‘Sendong’: The Name Iliganons Will Never Forget

by: Michelle L. Aban

JR Gonzales: Here's a post-Sendong article written by The Nexus staffer, Michelle L. Aban of the Mindanao State University College of Law - IIT Extension. All prayers for everyone to be safe as a Typhoon Bopha (known in the Philippines as Typhoon Pablo) enters the country.

"Signal number 2 hits here in Mindanao!"



A thick knot hits deep in my stomach. I felt so scared. My heart stopped for a moment and my lungs skip a breath. This is the first time in the longest time that I've experienced a storm invading our little City. I could not remember the last time we've had this intense kind of weather. Rains pouring down on our rooftops like bullets fired in armalite rifles and the winds gushing so damn hard as if the roof above us is about to fly. Lights flickering on and off just like in a horror movie and the environment is freezing cold. It's been raining so hard for hours and my mind races sporadically of the possibility that sooner or later the lights will die out since my internet connection unexpectedly got terminated (for the first time!). Then the worst thing happened, as the dawn breaks in on the 17th of December last year, shocking numbers of casualties were reported.

Petrified.
That was how it felt like after having experienced for the first time a surging tropical cyclone which turned into a full pledged typhoon and wrecked havoc in the City of Waterfalls. Although my elder sister’s family who hailed from Orchids Subdivision were greatly devastated for having her entire house and lot completely wiped out, still I am thankful to the Almighty that she and the rest of my family are safe. 

However, I feel for those who lost their loved ones and up to now are still looking for their family members who are missing. It was heart-pounding and we were all grieve-stricken of the aftermath brought about by Sendong. May this incident be a lesson to all of us to stay vigilant and to conserve Mother Nature. May our own Disaster Risk Reduction Management be more prepared in instances like these. 



Once is enough. It all depends on us for if we won’t take heed on this then pretty sure a repeat on this is certain to happen. And if we’re that stubborn, perhaps Sendong won’t only be the name we won’t forget.



Picture Credit:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2011/1219/Typhoon-Sendong-recovery-efforts-begin-in-Philippines http://www.pinaytravelista.com/2012/01/iligan-city-restructured-face-of-iligan.html

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