‘Station of the nation’

Netnet Camomot .

FLOODS in Japan. Heat wave in Canada. Ano ba talaga, Kuya?

And then, there’s my Wednesday column where I wrote that the Sona is the “Station of the Nation Address.” Could be the result of President Rody Duterte’s “God is stupid” rant. You know, the Stations of the Cross.

In that same column, I miscalculated the mission accomplished of Ellen Adarna. She said she wanted to be pregnant before the age of 30; I said it wasn’t a mission accomplished. But she turned 30 last April and gave birth two months later, which means she did get pregnant before turning 30. Somehow my minute brain processed “pregnant” as “birth.” Tsk tsk. That brain must be having its own climate change.

Talk of climate change, I was in downtown Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday afternoon when it began to drizzle. I immediately left and rushed back to the bukid, only to be stuck in traffic along Pabayo Street. The drizzle by then had morphed into a rain of cows and carabaos like a Porsche accelerating from 0 to 100 kph in 4.6 seconds. It was zero visibility by the time we reached Rodelsa Circle and we could not see the river while crossing Kagay-an Bridge. I thought all that white was fog, only to learn it was the rain pouring down like as if rhinos and elephants have joined the Running of the Bulls in Spain.

Masterson Avenue, as usual, was flooded with waters that flowed to the downtown area. While watching a Facebook Live coverage of the flooded Villarin Street in Carmen, my thought bubble had a eureka moment: Oh, so, that’s where the waters went.

I was planning to drop by SM uptown to buy birthday treats for the house help but decided not to upon seeing the water level on the street right in front of the mall.

It was only when we reached the village’s gate that I heaved a deep sigh of relief, so happy and grateful to be home.

Downtown CDO will remain as the city proper for many decades. The malls, condominiums and hotels sprouting there are proof of investors’ confidence that the city’s perennial floods will not be forevermore. Still, videos of the Japan floods caused by Super Typhoon Maria may remind the Cagayanon of Sendong. Once a super typhoon’s strength goes way beyond any category, will it be like raining whales and titanosaurs?

CDO has its “usual suspects” a.k.a. flood-prone areas which when flooded won’t even make the Cagayanon flinch unless he’s there at that moment.

One way to face climate change is to have politicians who care for the environment. Let’s see if Pulse Asia’s June 2018 survey for senatoriables has an environmentalist.

Well, Lito Lapid is 6th to 13th. He could have won “Most Silent” when he was senator. But since silent waters run deep…

Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is nowhere in the top 13 nor in the top 30. Which must be good for her since 13 is not a lucky number. And today is Friday the 13th! Brrrrr.

Yes, Sereno needs to make more noise. Or how about a serene Sereno—the epitome of grace under pressure.

Sen. Grace Poe is No. 1 in the survey. That could be the Fernando Poe Jr. connection. But she has made a name for herself, with her public image team managing to help her maintain a calm and intelligent presence. Her citizenship and residency issues have even gone down the drain.

Of course, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is 3rd to 5th in the survey with 46.2 percent. Her response: “I am at a loss for words. I am overwhelmed.”

Bureau of Corrections chief Bato dela Rosa is 5th to 12th with 37.7 percent. No reaction from him yet as of this writing.

Special Assistant to the President Bong Go is 23rd to 31st with 9.9 percent despite the billboards, T-shirts, tarpaulins and shoes. But with the Bong Go cell phones that were distributed recently, expect his rank to level up in the next survey. If Tito Sotto could be Senate President, anything is possible now.

Well, the midterm elections will be in May 2019—we’re counting months, not weeks and days.

For this month, though, there’s President Duterte’s Station, er, State of the Nation Address. Hmmm. We can only hope his speech will be as sunny as the weather.