What have we learned from the recent floodings?

[purple_bear_hugs]

^ sis i totally agree w/you...proper garbage disposal,efficient drainage system,and tighter laws against illegal logging,chopping down of trees to prevent soil erosion,flashfloods...on being prepared for future calamities,maybe stock up on the essentials like canned goods,flashlights,candles,battery-operated radio,for late updates in case of brownouts...despite the recent calamity mabuhay ang mga pinoy! help,support and prayers continue to pour from all over the country and from pinoys abroad!

[freeswan]

just also want to share about my future MIL. their house in QC was mababab. aside from being mababa, yung mismong house nila pababa pa. sabi niya, when they transferred there and noticed that the drainage system was not good, sabi niya, mahirap daw iasa sa gobyerno ang ganyan. she made the initiative to fix the drainage system in her area lang because that's what she can only afford. pinagipunan daw nila talaga yun. kaya nung weekend, while everyone's things were floating, yung bahay nila ligtas. I was scheduled to have my gown fitting last weekend  sa house nila and kinabahan ako baka d matuloy kasi baka binaha sila. surprisingly, hindi. kaya tuloy ang fitting. kahit si ate mayette(modista) was surprised to see malinis ang bahay.

[autumn_lal]

Every time na mag tatapon ako ng something sa kalsada, i will always think what just happened recently and hopefully maka contribute sa kalinisan ng kapaligiran natin.

[aquacharly]

I read in the diarios this AM of this family of 5 kids (1 kid with inlaws) + the mother and the husband's mother (husband was out "barking" for jeepneys) --- who all died inside their house. 

Ang sabi eh hindi daw siguro nakayanan na buksan ang pinto against the rushing flood waters, so hindi na naka labas to try to swim to safety.

There was also this poignant story of a woman who, when she returned to her totally wrecked house, saw all their possessions caked in mud.  But the tv was still there.  The 2nd time she returned, she said the tv set was no longer there.

So, as pointed out by FREESWAN & TWELFTH_GODDESS -- do not underestimate flood waters.   What happened in the past may not hold in the present.

So, plan now which stuff must go up to your 2nd floor or higher, once rains fall hard. 
And then, plan to leave early.. hwag nang antayin umabot sa tuhod ang water, basta ga-ankle na at pumasok na sa bahay ang flood waters; and lalo na if you are near a river/creek or your village has a history of flooding -- go!   
... BUT also, plan how you will securely lock up your house.   Mga looters, with so many sites to choose from, may leave your things untouched if you make it hard for them to get in.

As for the Congressmen, etc. etc.... perhaps we can petition them to enact a new law harshly penalizing looters, and their ilk who prey off people during times of misfortune?

[smoothie]

^naku, asa pa tayo sa government & if ever may law na tungkol dyan i don't think may mangyayari.

masakit man sabihin pero dapat sariling diskarte na lang kung paano tayo mag-susurvive sa mga ganitong calamities.


like sis freeswan, yung father-in-law ko rin nung naghahanap ng bahay dati ang unang una na tinitignan niya is kung babahain yung place. based kasi sa experience niya ito kasi nakatira sila dati sa talayan village. super baha doon sa area na iyon. kaya itong bagyo, wala siyang prinoproblema dahil alam niyang hindi babahain yung house. totoo nga. hindi nga kami binaha dito.

[autumn_lal]

^couldn't agree more with you sis.

Kawawa naman ang bansa natin.

[qt_ben17]

^^ my friend's cousins live in talayan, qc..  super flooded din sila. i never thought na mababa pala ang area nila since once pa lang ako nakapunta dun..

sabi nga ni palafox,  either pataasan mo ng 17 meters yung building or lumipat sa mataas na lugar.

[smoothie]

^kwento ni hubby, talagang binabaha yung place dun eversince. pero itong bagyo nga sobrang taas ng baha. iyong mga bahay dun matataas kasi talagang bahain. kaso feng shui wise, "swerte" daw yung lugar na yun.

[blooming]

So, plan now which stuff must go up to your 2nd floor or higher, once rains fall hard. 

... BUT also, plan how you will securely lock up your house.   Mga looters, with so many sites to choose from, may leave your things untouched if you make it hard for them to get in.

Kapag may fire or flood na ganyan, always flee na agad.  Bilinan lahat ng tao sa house. Life is the most precious thing they have to save. 

So instruction sa maid at sa mga bata, lock the door, dont look back and go. Mga gamit at damit, mapapalitan. Pero buhay hindi.

Thirdly, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of insurance.  Puedeng makatipid ka by not paying the premium, pero if something like this happens na sobrang laki ng damage, hindi ka naman mag-aalala.

[blooming]

^couldn't agree more with you sis.

Kawawa naman ang bansa natin.

sobrang kaawa awa talaga.  Ginago ka nanga, wala pang konsyensya para tumulong!  Sino ang mga nagrescue? mga volunteers are US marines!  SIno ang mga nagd donate? Mga private citizens parin! mga bwiset, ang kakapal ng mukha. 

