My parents used the money they got for early retirement to fully renovate our house. We should have put up a 2nd floor.

I have been feeling a little guilty when I've ignored my mom's messages on YM the week before Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) struck. I was feeling a bit of a recluse and didn't want to talk to anyone. That Saturday morning I was busy exchanging SMS with the local police about my residence permit. I just got back from the police station when I saw a whole lotta tweets about the typhoon and how some areas were starting to get flooded.

I stayed glued in front of my laptop checking the news and Julius Babao's tweets proved to be a big help during that time. When I finally heard that almost all of Cainta was submerged, I immediately tried calling our landline and my mom's cell but couldn't reach anyone. As the news started escalating and I was listening to DZMM's live streaming, I was so crazy with worry not being able to get in touch with anyone from my family. Our house didn't have a second floor so if the news says houses were submerged then it really scared me.

I saw a ray of hope when I finally saw my uncle (who lives near my parents) go online. Turned out he got stuck in the office and couldn't get home. That's where I heard the news that my siblings and helper were the only ones home and they weren't able to save anything because the water rose quickly they had no choice but to evacuate. They had to go over the wall at the side of our house and walk across neighbors roofs to get to the one house kind enough to offer them shelter. I cried at that instance - thankful that I finally got word on what's happening and at the same time helpless because I'm so far away to help. My parents were stuck somewhere in Bataan and had to stay there for the night.

That whole weekend I wasn't able to get in touch with anyone from my family. It was only my uncle whom I was able to speak with coz my mom would SMS him once in a while just to check on things. I was so scared my siblings won't have any food and honestly I was so devastated that our only house was destroyed. My books..my books! It was the only collection I treasured above all things and I can't accept that Ondoy destroyed everything.

I couldn't eat and had to force myself to sleep during that weekend. It wasn't until Tuesday that I finally got in touch with my mom. Thankfully I didn't cry but I can clearly hear how shocked my mom was that all our stuff are gone and we have to start from scratch.

I told her it didn't matter as long as they're all safe. Already a lot of friends came to our house to give food, clothing and stuff to sleep on, and some even helped clean our house. I gotta say, in spite of all the bad things people say about the Philippines, in times of crises, heroes emerge and people unite to help those in need.

In spite of what happened, I'm so so so thankful that none got hurt. It taught my family to stay strong and believe that together we will be able to rebuild what was lost.