Lingering

January 5, 2022

It feels surreal to write 2022 on papers, not used to say january and awkward to say happy new year when all that you can see are remains of destructed homes and buildings. Nonetheless, time pass by with or without our permission, with or without us being ready or better yet time still pass by with or without us.
I'd like to think and write about anything other than stories related to typhoon but everyday in my life starting from December 16,2021 all I can see and think of is the typhoon. I would like to imagine that we have moved on but it would only be a daydream. Sometimes, I wish this is just a dream, that one day we would be all waken up from this worst nightmare but it is not.
Twenty days after the typhoon, almost three weeks after, some people are still processing the pain, the hurt, the loss, the damage. But I bet you can't see it on our eyes, because we are Filipinos, branded as resilient. Like a bamboo that only bends but doesn't break. Like a bamboo that only sways and dance in the rain and in the strong blow of winds. Of course, we cry, we crumble and hope to die but in the next minute we still find a reason to smile. There would always be somebody from a group who can crack jokes, somebody from the group whose laughter spreads like a virus and somebody from the group who would love to pinpoint something that should be grateful for, someone whose vision is fixated on the silver lining.
People in general are adaptive. Here in our area even without blackpink, some people are used to the electricity being out and the water supply being limited. Rain is a blessing because everyone from the barangay who has low supply of water can just place their containers outside to be filled with rainwater. Allergy and skin-concious no more! Everyone is trying to get a hold of water for cleaning and drinking purposes. At home, we make do of water from the water pump without filter, we just boil it. When in terms of elecricity, some people are buying their own generators. Businessmen are still businessmen. Ten to forty pesos if you charge your device- cellphone, powerbank, flashlight. You name it.
Survival. Everyone is busy doing something that is worthwhile. Food is the booming business. Barbecue stations, fast food or eatery. Gas station and hardware supplies are in demand too.
Today, we can't fully feel the crisis as help is overflowing. God has touched the hearts of many and so help and relief are coming our way. Thanks to the media who spread and shared what it is like here in our place. In Limasawa, they say people can already build stores with the relief goods they receive. Their port turned into a landing area of choppers who have nothing but help. We can understand that because it is severely affected. In our barangay, we receive help of goods from DSWD  a week after thr typhoon and three kilos of rice on the second week. Few private sectors also extended help to few selected families. We ar more than thankful for that.
What we worry about is the next years. Help won't be there anymore. Relief goods won't be here. And our main livelihood would take years to recover. We are not sure about tomorrow but we can place our trust on God. He has delivered us through the storm and I'm sure He will deliver us from crisis.
I'm sorry for the bad vibes of this one. I want to write a different one. One which is happy and alive and not sad and dead but this is what is in my head.

Good day still and I hope you are all doing fine. I'm sorry if I can't reply immediately or comment on yours. The signal here is not yet stable plus I also have to save some of my phone's energy for flashlight purposes.

Thank you for reading! Happy New Year! Until then!.

*Lead Image is from Unsplash.com