The third quarter of the year has constantly become the naissance of the Philippine rainy season, when unfriendly weather and alarming monsoons set forth in the realms of our archipelago. While heavy downpours spill out through the period, countless calamities and mishaps test the strength and faith of every Juan dela Cruz.
Since 2011, Bulacan has been experiencing the wrath of nature, making most of its provinces placed under state of calamity, after being submerged in water floods. According to Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), Hagonoy and Calumpit are the municipalities, which are vastly affected by this environmental adversity.
This, in accordance with PDRMMO report, is due to three things: (1) the occurrence of the phenomenal high tide; (2) the liberation of water from Bustos and Angat Dam; and (3) the geographical location of the municipalities, making them the catch basin of massive volume of water.
Nevertheless, despite this catastrophe, Bulakenyos remain strong and hopeful. Many have witnessed how optimistic they are about having a remarkable eagerness to, once again, relieve the possibility of bouncing back into life, after the upheaval they go through.
Bringing into reality the context of the illustrious statement “Keep calm and be strong”, every Bulakenyo is certainly a picture of the Filipino’s resiliency – resistant and quick to recover.
Gratitude is better than complaining
“The experience of heavy rains brought us fear, because floods will again be the next problem after the typhoon,” said Esperanza Balatbat, mother of three children, a resident of Purok 5, Tampok, Hagonoy, Bulacan.
In the same month of August last year, the residents of Tampok had a perilous experience brought by the rage of Habagat 2012. For weeks, the town was inundated, due to torrential rains and high tide.
Same thing happened when typhoon Maring and Habagat 2013 walloped the said locality, leaving severe consequences to the neighborhood.
Balatbat, professor and guidance counselor at Baliuag University, had been through all these calamities before. She came across with the same strenuous encounter, experienced by other Tampok residents.
At 5:30 a.m., she had to walk in the flooded road – almost knee-high – from her home to the next barangay, San Miguel, to get a tricycle going to the terminal. Same happened in the evening every time she went home from work and had to pay an exorbitant fare just to catch sight of her family in safe hands.
Though she grasped a sigh of relief with her, she remained worried about her 77-year old sick father. The condition of her father caused more fear and anxiety. Filled with mixed emotions of much concern and uneasiness, the ill man’s oxygen tank needed to be refilled. And yet, none of them could find a way to get to the refilling station, since all roads were not passable.
Looking through the brighter side of life, Balatbat, an epitome of Bulakenyo’s resiliency, explained that oneness was evident in her family and in the community, making all difficulties a lot easier to address by supporting one another.
Prayer is at the center of everything. Even now, the whole area is drenched in deep water. Perhaps, it will take some more days, or even weeks, before the affected populace finally put things in order.
However, the hope to get to their feet and stand still will never go astray. As Balatbat said, “These things just pass. After all, nothing is permanent. What is better than complaining is gratitude. We are too grateful that no matter what happens, we remain a family with a community that has a heart to help others.”
A hopeful spirit beyond the aftermath
Caught in the edge of jam-packed predicaments in life, Filipinos, especially those from Bulacan, are clear images of bravery and courage. Indeed, we are survivors of countless disturbances, and yet, we stand still and never give up.
Nature’s wrath is and will always be inevitable. Beyond the aftermath of this devastation, the hopeful spirit remains and continuously grows in the utmost of our hearts. The heavy rains and teeming flood may steal everything from us, but the impermeable Filipino spirit shall prevail.
Beyond doubt, through these tests of time and destiny, our resiliency persists and continues to be undefeated.
The Filipino spirit is waterproof and each Bulakenyo carries in his heart this kind of spirit – one that cares, one that survives, one that keeps the faith, and one that anticipates a better tomorrow.
Bouncing back into the realms of reality, the soul of every Bulakenyo is waterproof – resilient, resistant and quick to recover.
The Raconteur 