A YEAR AFTER THE STORM

• photos taken during and after the storm Ondoy •

Today will mark one year from the great flood 'Ondoy'. It was a memorable experience and it simply made you thankful for being blessed. It was an unexpected tragedy.

The day before 'Ondoy', I was in a house party at my friend's place. It was all fun because two of my friends were celebrating their birthday and it was a reunion for us as well. The rain that day just won't stop. We were all there until evening and decided to spent our night there.

Next day, it was still raining. Everybody's planning go home that day but decided to play outside while raining. So we tripped, went somewhere, played like kids. When we are about to go back at our friend's house, the flood was unstoppable. In just a snap, it suddenly went high. We don't have any choice but to stay at our friend's place. Everyone suddenly got worried.

We spent one night all together again with worried minds that time. There was no electricity, mobile phones don't have coverage, we don't have stock foods, we can see outside the height of flood, people panicking, cars being washed away by the current of flood and a lot more.

Good thing that the rain already stopped and flood were gone the next day. We could all see the aftermath that 'Ondoy' made. Remembering the look of the surroundings that time, it was a sad picture I should say. Most of the areas still don't have electricity, no phone lines, dirty roads, stores don't have much to sell - it was a difficult time.

It took months for everything to be okay and be back to normal. The worst that I had then was the days that we don't have electricity. It was freaking hard 'coz you were used to it. But I remind myself that I am still lucky because my family and loved ones were all safe.

That experience made me realize what's more worthy in life. Looking back, can't help but just be thankful.


• These were photos taken the day before 'Ondoy', everyone was just trippin' and having fun, we never thought it will be a tragedy the next day •