How Really Prepared Us Filipinos in Times of Storm?

Philippines is prone to typhoons. We expect 20 typhoons to enter the Philippines every year and Glenda is the sixth typhoon which struck the Philippines this year. It may not carried volume of water but the strong winds resulted the same--devastated.

Here in Cavite, particularly in the subdivision where we lived in, I witnessed how the strong wind brought by typhoon Glenda resulted to fallen trees along the road, signage, debris, flown away roofs even to those unoccupied units. We just very thankful that no casualties have reported (here in our subdivision).

The typhoon stuck in dawn and lasted for hours but the strong winds ruin a lot that caused us experienced no electricity and no water supply for straight three days. People within the subdivision get water from the subdivision's swimming pool that they may used for rinsing dirt and toilet flush. Some discover to get water from the water outlet near the guard house where stocked water from the tank came out. So people have to line up just across my house where the outlet is just near us to get water, much cleaner than pool water :))

By night, people looked for candles to have light. We never noticed how long we're going to experience the no electricity and no water supply.

Let us go back to PAG-ASA's very early and prompt announcement before Glenda came in to PAR. Yes, they have announced that Glenda is a strong typhoon. However, the weather that time doesn't match the report because it was too hot when they announced class suspensions. Some reacted against PAG-ASA that they brought wrong report. But to those who accepted the report as early warnings like me, we start preparing for some needed basic needs we should have in case Glenda hit along.

Here's what i prepared.

1. I went to grocery and bought some stocks like canned goods (maling, san marino corned tuna),  hotdog which can be easily cook. trays of eggs, cooking oil, rice and flour since i can make pancake,puto and waffle out of it.

2. Store 3 containers of purified water (still nagkulang pa rin)

3. Gas up the car.

4. Charge the gadgets.

5. Flashlight. Candles in case of  blackouts (and it happened).

With all the things i prepared, we ran out drinking water on the third day which same day returned the electricity as well as water supply but before that, on the second day, my sons and I tried to look for drinking water in Bayan and Paliparan, Dasmarinas, but because we have the same situation-- no electricity, unfortunately, we head back home and got nothing. Water from the pool got smelly too that is why my friend and I look for deep well/ nawasa somewhere along the Molino Rd. And yes! We got some water from deep well for P10/ container. Ok na yun, at makakaligo na din :)) But we still need to be very limit in using the water, so when meal time, we used paper plate with plastic, disposable spoon and fork para iwas hugasin and each of us owned a bottle of water with our names written on each own so we can avoid wasting of drinking water.

Good thing we owned a car and helped us to go palces to find refilling station. My last option is to go to Las Pinas for that but thank God because along Daang Hari, we found one..they operate because they have generator. So we get purified drinking water there for much higher price from the one used to deliver and supply our drinking stocks. Then again, I thank God for leading us the way to Green Bay refilling drinking station.

Now, ask yourself, how prepared are you in times of storm? May this blog helps you in some way to get prepare in times of disaster and crisis.

No matter how stong the typhoon was, we know that God is always in control and watching over the Philippines.