Ravaged

It’s just been a few days since a massive earthquake hit Cebu and Bohol. Hard. And just before they could even begin to recover, another natural calamity hits the country – typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a. Yolanda locally. We’ll use Haiyan ‘cuz it sounds cooler). It’s not just another typhoon, it’s the strongest typhoon this year. A super-typhoon. I wonder what our country did to incur Mother Nature’s ire?

The entire country’s been receiving warnings from PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration) as well as other international weather agencies ever since Wednesday, prompting everyone to prepare for the upcoming calamity. Problem is that it barely rained and no wind blew, making them seem like Noah who was telling everyone to get ready for a massive downpour but nobody believing him. Truly enough, just like Noah, the experts were right, as Haiyan already left a trail of destruction across Visayas.

Thankfully, the situation here in Manila was nowhere near as dire. Nonetheless, the winds were nothing less than fierce, sounding not only as loud rustles, but as deep howls and wails, akin to that of how movies theorize how a ghost would sound like. It may just be sound, but it’s more than enough to make me fear for my countrymen. After all, if the tempests in an area that wasn’t directly affected could cut thick branches and power lines, then it definitely did much more damage in the places that received the full blunt of its power – wind and rainfall damaging millions of pesos worth of property and infrastructure beyond repair as well as injuring and trapping hundreds or even thousands of people, leaving them without decent shelter and supplies. Some have already even died. There is no doubt that Haiyan is indeed this year’s strongest typhoon.

I couldn’t help but thank God for giving me a sturdy shelter with my family a hundred miles away from the storm, but I just couldn’t look away as I enjoy His protection, so I pray that He would protect and comfort them as well. Thankfully, Haiyan will be out of the country in a few hours. I hope everyone would be safe and stay safe…