Your best wishes are truly appreciated, Dean. Thankfully I live in a flood-free part of the city but several areas are still flooded and the heavy rains haven't stopped in 3 days. I'm hopeful the situation will improve by tomorrow...
Hello everyone! Thanks for checking us out here in Manila.... We have been experiencing heavy rains for almost a week now. Government officials here describe it as one of the worst weather calamity in recent years or even decades. Long, hard rain, almost non stop may be tolerable to some places in some parts of the world, but in a place like Manila, it could spell nightmare. We have one of the worst planned urban structures in the world. With a population of more or less 120 million people, a big chunk would rather live and and be cramped in over populated cities within the metro since business and work opportunities are not well or equally distributed among other cities. Overpopulation = clogged drainages, sewers, not to mention illegal logging in the nearby mountain ranges, etc. Rain water is virtually trapped within the city when situations like this occur. As a tv journalist and a documentarist, I am part of a team who are out there in the flooded areas, covering this calamity. While filming horrific images of despair and hopelessness, we also decided to find the more positive vibe within and make a sense out of situations like these. Here are some pictures I would like to share to give you guys an idea on what we gathered so far. I posted them on Instagram as it happened by the way. Posting them here again. Here I am, extreme right wearing a bandana, helping our assistant as he mounts a Go Pro all weather cam to a rescue boat. We joined a team of rescuers patrolling a submerged village. Our group spots a mother with her 2 year old boy, trapped on a roof, with very little or no food for almost 24 hours. Rescue team in action! Mother and 2 year old boy Gabby rescued! Plus, Gabby's dog Jepoy. Unfortunately, his lady dog friend drowned the night before. Chocolate-colored flood water creeps for so many blocks in one of the flooded barangays. Long time cameraman Jayson shoots yet another flood situationer. B-Balling? Why not??
Wow, Jay! Thanks for the "local perspective". Glad you're doing okay - and that's terrific that you're out there and able to help others out. This certainly puts my "problems" in perspective.
NT, thanks for your concern, I am touched by this. Its all good that a lot of people have survived, are so willing to help and we ask for more prayers as we expect a number of typhoons coming our way in the next months.
Disaster is always a good time to bring people together. I'm glad that Filipinos are doing so and not bringing the worst out. Glad to hear you're OK Jay and with enough strength, courage and will to help others. Hope this will pass soon.
Glad to see you are OK and I am so proud of how our people make the best of things even in the worst of times. I seen peeps playing in the water, i.e. diving etc. Although in retrospect not a good idea health-wise. It's been a long time since I left the island and I do not recall such flooding in all my time there. I remember large raindrops and the roof of a child's bahay kubo flying by our house. Strong winds and endless rain but not flooding like this and the typhoon season I am sure will bring more bad weather. =/
I remember those torrential rains and flooding. Definitely something I don't miss. The worst part is when the winds are so strong that they knock out power lines so you're left with no electricity for days. It's crazy but yeah...somehow we always find laughter in some of the worst times. Water only needs to be past your ankles to sweep you away. From Jay's pics, it looks like the weather has died down but another storm might be coming. It's like they say...the Filipino spirit is waterproof. Baha ka lang, Pilipino ako
great photo story JAY! glad you guys in the PI are safe. a lot of my family is affected by the floods, but not as severe as some areas. hoping this is all over soon.
