I kissed my children today. Scouring the net for news about the aftermath of Storm Sendong, I chance upon some heartbreaking photos –
Inconsolable grief is pictured in the face of this father who lost his child at the height of the typhoon. I imagine there was no time to run for most as they got swallowed up by the rampaging floodwaters. Photo via @mindanaoan on twitter.
Authorities now say the affected areas in Northern Mindanao experienced in one day more than a month’s worth of rainfall. And I can’t believe the national weather bureau failed us again in this point. NASA’s measuring satellite already assessed “very heavy rainfall of over 50mm/hr” on December 15 whereas PAGASA’s instruments predicted only an amount of 10-25 mm per hour rainfall amount for Sendong. Likewise, only signal number 2 was raised in the Sendong stricken areas as heavy rains battered their land.
This part of Mindanao probably never thought what could happen in Metro Manila during typhoon Ondoy could EVER happen to them. The ever-rising death toll in Sendong is a sad testament that authorities are once again only reacting AFTER THE FACT. If storm alerts and disaster preparedness were in place at the slightest hint of heavy rain, then the needless loss of lives a week before Christmas could have been prevented. But I guess it’s just too late now to ruminate about the what if’s and could have been’s…. 🙁
More signs of devastation. And pardon the graphic content. Photos submitted by citizen journalists via @bayanmo on Twitter.
Whether you’re in the Philippines or anywhere in the world, here’s how to help:
Xavier University, Tabang Sendong
Account Name: Xavier University
Bank Name: Bank of the Philippine Islands, CDO Divisoria Branch
Account Number: 9331-0133-63
Kalinaw Mindanao:
c/o BDO Cogon Branch
Account name: Kalinaw Mindanao Movement, Inc.
Acct No. 1910059607.
Route Number BNORPHMM with same account name and number for donations coursed through foreign account.
Office of Senator Koko Pimentel
Room 512, GSIS building, Senate of the Philippines
TV5 Kapatid Foundation Inc. (bank account name)
BDO Savings Account No. 005310-410164 and BPI Savings Account No. 1443-05333-2
(this list to be updated)
We are not secured in this planet. Greedy People are the culprit of this disaster! Thanks for sharing this heartwarming post!
accident implies a general negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented. I was emotionally affected seeing this photos because there many lives that were lost because of the people behind illegal loggings.This is a wake-up call for all of us that we should take care of our environment.
thank you for choosing my picture 🙂 It’s an honor 🙂