Anyway, kaya nasa sa atin din kung gusto natin maging kaawa awa din. 

[akthung]

yung mga countries nga na pinagtatawanan natin noon, sila nagdodonate sa atin ngayon.

anyway, maganda tong article na eto. may study pala noong 70s, funded by the world bank. may mga certain areas na hindi dapat gawing residential areas. pero all the presidents since Marcos, ignored the recommendation. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=510301&publicationSubCategoryId=66

[insomniac]

Its high time that we take mother nature seriously. Let us all be responsible not to throw our garbage anywhere. Practice proper waste disposal should be taught in school, not just the basic bi-non biodegradable labels.

[jeck43]

Ako bibili me ng lifesaver, kung kaya ko ang presyo ng rubberboat bibili ako, bibili rin me ng salbabida at [textspeak!] pangbombang maganda as in [textspeak!] mabilisan.  Nasa plan na rin [textspeak!] 3rd floor with rooftop. Dapat naka-store sa cellphone ko [textspeak!] mga help hotlines like NDCC, PNP, Red Cross, GMA and ABS-CBN.

[qt_ben17]

wala talaga tayong maasahan sa gobyerno. nabasa ko nga eh, ginamit ni Gloria yung 800M mula sa 2B calamity fund. kaya ayan, wala na siyang maipamudmod sa mga nangangailangan.

at asan na ba ang mga laging nagmamabidang mga congresista, senador, at presidentiables? 

[jamie_0117]

it's also worth considering to live in the place where the city mayor lives in. seriously. maayos ang drainage system, lighting, garbage collection, security, everything.

[nadialicious16]

^sis ganyan sa amin dito sa makati mayor binay did all his best sa mga proyektong kapaki pakinabang.like last year lang inayos ang drainage.never binaha ang lugar namin,ngayon lang talaga hindi kami pinaligtas.ang hirap rin,kasi di mo na masabi ang panahon since mahirap madisiplina ang mga tao.ang natutunan na lang namin mag-asawa,since wala namang pakialam sa atin ang gobyerno tayo na lang gumawa ng paraan in times like this,be prepared.kasi kung sasandal pa tayo sa mga hinayupak na yan walang mangyayari.god bless us all.

[aquacharly]

Naku, kaninang 3PM pina akyat ko na what was on the bottom 4 feet of my bodega, from my basement level to the ground floor. 

Sabi ko kay hubby, better safe than sorry and those things will not go back down until the typhoon after Pepeng is gone.

Kesyo may pumps, etc.  Ah basta, sabi ko it is better to have it brought up now than to have the help later on wash the big plastic bins and contents (kung mapasukan pa ng water).

Parang feeling under seige ako ah.  Hindi naman bahain talaga in our village... but last weekend, 18" of water from the gardens entered my basement level. 

[Purple_Power]

If I am only rich naisip ko na magdonate for the flood control rito lang sa amin of course dahil yun ang kaya ko. Pademolish ang mga squatters sa tabi ng creek but of course gagawa muna ako ng lilipatan nila. That is only wishful thinking. 

Pero ito ang bagay na at least matutupad na dahil parati kaming binabaha rito sa house ever since.

-Yung isang bahay na lilipatan namin tinaasan na namin ang sahig at dalawa na ang banyo, kasi yung dito sa dating bahay isa lang ang banyo and yet ang masaklap yung binabaha pa.

Mga natutunan ko rin

- Maghanda ng batteries for flashlights and radio
- Huwag titira sa lugar o hahanap ng bahay saa bahain o dinaanan ng matinding baha dahil malaki pa rin ang possibility na balang araw babalik rin ito sa kung saan ito nasalanta just like Cainta Rizal, Marikina (if I am rich honestly speaking I won't buy a house at Provident village), Pasig, Malabon, at sa iba pang mga malalapit sa ilog.
-Huwag rin titira sa ibaba ng bundok kung saan may malaking possibility na pwedeng magkaroon ng landslide.
-If possible na magkaroon ng speedboat, jetski, lifejacket at iba pang pangkaligtasan na mga gamit
-Kapag mayaman ako gagawin ko na yung 2nd floor na bahay ay yun ang magiging sala tapos yung ground ay para sa garahe na lang. Other than that gagawin ko pang hanggang 5th floor tapos hangga't maaari lahat yun may banyo. Tapos may lagayan rin ng mga gamit na pang evacuate. Pwede ring extra kwarto para sa mga kamag anak na nasalanta at pwedeng tulungan.
-Pasesemento ang compound namin para hindi na mabaha.

Pag may naisip akong dagdag eedit ko na lang. 

[kutingpie]

-kailangan ng second floor
-iplastic container na ang mga bagay, lalo na kapag may ground floor, para kapag umaakyat na ang baha, madali maghakot.
-wooded floors are out, magtiles na lang.

[chinkywinky]

I've learned na ang bilis mawala ng buhay. At lahat ng tao equal sa panahon ng kalamidad. At lahat pwedeng tumulong sa mga affected in our little ways.