Stingin’ in the rain

Netnet Camomot

ON Monday afternoon, my only concern was to pay the business permit. Our dakilang messenger’s cellphone had conked out by then and the repair guy’s advice was for him to buy a new unit. But I guess he wasn’t able to buy any because of the flood.

Rain and water will always find a way to low-lying areas. Thus, if you’re living in a low-lying area, climate change has definitely helped that morph into a catch basin.

“Sendong” had forced any Cagayanon to become familiar with these three letters: LPA. Low pressure area. And that’s what Monday’s weather condition was, merely an LPA. But based on last Monday’s experience, we can no longer describe it as “merely.”

At least one of our friends who were Sendong victims became a flood victim again on Monday. She and her family were back to rubber boots and cleaning the house again the day after, on Tuesday. I was able to contact a rescue team for them, thanks so much to the help of that office with many letters—City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO)—and Ma’am Maricel Casino-Rivera, and Gean Cesar.

Thanks so much also to Nef Luczon for helping the stranded University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTSP) students.

I always add this when I express gratitude—from the bottomless pit of my heart. And that goes for CDRRMO, Ma’am Maricel, Gean, and Nef.

Anyway, should CDRRMO replace the meaning of D? The “Disaster” may invite more disasters. But then, there’s “Reduction” there to emphasize its true nature. But I could hardly memorize that—CD… what? A shorter version will be much appreciated, thank you.

There are times when you do appreciate the most essential, and that’s what last Monday had given us. My niece was stranded at USTSP, formerly known as MUST, and was finally rescued past 2 am on Tuesday by a 6×6 truck that brought her to Gaisano where she was fetched by my bro and sis-in-law. I was comforted by the fact that she was in an upper floor of one of the USTSP buildings, and was safe there despite the lack of emergency plans from a school that’s expected to have such by now, after all the floods that it had gone through in the past. Good thing she had her own bottle of water, and was given biscuits later.

Or it could be this: the school does have emergency plans but these were not obvious to us, the outsiders who were looking from, well, the outside.

It’s during rains and floods that we also realize how fragile our buildings and infrastructure can be. Water helped shape the Grand Canyon to its present state of grandeur, and it also reveals the vulnerability of a building that you expected to have been there, done that, and can now survive through more of the same. Since water will always find a way out of a maze, it may end up seeping through anywhere. It’s repairs galore after heavy rains.

An accountant automatically deducts depreciation from your net income, and there’s a reason for that. Any tangible asset will depreciate, and flood and heavy rains will of course increase the speed of its deterioration.

This morning while writing this column, the laptop suddenly conked out. I probably pressed the wrong key, triggering the off mode. But it was enough to cause panic until it was on again. No big deal compared to what Cagayanons had to survive through last Monday. But to have a dead laptop on top of it all…

With depreciated and flooded possessions, you have to begin to wonder what matters most in this life, and on what things you can give up now that they’re beyond repair. There’s always this advice to live simply, and to invest in experiences instead of things. A calamity will surely bring you back to that advice and hopefully it will stay there for the rest of your life.

There was a deep sigh of relief on Tuesday morning, upon learning that friends were OK. Although at least three were busy cleaning up their houses by then. But to learn they’re all safe and sound despite everything, there was a deep sigh of relief for that.

Living uptown may have its perks but with the area near Pryce Plaza having a landslide and a tree falling right there on the road, it’s a reminder that all of us do have to be vigilant in the midst of extreme weather conditions.

And all these happened two days after I watched “La La Land,” a musical which may remind the young once of “Singin’ In the Rain,” also a musical that starred the late Debbie Reynolds, the mom of Carrie Fisher aka Princess Leia.

I don’t know if anyone was “singin’ in the rain” last Monday. But the movie’s title could also mean singin’ despite the rain, despite all the troubles that come our way and the challenges we have to face. It’s not exactly to be happy amidst the gloominess but to be able to accept things as they are so we can move forward from there. It’s the denial that will keep us there, in the mud, unable to do anything.

You would expect “La La Land” to be like “Sing” and “Trolls.” But it’s more like “Moulin Rouge.” I had to singhot back tears to avoid emoting much. Thanks to the shawl, though, for acting as my hanky in keeping tears from flooding onto my mile-wide lap.

Surely, there were people who went out to watch movies last Monday, only to be stranded inside the malls once they were ready to go home. It was an expected flash flood, with not enough warnings to alert us of the grim possibilities. Or there were warnings but we were not online?

Cars were already floating at Limketkai Center and its surrounding areas including USTSP and CM Recto Avenue even before sunset. I want to refrain from calling this as the new normal in Cagayan de Oro. But, is it? It has taught us that LPA is not an “only” or “merely.” It could be much more, wreaking havoc on a house that was never flooded before.