It's hard to put in words what we've been through the last few days. Although Manila was largely spared from the wrath of the combined effects of tropical storm "Maring (Trami)" and the southwest monsoon, the effects of almost three days of nonstop rain is evident in the outlying provinces of Laguna and Cavite.
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| Sto.Tomas Road in Binan, Laguna. |
Those who lived through the disaster recounted how water rose at a rapid rate of several feet per minute, bringing panic and havoc to homes, businesses, and properties. As the floodwaters receded, tons of muck and garbage were left behind, as well as the seeds of despair as the survivors struggled to make sense of what they had just lived through.
The high water mark reached up to the fence of the house in the background and to the left. One can see there's still garbage clinging to the fence and the plants look waterlogged. That's about six or seven feet of water from the level of the roadway.
That's the river in its normal state. The homes in the background at the banks of the river are a good two stories high from the river. Water overflowed the river banks and flooded homes up to waist level.
That's an awful lot of water.
The last few Sundays, our pastors had been talking about love and how it applies to our lives. The horrible events of Habagat 2013 gave us an opportunity to put hands and feet to the love in our hearts.
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| Volunteers hard at work repacking supplies for 110 families affected by the floods in Binan, Laguna. |
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| Kali and John share an intimate moment in the middle of preparations for the relief effort. |
A marathon pledge program saw us raising more than the projected target of Php33,000 (our estimated amount needed to support 110 families for about a week with basic supplies) in two days. Church members and non-church friends pledged their financial support and pitched in the heavy work of shopping, sorting, and preparing the relief kits.
Six days after the flood in Binan, Laguna, we were able to put our sandals and shoes on the muddy ground and minister to people whose lives had been changed by the Habagat of 2013.
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| Robyn (center) and Kyko (second from left) get ready to hand out the relief kits. |
Our effort was a drop in the bucket. There's still more to be done to ensure this kid--and thousands of others like him--have a better future ahead of him.
The task of rebuilding is obviously a tedious one. At this moment I am also hit with the realization that there are sure to be more storms to come, with more horrible sequels to the Habagat of 2012 and 2013. I pray that God may have mercy and spare us the heartbreak, but should he allow it, may he also give us the strength to help those in need.
May we never tire of putting God's love in our hearts into actions that tell people of cities, campuses, communities--and even in our families--that there is a God who loves us so.
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| Love in action. Photo by Randy Olasiman |
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| Photo by John Hofilena |
