All along we thought morning was about to come, not until we asked a man from the nearby townhouse (who gave JR a dry Tshirt and a cigarette) that its only 8pm.

This is the longest night of my life! One for the Amazon books I could say! We both tried to sleep on the cold and bumpy roof. Its not that cozy but its the best bed for us that moment, as we somehow snatched a nap while ignoring the drizzle.

We’re about 1 or 2 hours there when the window on the 2nd floor opens. Its the owner of the house after all. He asked us if me and JR were ok, then he gave us some biscuits to munch. (Thank you sir, im giving you a gift this X’mas!)

Then an hour later we heard a wailing voice of a girl. She was asking for help. “saklolo, tulungan nyo po kami! hindi na po namin kaya, malulunod po kami” The same thing that happen to me.  She was shooting blanks in total darkness “parang ako, bahala na kung me makadinig” Lucky for them (they were 3 – 1  girl and 2 boys) we heard them. We told them to hold on and we’ll help them climb the roof. And then we we were five. As in “Five for Fighting” Ondoy’s wrath!

To be continued…

Im just around 3 feet away from clear survival and I wouldn’t let this chance slips away. That’s why with all my remaining strength, I struggled to climb the slippery wall so that he can reach my hand much closer and eventually pull me up out of misery.

At last I made it! From the roof, I can view the entire flooded neighborhood and it  looks like the opposite of Myrtle beach golf courses! We then introduce ourselves to each other and exchange stories.  I was amazed to know that he’s not from that house either and we’ve got the same fate that night, he just went up there an hour ago. (God’s way again). I told him how glad I am to see him and thanked him for saving me…

To be continued…

I remember grasping my last breath that night when I was carried by the raging flood that were around 6 – 7 feet deep. That moment I thought it was a sturdy guava tree. Only to be surprised a few days after the flood subsides, that it was only an ornamental plant. God really has his ways.

“Grabe lahat na yata ng nginig sa katawan naramdaman ko!” My body was shaking tremendously due to coldness and fear of drowning. And yet, you wouldn’t believe the stubbornness in me as I’m still planning to continue my quest after what happened. I still want to go further more upon seeing steel bars that I can hold from the gates of a townhouse. But this time my hearing dominates my thinking as I can clearly hear the forceful gushing of the water. “Malabo na ito kung itutuloy ko pa! Baka sa susunod hindi na ako swertehin” I might not be lucky the next time.

While still clinging. I notice the gate besides me. (as you can see at the photo above) I tried to knock profusely and shouted for help. “Tao po! Tao po! Tulungan nyo po ako!!!” The thing is that even if I spend the whole night knocking no one will come out because the flood is now around 7 feet and I think it wasn’t a house but a warehouse.

My knuckles were about to get numb knocking, when suddenly I heard a voice…

To be continued…

Luckily I was able to grab the iron gate of a house for a temporary refuge. But with the traits of the current, there will be no options for me but to move along with it.

I was two houses away from the street corner. Maybe, just maybe, there’ll be something much better for me when I reach it. Im hopelessly hoping for a miracle this time.

And so without further ado, I hugged, crawled, and embraced anything on my path just to reach that corner. I even remember hanging on a fence full of broken glass and hugging a thorny bougainvilla tree just to survive.

Finally I’ve reached that corner. From what i saw, it has nothing better to offer but that same old dark and floody ambiance. No people, no elevated place or objects. Just the flood and all that darkness.

Then my worst case scenario happens. It happen so fast. i didn’t anticipate the water would be much deeper there! I was engulfed by the flood and was actually drowning that instance. Swirling underwater for God knows how long while losing valuable air on my lungs. I guess this would be how my life would end…

To be continued…

isang gabi…
WIFE: di ako makatulog dahil sa lamok.
mag-S3X muna kaya tayo?
HUSBAND: anong akala mo sa TiTI
ko?….katol!!!! matulog ka na nga!!!!

A man was cornered by a lion. He prayed…
“Help me Lord , please  make this lion a christian”.
the lion suddenly knelt down and prayed….
LION: “bless this food that i’m about to receive amen.”

a priest lost his myna bird & asked during mass…
Priest: anyone got a bird?
all men stood up.
Priest: i mean, anybody seen a bird?
all women stood up.
Priest: i meant anybody seen my bird?
…all nuns stood up

dalawang madre nirereyp ng goons….
Madre1: diyos ko! patawarin mo po sila…at hindi nila alam
ang kanilang ginagawa.
Madre2: ay yung sakin marunong!!!!

After having s3x, panay pa rin ang hawak ng girl sa
organ ng lalaki….
BF: Gusto mo pa ulit?
GIRL: hindi..namimiss ko lng…….meron kase ako nito
dati e….

