The Answer To All Questions

As I post this blog, Kris Aquino's shrieky voice echoes within our living from, now speaking of gratitudes and pleading for volunteers and sympathy from the Filipinos who might want to hold out a hand, I could hear them announcing a long-list of victims still suffering from the last bad storm whom until now shriver atop their roof, waiting for anybody to help, from which famous TV personalities are part of.

For years now, the long-talked issue of global warming resembled around the world, films and documentaries have been shown to raise the awareness of people around the world, but their voice becomes mute as nobody seemed to listen. We tend to shrug and keep our ears shut with this impeding issue. "That's nonsense," some tend to say.

But shrug not, and awaken when lots of families were shocked with the heavy downpour of the typhoon named "Ondoy" last Saturday, September 26. Floods were everywhere, along the roads of urban Metro Manila, and farmlands devastated in provinces only in a span of about 8 hours. PAG-ASA Weather Bureau Chief Nathaniel Cruz spoke of it as the worst typhoon that has hit Metro Manila and gave a strong impact for the last 100 years. Ondoy threw an average rainfall reaching to 420, equivalent to the average rainfall per month. Milenyo's eye, years ago, even passed through NCR but never raised anything like this but Ondoy whose core never really got here caused twice, or maybe even, quadrupled, the disaster.

One question: Is this what we fear? The product of all our actions, the consequence of the long-fought battle on global warming. Hands advocating for environmental protection seemed not enough, all has to participate.

This catastrophe never chooses whose lives to spare or not. TV personalities are part of the list, people we know are being aired on TV asking for help. We never expected this happen, or maybe we might have if we just listened to the voices.

I am just as delighted hearing the combined efforts of private companies extending a hand for help, sending donations of their products, and wealthy families who were only affected a little who share sympathy by sending amounts of money. This is a test -- for the whole nation, and for every Filipino -- a test of unity, good heart, and cooperation. Government effors aren't enough, their rubber boats so weak that they couldn't resist the surge of the flood in some areas. Each of us has something to do for us to get through this big trouble.

This, I hope, will be for the last time. The next events shall leave us not numb and dead but well- informed and knowledgeable enough to lessen what nature's evil side could give us.