Tropical Storm “Ondoy†(Ketsana) Places Manila in State of Calamity
Everyone knew that there was a storm coming but no one thought it was going to be this bad. Compared to previous weather advisories, no warnings were made on how hard it would hit the Philippines. And now, we see a large chunk of the Filipino archipelago seeking drier ground as tropical storm “Ondoy†or Ketsana practically transformed the metropolis and its neighboring parts into a virtual waterworld.
Provinces were expecting the floods but not Metro Manila. Flying debris, falling billboards and manageable water levels were expected. But what happened was far worse. Most of the parts of Manila like Makati, Marikina, Paranaque, Quezon City and San Juan found their respective districts under water, thus opening the eyes of the Filipinos on what global warming and climate change is all about.
Folks were climbing their roofs, casualties of electrocution were reported and many commuters stranded in various locations were reported. Rescue teams have been released but apparently the damage caused by Ondoy was far too critical. Rubber boats are being asked to place people in safer ground but apparently there are too many casualties to date.
Health concerns are expected to be the next issue here. As a lot of people found themselves walking in the water, bacteria and diseases are bound to be around. The Philippines is in a state of calamity right now and while this may be considered a wake-up call, after Ondoy passes and everything goes back to normal, perhaps the Filipinos can open their eyes to the reality of global warming and what it can do. The things we see now are just few of the things that can happen if environmental change isn’t addressed accordingly.
