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Yolanda, Plans, et. al
Saturday, November 30, 2013 posted at 11/30/2013 06:24:00 PM ♥ 0 comments
It's been so long since I visited my Blogger account. A lot of things happened, and still, I cannot bring myself to write anything. Maybe the gravity of things make it hard to put it into words, or sometimes we just don't know what to say.
But I will try my damndest to describe everything in my on terms...
The devastation that is Yolanda
Last November 7, an exceptionally powerful cyclone hit the Philippines, particularly the Visayas region. Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) had a maximum sustained winds reaching to 235 kph, breaking records and considered as one of the strongest tropical storm to landfall in a certain area.
The night before, President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino made a national announcement about the coming storm and warn the people about devastation it can bring to the affected areas. Storm are constant visitors of our country. The Philippines probably experienced hundreds, if not thousands, of storms in it's lifetime. But the sad part is, no matter how many times we experience it, we still didn't bother to prepare ourselves.
We saw the aftermath of the storm. How Yolanda wiped the city of Tacloban, a once prosperous city in Visayas. Homes were destroyed, people were displaced, and many lives were lost on this catastrophic storm. But what's even saddening and shocking was the action of the government. It was apparent that our country is not ready to respond on such situations. For the first five days, people were waiting for their government to help them. They don't have shelter, food, and they are in wreck trying to stay sane and alive at the same time.
The whole world watched and took notice of the little country in the Southeast Asia. And they watched how incapable our government is to mobilize relief and rescue operations in the devastated area. And even before they were able to lend help, they took time to find someone to blame in the midst of the calamity. And it took one foreign media personality to wake them up and get their asses working. Apparently, Anderson Cooper's reportage is more credible than our own media.
Nations around the world extended their helping us to us, giving the people of Visayas tons of food, medicines, and help people to get over and even rebuild their lives. For that, I want to thank them. I want to thank them for doing what our government should be doing. For taking the initiative to help our Kababayans even though we are not your citizens. We are forever indebted to all of you.
And also, thank our fellow Kababayans who extend help. I read many reports about people giving what they can and donating clothes, relief goods, and other things that our fellowmen in Visayas can use to start over again. Some of us don't have enough, but you were still able to give something to uplift the grieving hearts of your fellow people.
I think resiliency is not only the lesson we learned from this unfortunate event. For one, nature is, and will always be, stronger than us. Our existence is just a fleeting moment. We never know when a disaster will strike. We should be prepared, physically, mentally, and emotionally for what will happened and the aftermath of it. Time is also of the essence so give and share time.
As for our government, pointing fingers will get you nowhere. Learn from this experience. We cannot undo the past or give back the life of the people in Visayas. But you, of all the people, can help them start again. You have the capability, resources, and the power to make it happen. Set aside the political drama and show your people that they made the right decision of voting for you.
The Filipino's spirit is known all over the world. We live in a country where natural and man-made disasters are common scenarios. But I hope that aside from having the strength to stand again, we learn from this experience.
People of our country, stay strong because I'm sure there are more storms to brave - literally and figuratively.
Personal Plans
On the other hand, I'm having some existential anguish. Now, my life is on hold for so many reasons. The person who I expected to lead me is tending someone else's life. And so, his life is on hold too. And the infuriating thing is, these people are doing nothing to make their lives better. I say, get up and do something! The world isn't gonna give you what you want if you don't work for it!
Anyway, with that, I decided to push through with my plans on starting my own trade. I know it is risky but I want to do something while working. I don't want to be a corporate slave forever. So my friend and I will be setting up our accessories business soon.
Labels: blogging, Philippines, work
