Curbside Stories

It has been more than a week already since super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) made two land falls in the Southern part of the Philippines, particularly in Samar and Leyte. Since then, the lives of many, not only in the Philippines but also from around the world, has changed. While the Visayas region was busy preparing for the typhoon, I was with my family, tucked safe and sound in the comforts of our homes in Luzon. Although the weather bureau warned us of storm signal number 1, it was relatively peaceful during the day. It was only at around 7 o'clock in the evening when the heavy rain poured with gusts of wind, but, it was not enough to cause me to be awake the entire evening. Nobody  really knew or has not anticipated how strong the typhoon was until the news broke in the morning that most of the provinces in the Visayas region, especially Leyte, was severely damaged. The super typhoon literally flattened the entire province, leaving more than 4 thousand people dead and mill...

Photo from interaksyon.com It has been raining for three weeks now and most part of Metro Manila and nearby areas are already flooded and death tolls are still rising. Many families are forced to leave their home to a safer place and evacuation areas. Earlier this day, the Palace declared no classes and no work to all government and private offices due to severe weather condition. As of this writing, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) has not yet declared any typhoon. The heavy rain is just due to Southwest Monsoon and Tropical Storm 'Haiku' in Taiwan. If you want to know the latest about the Philippine weather, click here . If you want to help, the Philippine National Red Cross is accepting donations thru PayPal, give@redcross.org.ph , or you can coordinate with your local Social Welfare and Development Office. Be safe everyone!