MRS: bilis dad! nahulog cel ko sa panty ko!!!!
..nagba-vibrate!!!
MR: e anong gagawin ko? kukunin ko sa panty mo?
MRS: tangek!!!! kunin mo ung charger at baka
ma-lowbat!!!!

dumating c ngongo sa bahay at tinakpan ang eyes ni
misis….
Ngongo: “nges hu?”….
MRS: pa-nges hu nges hu ka pa jan….e ikaw
lng ngongo dito!!!!

Patient: dok. malungkot dito sa mental kaya naisipan
kong sulatan ang sarili ko…
Doc: e ano namn laman ng sulat mo?
Patient: hindi ko pa po alam kase hindi pa nagre-reply

Wife: honey… bili mo naman ako ng bra…
Husband: Hon.. wag ka ng magbra…
liit namn dede mo e..
Wife: (taas ang kilay) e baket ikaw nagbi-abrief?!!

GIRL: Hide and seek tayo. if u find me, papayag akong
makipag-s*x sayo…
BOY: e kung di kita makita?
GIRL: nasa likod lng ako ng piano…

GIRL: ang puti naman ng bird mo…
BOY: aba syempre ah!!! likas papaya ata gamit ko
jan!!!
GIRL: ginagamitan mo rin ba ng downy?
BOY: baket? bango ba?
GIRL: lambot e!!! toinkz!

BINATA: mis, pede bang manligaw sayo?
DALAGA: at bakit?! may CRV ka ba? BMW? PAJERO?
EXPEDITION?
BINATA: bakit?! ano ba yang EKEK mo!!!? PARKING LOT?!!!!!

Minutes passed. I can’t sleep on that cramped and cold roof no matter what position I made. I look at the Sta Lucia side and it looks like the dawn is breaking. Im basically clueless to what’s the time and it makes me smile thinking the sun is about to rise. (now im hallucinating) It started raining hard again. The car infront of me was now 100% submerged.

Panic is slowly entering my system. Thoughts of any minute now the multicab will also be in the same situation, and thinking anytime would be rough for me. I bowed and say a little prayer to Bro (Our Lord Jesus). I then descend from the multicab. The water is up to my chin already. I plan to go back a few houses to seek shelter to a nearby school. I saw them before letting people inside their premises. Since the school location was infront, I have no options but to confront the current. By the way the current was now quite unmanageable. I trek first along the houses on my side. Holding into something that my hands can grab (gates, windows, walls, plants, etc..) just to save my energy before swimming across.

Finally I ran out of things to grab because the next was an open lot, and Im in parallel with the school. I suppose its time for some extreme action! I then swam with all my might to the other side of the road, battling the raging current. Guess what? I failed! The stream was too strong to battle. And there I was being carried away into the darkness…

To be continued…

After relaxing for about 30 minutes in Sta Lucia. I gathered all my remaining strength (and courage) in my body and starts conditioning my mind. “Kaya ko’to, Kaya ko’to!” I then proceed towards Cainta Greenpark. But actually Im having second thoughts upon seeing the gloomy tone of Imelda Avenue. If only Cainta Municipality had roadside assistance justl like what I saw at www.goodsamers.com where rescuing is their company motto.

The water is waist deep and the current is kinda rough. Just to be sure, I actually waited for some people to cross the street before i tried it myself haha! (sigurista). After which I finally reached the gate of the village. There’s no guard at the gate so there’s no way I can get any information about the village condition. I entered the village gate and met a man. I asked him “Bro musta ba sa loob ng village?” He replied in high-tone “Its dangerous! Flood is rising! Refrain from going inside!” I thanked him, but still I proceed inside the village. Again, after a few minutes of walking, another man came by my direction. Still, I got the same bad news from him. “wag ka ng tumuloy, hindi mo kakayanin!” said the man.

My mind is now confused. I have gone this far, and my target destination is near. “Ngayon pa ba ako hihinto eh malapit na ako.” I’ve rest for a while under a roof of a store. Then from the dark came two men who were also decided to go inside the village. One got a large basin and the other one was clasping a big container just enough for him to float. I decided to go with them since I can still manage to wade through the flood.

