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The Aftermath of the Southwest Monsoon That Struck over the Weekend

The Aftermath of the Southwest Monsoon That Struck over the Weekend

Aug 14, 2018   •   Kyzia Maramara

Over the weekend, an exceptionally strong southwest monsoon struck most parts of Luzon with relentless rain and strong winds. It left a few cities flooded; Marikina in particular was heavily damaged and submerged with thousands of families in need of evacuation. Thanks to social media, the need for help was easily broadcasted and people responded. Here’s a rundown of what happened a mere few days ago.

 

A city almost submerged in flood water

We all saw the photos and videos that circulated around social media during the peak of the monsoon rains. It was shocking to say the least. The water level in Marikina rose up to more than 20 meters, a little more and it might have surpassed Typhoon Ondoy’s water level in 2009 which was at 23 meters. What’s more shocking is that this wasn’t even a typhoon! It was a monsoon, and yet it had the power to submerge roads, and even a whole floor of the carpark in SM Marikina.

 

The Boulevard of Trash

BASURA SA MANILA BAY

#Habagat2018 | Nagtulong-tulong ang mga estudyante ng San Beda University-Rizal at ilang empleyado ng Department of Public Works and Highways sa paglilinis ng mga nakatambak na basura sa sea wall ng Manila Bay.

📷: Matthew Doming

Posted by News5 on Saturday, August 11, 2018

Wind, rain, and waves buffeted Roxas Boulevard last Saturday, and this particular onslaught by nature brought heaps of trash along with it. This is what we get from throwing trash into the ocean. This is Manila Bay’s way of saying she’s had enough of our trash and she’s sending it back to us. If this isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is.

 

Traffic

While Filipinos are used to traffic, it doesn’t mean we enjoy it. In fact, if there was an option to solve it, say sacrifice some government officials to a volcano (kidding), we would easily make that choice. Adding rain to the equation during rush hour is a nightmare. Some Filipinos who would ply Marcos Highway daily found themselves stuck in traffic for almost 8 hours due to impassable lanes.

Monsoons and typhoons are tests for everyone, especially the government. Will their projects be sturdy enough? Will drainage systems withstand heavy rainfall? If not,  what good are  our taxes for then?

 

People stranded on their roof while the rain poured

In the age of social media, getting word out into the world is much easier. People who were stranded started tweeting their locations, and other people were quick to respond. There was even a poster going around for a plea for more boats to use as rescue vehicles. Bayanihan is not dead, it just jumped to a different platform.

 

The evacuation center

Gone are the days where evacuation centers are just large covered areas where hundreds of people put down their blankets to mark their spaces. Photos of the evacuation center at a gym in Marikina were released and we’re all impressed, to say the least. Residents were given privacy in their own tents large enough so a family of 4 can easily sleep. Kudos to Marikina LGU! Sana all.

 

Cockroach evacuations

When Mother Nature is in a rage, everybody flees, even insects. These cockroaches had their own evacuation center! But seriously, nobody thought of busting out a can of bug spray? They’re right where we want them! Too cruel?

 

Still more trash

This typhoon just showed us how undisciplined we are as a nation. The blame shouldn’t always be pointed towards the government; we as citizens also are a part of the problem. Maybe it’s time to heed the strong call into becoming an eco-friendly country?

 

And the “Filipino resilience”

Filipinos have always been lauded for bravely smiling amidst tragedies, but don’t mistake this to mean that we’re enjoying losing our houses and everything we have. Is it Filipino resilience? Or are we just forced to cope with the bad infrastructure and everything else the government is content to leave us with? Filipinos are strong but we sure as heck don’t deserve all this. We deserve better!

With all that in mind..

 

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Kyzia spends most of her time capturing the world around her through photos, paragraphs, and playlists. She is constantly on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and a great paperback thriller to pair with it.

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