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I am filing this article under “The Baguio I Remember” because recent events have reminded me that, Baguio is not only about the place where I spent my happy childhood, but also, about its extraordinary people.

When my Baguio friends heard about the devastation wrought by typhoon Ondoy, they called on all Baguio people to donate relief goods for the victims of the flood.  I then found myself picking up from Victory Liner in Cubao boxes of relief goods that my Baguio friends had pooled together  and delivering them to the Don Bosco relief center in Makati.

The Baguio relief operations for typhoon Ondoy had not yet ended when Baguio itself was hit badly by typhoon Parma, a.k.a., typhoon Pepeng.  As I was still reeling from the effects of typhoon Ondoy, I immediately asked Padma how she was doing. Her text message to me read “Baguio has experienced worse weather”.  That was the first day of typhoon Parma in the Philippines.  Little did we know then that typhoon Parma was a slow moving typhoon that dumped a lot of rain on the first few days it was in the Philippines.  As we all know, things took a turn for the worse when typhoon Parma took a U-Turn as it was leaving the Philippines and came back for a second visit.  To everyone’s horror, typhoon Parma not only caused massive floods in many Philippine provinces up north, it also caused multiple landslides, which led to the isolation of many areas in Benguet, including Baguio.

For many days after typhoon Parma fled the country, northern Philippine cities and towns, were isolated.  My Baguio friends advised me that as no supplies could be brought into Baguio, there was a food shortage and the prices of goods increased. Although Baguio is now open to light vehicles, there are still many places beyond Baguio that remain isolated.

As soon as typhoon Parma left Baguio, the Cafe by the Ruins, began its relief operations.  From its own funds, the Cafe by the Ruins purchased available food from the Baguio Market to feed the victims and rescuers.  I cried when I found out that the meals consisted of boil bananas, rice, monggo and dried fish.  Meat and other fruits and vegetables were too costly to include as part of the meals.  I laud Padma and the others who are heading the Cafe by the Ruins relief operations for their creativity in serving healthy meals on such a tight budget.  As days passed, my admiration for the Cafe by the Ruins team and the rescuers grew tremendously when I learned of the efforts they took just to bring food to the people in isolated areas.  The volunteers had to trek over landslides and walk through mud and dangerous terrain carrying relief goods that will save countless lives.  This video and this video just shows how difficult the relief operations are.

I am reminded that nineteen years ago, when that terrible earthquake had isolated Baguio, the Cafe by the Ruins also conducted relief operations and the same people were out there helping people.  Once again, in times of tragedy, I remember that the Baguio is composed of these extraordinary people whom I grew up with.   In this respect, I can honesty say that Baguio has never changed.

And so, I am appealing to all of you to help the the victims of typhoon Parma.  You can do so by sending donations in cash or in kind to Cafe by the Ruins.  I assure you, the people there will make sure your donations are given to the people who need it most.

BAGUIO & ITS SURROUNDING AREAS STILL NEED YOUR HELP.  CASH DONATION MAY BE MADE THROUGH  CAFE BY THE RUINS MOBILE SOUP KITCHEN. INT’L: SWIFT code BNORPHMM ROUTING# 0210-0001-8. DOMESTIC: RUINS INC savings account #940060574 Banco de Oro (BDO) Legarda Road, Baguio City.

DONATIONS IN KIND MAY BE BROUGHT TO MARTHA LOVINA AT NO. 1 CAIMITO, MCKINLEY ROAD, FORBES PARK, MAKATI.  MARTHA WILL ARRANGE FOR GOOD TO BE BROUGHT TO BAGUIO.

I was driving home from work at 6:00 p.m. last night.  It was raining and I realized I had ceased to believe.

Since Wednesday, government officials, CNN, ABS-CBN, family and and friends have sent warnings about Typhoon Parma, a.k.a. Pepeng.  Along with those warnings came requests to pray that that Category 5 Super Typhoon skip the Philippines.  We did not need anymore rain or wind after Typhoon Ondoy.

Although I said a short prayer for everyone’s safety, I lacked conviction that anything could be done to avert the storm.  The predictions about the path of Typhoon Parma and its strength seemed so definite that I actually wondered, while driving home, how any prayer could help us now.  I caught myself thinking this thought, and before I could even think beyond it, another thought came to mind.  I thought damage was inevitable in Metro Manila.  Ten minutes later, I heard a prayer for Typhoon Parma to be averted being said over the radio.  Again, I felt that such act was futile.

From the time I left the office until I slept at around 11:00 p.m., the rain did not stop.

I woke up with the same hopelessness I had when I went to bed. Then, I tuned in on CNN and was surprised to learn that Typhoon Ondoy was no longer the super typhoon we expected and that it is veering farther away from  Metro Manila.  On the social networking sites, friends were also reporting that the Typhoon will skip Metro Manila. I was stunned, grateful, and then, humbled.

Prayers work.  I do not know why I had forgotten that prayers do work since prayers have helped me many times in the past.  I am also reminded of a thought I had in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy.  The thought:  At the end of the day, one realizes that, no matter how many precautions we take, how we live our lives or how much we try to control what happens to us, we can never predict how and when we will die.  This is a reminder that our lives are not in our hands but in the hands of a greater being out there.

This photo (by Carmela Aquino) of a man saving a child during the height of Typhoon Ondoy is one of many images posted on the internet showing the victims saving other victims.  There are also many stories of bravery being told.  My own officemate (whose house in Cainta was inundated) swam through the murky floodwater to get to Mercury Drugs Store to buy food for his stranded neighbors.  The most poignant story account I have heard so far is that of the young man who, at the height of the storm, swam through flood waters to save thirty lives.  That young man is Muelmar Magallanes, also a victim of the storm.  He died saving the life of an infant, the thirtieth life he saved.

I was in the supermarket on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and as the days passed, I saw the supply of water, instant noodles and canned good dwindling.  There was a mad rush to buy relief goods for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. In the many Relief Operation Centers, there were countless young people accepting donations and packing goods to delivered to the victims of Typhoon Ondoy.  On the social networking sites, there were, and still are, countless individuals keeping the stream of information on where aid is needed most going and urging others to help.  Somehow, help has reached those that need it.

While there are still the opportunists and apathetic among us, I tell you now, I have never been so proud to be a Filipino as I am today.  For in times of great tragedy, many among us find it in themselves to help others.

*Photos of Ateneo Relief Operations by Ojai Ramos