According to the study, the Philippines placed third with a little over 1 billion pounds of plastic dumped in the ocean in 2010. China topped the study, dumping nearly 5 billion pounds of plastic in the ocean.
This was on the news last week.
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September 2009 was one catastrophic date in our lives. We were one of those affected by Typhoon Ondoy. I vividly recall as it happened on a Saturday at around 2pm. Me and my kids were about to take a nap. Rain had been incessant for days. We were complacent as flood never occurred in our place came strongest typhoons. But that Saturday, it was hardly surprising when water was rising up swiftly. We’ve got no second floor, my grandmother who was alive then was already “ulyanin” and incapable to walk, I’ve got two small boys who were 2 and 6 years old, and my husband was abroad, only my mother and a nanny were with me, we were all female in the house.
I didn’t know where I seized my strength and unagitation that time, as we lift appliances including the refrigerator and all other stuff to higher portions of the house. However, I decided that it was time for us to evacuate as water was fast ascending, I didn’t want us to be trapped inside our house. A good Samaritan helped us and off he carried by arms my grandmother (she passed away a year after by the way, I miss you Lola. He was 96 years old). When I carried my elder son, and my yaya carried my younger son, my boys were already crying in fear. I was also scared but I remained calm, thinking the safety of my family. We weren’t able to bring anything but my bag with valuables and money inside. As we went outside, water was more elevated, and we saw our car already submerged in flood. Neighbours were similarly evacuating. The current was likewise strong, that we had to grip a rope laid by barangay officials in traversing to a safe higher ground. We stayed on our cousin’s place several blocks from us, whose house is more elevated than ours.
That night, on my own, I was walking in the rain barefooted, in the flood with no more current, going back and forth to our house and was checking the locks, securing important documents, and packed clean clothes for us. Water came reached nearly three quarter high of our house, but when I came back that night it was down to chest level. I never slept that night. I was still in denial, that we just went through that kind of adversity usually seen only in movies. That was when I really felt my energy was consumed.
We were thankful that God is so good there were no casualties reported from our neighbourhood. It was blackout the whole night, cellphone signals were down. The next day when power was back; never did we realize as we viewed the news that hundreds of people were actually killed by Ondoy in different parts of NCR. I went down to my knees, and wept in silence hailing the Lord from keeping my family away from harm.
Since then, my outlook in life had changed. First, material things are temporary, our life is momentary. Everything can be taken away from us in one snap. Better do good “now”, before it is too late. Second, in relation to MDG7, CLIMATE CHANGE is really happening. Ondoy is now the “new norm” in our climate and environment. Places that were never been flooded before are now experiencing flood.
Worst, Ondoy and similar floodings all over the Philippines are caused by what is termed “plastic pollution”. According to members and allies of EcoWaste Coalition, plastic bags account for most of the litter that clog waterways in the metropolis, making it difficult for floodwaters to recede after a heavy downpour.
I was trying to only maintain in my heart pleasant memories, and unpleasant ones take the back seat. Yet for the benefit of this online journal, with deep breath, I reminisced.
I hope “ONDOY” serves as a lesson for all of us to REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE.
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