Our travel was a breeze bcoz we were going with the flow of the current. After wading and somehow floating (flood is now around 5 feet high) we’ve reach the corner street. I told them Im holding back for now coz Im tired. But the truth is Im almost in panic mode because the flood is getting deeper. In my thoughts “What if I drown? Will they save me?” At least for them, they’re holding onto something. I bid them goodbye and good-luck, within seconds they’re gone and Im left alone on that dark and scary street …

to be continued…

Guess what? The pink fence of Mr. Bayani Fernando saved me from further exploring Ligaya street, as my body luckily landed on it.”Whew! Thank God! That was close!” I uttered. So again Im back on my feet and starts wading again along Marcos Highway. We were like traversing a maze by the position of the vehicles on our path. “Kung wala lang tubig, sarap siguro maglaro ng airsoft dito hehe”. I guess one need lots of wrinkle cream after skinny dipping on this murky water for such a long time now.

Hayyy! Finally, I’ve reached Sta Lucia MAll. Im surprise to see that there’s no flood there, except  their basement. The place is like a mirage on the desert! It instantly became a haven for people living near the vicinity. All of them seems to be sharing their own story to one another. Its the second dry location I’ve seen along my travel. The first one was at the MRT Station in Santolan.

The mall was closed but I saw two concessionaires (Shakeys and Starbucks) are open but with few customers only. I stand by for a while and checked my stuff. I already disposed of my umbrella earlier since Its no use for me coz Im soaking wet from head to foot, and its already 50% wrecked! That’s the main reason haha! All I got now was my waterlogged backpack with my wallet and cellphone inside it wahhh!

Im thinking what should be my next plan. Should I stay or should I go? The fact that its night already, its brownout, (Sta Lucia has generators, that explains the light) and Im solo. And to where Im going its unpredictable. Unlike in Marcos Hiway, where I can join other people in assaulting the flood. This time I guess it will only be me. To be continued…

Next Chapter – battling for my life

The next thing I know, Im one of those who brave to wade into the murky flood. We were only few compare to those who chose to stay at the MRT. The flood height varies from time to time. Sometimes its up to my chest and sometimes its as high as my shoulder. Everyone moves slowly as we form a line besides the pink fence by the MMDA. We need to hold on to something to avoid deep portion of the flood or worst an open manhole.

As we all walk towards Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall rain starts to pour again. Rumor of an imminent danger along our path soon to spread. We knew about it through people making it on the opposite direction. They told us to reserve our energy and to be ready for crossing the intersection in Ligaya, Pasig. I heard one man said “Tatagan ninyo mga binti nyo at napakalakas ng agos duon!” Just to counter my fear, I told myself  “if they can cross it, so can we!”

A few minutes later we’ve reached the dreaded location. From where Im standing, Marcos Hiway looks like an epic scene of a Hollywood movie like The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, Armageddon or just any end-of-the-world flick. Water and people everywhere, vehicles big and small, old and new are scattered all over the place. If car agents could sell motorhome that floats, it would surely be a big hit!

We then saw a group of 5 or 6 persons coming from the Marikina side. They are all in juxtapose or in kapit-bisig position while they are being dragged by the raging flood. Most women on the vicinity shouted in anguish, as they watched the scenario. Luckily, men at the middle portion of the road acted quickly and save them.

Now its our turn. I catched one deep breath and told myself  “this is it, I could do it! ” Suddenly a woman from my right side grabbed my arm and said “kapit-kapit tayo kuya ha, para matatag tayo sa agos” I just nod, and said “ok let’s do it”. Then a man from my left side warned us to wait because there’s a rope underneath, but twas too late because my left foot was tangled already. The group was already moving and I can’t untangle my foot. Im now on a slanted position, there’s no other choice but to let go of my arm for them to move. Then the inevitable happened, after I let go of my arm, I lost my balance and found myself being carried away by the growling flood. Knowing nobody were along my path to save me, I tried not to panic and keep my self afloat, then little by little I pushed myself to the side of the street.

to be continued…

And so my unplanned saga continues. Upon reaching the bridge, I rest for a while and watched the flash flood just like the others. I even saw one man reaching for a pack of Chippy below the bridge with his umbrella. I guess by that scene you can imagine the height of the flood. I then continue walking, I tried the higher bridge infront of SM Marikina to get a much wider view of the scenario. Within minutes I’ve reached MRT Santolan station. Its dark already and from there I saw numbers of stranded people hopelessly waiting. The stretch of Marcos Hiway fronting MRT station is soooohhh creepy since lamp posts on the center island are all shut down. Good thing MRT has bright lights to guide us kahit papano, but only for a short distance. So tambay muna ako at nakiramdam sa paligid.

Not to many decided to continue walking. Some are tired and decided to rest at the station, while multitudes are afraid to trek the cold and chocolaty water. I can’t blame them, because just like them I know it would be tough and dangerous to wade there without lights. But then, What the heck! Im almost half of my target destination and I know my kiddo needs to see me specially on time like this, he’s only accompanied by his yaya. So like a suicide mission, I decided to proceed. Bahala na ulit! to be continued…