A YEAR AFTER ONDOY

Time really flies that fast. I did not notice that it was already a year gone by since that tragic "Ondoy" thing that has hit the Philippines. The typhoon was so devastating that it has affected a lot of people from all over the country. "Ondoy" started building a lot of strength on September 24, 2009 and make its destructing run towards the archipelago before leaving on September 26, 2009.

The typhoon has shown how inefficient our government was in rescues operations during natural calamities like typhoons. A lot were stranded and some even left to the cold. The rescue operations were a far cry from the ones you see in the movies.

But putting that aside, what makes "Ondoy" memorable is the fact that Filipinos came together as one and helped one another. Some even celebrities were actively doing their own rescue operations (Richard Guttierez, Jericho Rosales, Angel Locsin to name a few). TV networks staged marathons/telethons urging the general public and the big names in the industry and in the business sector to give out their share of donations. I could never forget how Kris Aquino utterly mentioned that even if she's an endorser of one brand, she is actively accepting donations from competitor brands saying that it is for everyone's benefit.

The Filipinos once again held hands and supported each other. Millions were damaged in properties and infrastructures. Lives were affected but again we have shown the world that we are known for our "Bayanihan" trait. Everything else was set aside as all of the people joined forces and united for everyone's good.