POST TYPHOON UPDATES FROM MARILY OROSA

My friend, Marily Orosa, and I talked for almost an hour today. Marily talked about what happened during the typhoon and she also talked about how things are now. She lives in a high rise in Makati and was not affected by the flooding, although her Bel Air office did have flooding in the basement. Her staff members were affected however, when their homes were flooded neck-deep. As seen on the news and YouTube clips, the flood waters flooded many areas in Metro Manila. The Marikina Valley, near the college we attended (Maryknoll College) was badly flooded, with many lives lost.

Marily talked about people building rafts for their families, and even then, some did not survive. She talked of babies being placed in basins, and surviving.

Even though the flooding has subsided some, people are still suffering. People are getting sick from the dirty water; many, Marily said, apply thick grease on their feet and legs to prevent direct contact with the polluted water. There simply is no place to dump the garbage, even if people collect the garbage in their area.

Before Filipinos recovered from Ketsana, Typhoon Pepeng pummelled Northern Luzon. So, while Manilenos try to pick up their lives, people up north are digging up their dead.

It's sad news, and it's not over. People are bracing themselves for the diseases that will follow.

Do continue to donate to the Red Cross (and designate your donation for Philippine typhoon victims).