(NOTA BENE: The period of adjustment caused by my family departure from our place in Provident Village, Marikina City, on June 6, 2012, and settling down amidst a somewhat rural environment in Guiginto, Bulacan, prevented the immediate resumption of my blogging activities. Notwithstanding such adverse condition, I want to see the month of October fade away with the revival of my love affair with Bloggers World. Thus, here I am blogging again!) The widespread destruction inflicted by Typhoon GENER (international name, SAOLA) on many areas in the whole Luzon and some in the Visayas and Mindanao conveys ominous messages that the worst is yet to come. Our worst fears begin to unfold when KAREN (international name, SANBA), though failing to hit directly the country, did bring about widespread southwest monsoon (locally called "habagat") rains all over Luzon causing floods in low-lying areas as well as landslides in certain denuded places. As many flood-prone locations in Metro Manila got submerged in rain waters for many days, classes were always suspended and work at private and government offices was affected intermittently. As our former place in Provident Village was likewise flooded again reminiscent of the deadly ONDOY, my family is thankful to God that our new residence is virtually free from flood although we can't help feeling sad at the fate of our former neighbors and friends thereat.
Indeed, as several towns of Laguna, my home province, have yet to fully recover from the ill effects of past typhoons and the "habagat", trepidation always befalls me every time a weather disturbance is reported to approach anywhere in the Philippines. Certainly, floods and landslides will be imminent in the projected areas which such weather disturbance will manifest its destructive presence. As usual the poor masses will bear the sufferings, hunger and inconvenience storms or typhoons will bring about since they are totally dependent on the support of government agencies and charitable individuals/institutions.
But, on hindsight, we, ourselves, must share the blame the recurring floods and landslides which occur during every weather disturbance. We allow, cooperate and share from illicit profits that illegal loggings which have been going unimpeded through several decades all over the country. Even the reported directive of President Noynoy Aquino to stop such wanton destruction of our remaining forest cover has miserably elicited positive results. Proof is the news reports that during SENDONG which ravaged the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, newly cut logs rushed down with the floods and landslides wreaking havoc on the hapless citizens. As long as such indifference and tolerance, nothing else will prevent more calamities to happen again and again everywhere in the country.
