TYPHOON KATRING

TYPHOON KATRING
October 24, 1994

On October 21, 1994, Typhoon came suddenly and furiously devastated and destroyed many areas in Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila. Ayala Alabang wasn’t exempted. Five hundred big trees were uprooted, especially at Accacia Drive, bringing down with them multiple Meralco posts while exposing and breaking too, water pipes. The antenna tower of President Fidel V. Ramos also broke down.

Outside the village and elsewhere in Metro Manila, posters, signboards, billboards and the likes were flown away by the angry wind, breaking everything along the way. The damage done was very great.

“God is God”, said Father Gerry Santos during his Sunday homily. ‘He just wanted to remind us that no one is rich enough, strong enough or influential enough not to need God’s Mercy. God just reminded us that not every thing could be gotten automatically, no matter whom you are, we all must sacrifice”.

Two days after, the stinking garbage are still filed everywhere. Water was scantily rationed and there was no electricity. Refrigerators smelled and so were the comfort rooms. Drops of candles on the floor, disturbing noises of generators, temper tantrums, and exuding body odors are all very common as well as the coughing episodes and other respiratory and gastro-intestinal problems.

On the other end of the poll, bangus were very cheap, while billboard and poster makers and repairers were all made very happy. Carpenters, plumbers, tree-cutters, electricians, landscapers and gardeners were having a fiesta.

Even the worst calamity can make can make some people very happy. Perhaps God is only balancing people’s life as well as that of nature.

Then the garbage collector finally appeared on the third day. I was so impressed by someone who was young and somehow very handsome. He seemed to enjoy his ”dirty job”. Using his bare hands he meticulously separated different items from the garbage. Some boys of his age only indulge in drinking spree or in drug sessions.

A killer typhoon can also show many positive insights in life. In fact, even the traffic was not congested. As I used to say: “God’s ways are forever mysterious”. He is constantly communicating with His creatures in a divine manner. He doesn’t talk in ordinary voice because God speaks through events. The bigger the event the louder the message.

Many of us are deaf or unwilling to listen. That is why there are typhoons, earthquakes, floods and yes, incurable diseases. God is already shouting His message. Let us all stop for a while and listen.