Super Mario

Four days of nothing. That's how I describe my long weekend (Friday to Monday). Well actually, it doesn't mean I didn't have anything; it was just different from what I expected.

It was a rainy Thursday night when I started packing for our trip to Kibungan for the UPM induction climb. I knew it would be a wet weekend since the forecasts said so very early in the week. But I didn't expect that the weather would turn for the worse. I was woken up by a call from my brother-in-law asking if I can lend them my pick-up truck, because their house was on the verge of getting flooded. It didn't sink in at first, but then we realized that the situation was bad; Mario's wrath was reminiscent of Ondoy five years ago. 

So much for the weekend plans. At least we have something to keep us warm. #MarioPartyPooper #Osprey #GP (Instagram)

The decision was practically made for us. The river in Kibungan was overflowing; obviously the climb is cancelled. Work was also cancelled. Everyone was glued to the television, watching the Marikina River and the La Mesa Dam rise to critical levels. Then the call came. Ninoy and Natnat were gathering all able bodies to launch a SAR operation in Marikina. They needed someone to get the boats in the warehouse, since the usual truck was stuck somewhere in the submerged Araneta Avenue. Without the boats, there was no operation.

photo: Celina Cruz

It took me a while to "escape" from home. It's hard to find an excuse to leave when the TV was showing scenes of flood everywhere. The streets were deserted. Quezon Avenue fortunately was free of water. Our next problem was loading the 12-foot, 200-pound boat to my truck. I knew in the back of my mind that Wednesday (my truck) would somehow suffer from dents and scratches because of this. We did our best to protect the cab, but some things can't be avoided. 

photo: Celina Cruz

Concepcion Uno, Marikina - We met with fellow UPM, Niko, who introduced us to Kagawad  "Trigger" who will guide us along the alleys where we would be ferrying stranded residents. The scene was not as dire as it was during Ondoy. These past few years of regular flooding have desensitized the residents and made them almost used to this situation. You can always count on Filipino resilience over adversity. At the back of my mind, I was also hoping we could count on our ability to recognize the underlying problems (deforestation, illegal dumping of garbage, settling in hazardous areas, not evacuating on time) that could have prevented the adversities from happening in the first place.

photo: Celina Cruz

The streets were dark as the power was cut to prevent electrocution. The floodwater was swift, immediately catching our boat in its current. Natnat, Ninoy, David, Sinag and I were in the first boat. We were supposed to fetch an elderly couple and send them back to our launch site, but despite paddling with all our might, we couldn't fight the current. We had no choice but to exit downstream, which was almost a kilometer away. Our other boat team (Jom, Aris, Tomo and Adrian) turned back, luckily escaping the current by paddling frantically until they were in calmer water.

boat team 2 (photo: Celina Cruz)

Tumana became our new staging area. The street was lit up with the presence of other rescue groups and news teams. Our next task was to drop off a few people delivering supplies and fetching anyone wanting to get out. The street we entered was another water drain, making us fight our way against losing control of the boat. Along the way there was a man waist-deep in the flood carrying his terrified dog, asking our help. The water took us away before we could load him up, but we promised to return. 

photo: Celina Cruz

I can't understand why people insist in staying home under these desperate conditions. Obviously most are wary of leaving, fearing for their homes getting robbed. But is it really worth risking your life to save waterlogged belonging? I would come to realize that for a lot of them, the answer is yes. 

photo: Celina Cruz

We had to struggle all the way back to the stating area. Natnat, David, and I were off the boat, pulling it out of the mire. The closer we got to the intersection, the stronger the current became. There was a point that we were virtually stationary despite our legs and arms being fully engaged--to the point of cramping--in pulling the boat forward. We made it out and even managed to go back to the man and his dog. After that, our strategy changed.

photo: Jom Daclan

Our team made two more passes, each more difficult than the last one. Our paddling was still a bit uncoordinated, and we almost got our boat destroyed after hitting an electrical post. I skipped on the last one so we can prepare the trucks for our pull-out. Jessica Soho was on site, reporting on the goings-on in Tumana. I was cold and way dirty. The fear of contracting leptospirosis from prolonged exposure to the floodwater loomed in my mind (it's been four days since the operation and I haven't had any of the symptoms. The doxycycline is working, so far.) 

photo: Celina Cruz

We quickly carried the boat after the team returned from their run. There were still a lot of people asking for help, but most of them just wanted to return home; something that I couldn't get myself to endorse. The water had been receding and it hasn't been raining hard since the afternoon, so soon people could get back to their homes safely. Not just yet. We left them to ponder on what they would do. I hope waited it out.

photo: Celina Cruz

I got back home close to midnight; wet, tired and tipsy (wine was served during the post-op meeting). There was a ton of things to be washed and disinfected, including myself. I woke up the next morning arms and back sore from the hard paddling and lifting, hoping that my body would be healthy enough to fight off any infection. Wednesday smelled like a wet dog, and sporting a few new scratches and dents. It's all good. It's nothing compared to the plight of those we ferried across the flood the night before. 

***

It would be callous of me to say the weekend wasn't a total loss just because we got to do something. It was a loss no matte how you look at it. More than our climb getting cancelled, Mario has dealt another severe blow to our countrymen. Loss of homes and personal belongings. Lost work and school days. Losing and needing to rebuild again year after year. All these an effect of another loss: the loss of our concern for the environment. More of that in another post

photo and text by Fredd Ochavo