued to the television, flipping through channels waiting incessantly for any presidentiable who will have the guts to include in their platform, perhaps making it a priority, to fix the sewerage systems in Manila and most parts of Luzon. How come I do not hear anything? Where is the noisy barrage that often accompanies elections? Where are the speeches, the promises? Where? Where? Where?

I also got to realize that material things don't matter much as people and the things of God do. I think of lavishly installed kitchen sets, techy gadgets, cars all floating in murky, filth. Comrade Ondoy is not foe, the comrade like Chip Tsao is not to be hated or blamed. It is to be thanked. It helped us reveal how backward we are as a people. Until now, we remain unprepared. I hope we do not go out screaming to the world for help again. How embarassing it is!

Another good thing about all this is the message it sends to middle-class families, a lot of whom are indifferent, uncaring and disengaged to the plight of the common Filipino. These comprise a minority of our youth, young adults who love to don the latest brands, party till the wee hours of the morning, smoke like chimneys and possess above average spending power. There are those who study well or try to earn good living in a decent way too. Their efforts are laudable but they too often forget about the rest of the Philippines. They work hard for a more comfortable life, forgetting that such comfort will never be attained because they are a part of society. They co-exist with other Filipinos. They will always be rooted in a social context where poverty looms.

Comrade Ondoy showed us that tragedy spares no one. It hit all kinds of people. The lowly sweetsweeper, the movie actress, residents of posh communities, homeless families who make their home under the bridge.

And in the end of all end, all these material things mean nothing.

For those who have a faint understanding of the fight for the Philippines will from now on, do things for a deeper reason. In the process of building ourselves, carry on our shoulders the rest of the millions of the Filipinos here and outside the country.

The brown raise.