Through the Rain

        The unusual non-stop heavy rains that hit the Philippines since last Tuesday has transformed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, and other provinces into Water World. It isn’t about just the rain or the floods. These past few days, many parts of the Philippines have been suffering from floods because of continuous heavy rain that the Southwest monsoon brought. It’s only a monsoon which made a whole lot of disaster so what about the storms that may follow? It’s about the infrastructure and the means of livelihood that get washed away. It’s about the homes that will probably never get rebuilt. It’s about the next time a heavy downpour happens and you start thinking, “Oh no. not again.”

Aerial view of the affected areas

        What I like about this country is the people’s undying spirit of optimism. Despite the rains and floods we’ve been experiencing for the past two weeks, we Filipinos have a way to turn a bad situation into something that’s worth a smile.

         Feeling proud for actually buying boxes of food and toiletries today to donate to evacuees. It was an even greater feeling to see the supermarkets full of people with the same good intentions. Everyone just wanted to play their part to help. The Filipino Bayanihan spirit thrives. After donating and volunteering for several days, I realized how helping really brings joy to your heart. Despite, the heavy rains, and the floods, we were successfully able to fill boxes with food, water, clothes, etc.

Volunteers from UP - Diliman

         A collection of photos surfaced the different social media sites showing how Filipinos dealt with the catastrophe that fell upon the country. Thus, this event marked the birth of ‘The Filipino Spirit is Waterproof’ campaign. Still, in the end, it’s a clear manifestation of God’s love for us. No matter what happens, we’ll be safe in His arms. We just have to pray hard and have faith in Him and everything will be fine again. Thank you, Lord! It’s more fun in the Philippines, indeed.

        You can also help. Volunteer and donate canned goods, cooked food, noodles, biscuits,bread, milk, bottled water, medicine, blankets, clothes, towels, reusable containers, toothbrushes, toothpastes, etc. Peso and Dollar cash donations can also be made. The link below has the most updated list of media outlets, government and non-government organizations, churches, businesses and overseas efforts that are accepting donations and volunteers.

        Here’s a website that has a comprehensive list of places to donate to, what to donate, evacuation centers, etc. Visit www.reliefph.com

#PrayForThePhilippines