The Top Ten Lessons Learned From Ondoy

Looking back at the tragedy that was Ondoy should never get old, only because our world is changing rapidly, her mood swings becoming more erratic, and we can NEVER be too complacent about how things can turn on a dime.  Not to get everyone paranoid, but last year’s Ondoy was a wake up call at how vulnerable we really are to the elements of nature.  When the earth throws a tantrum, we’re mostly helpless against it.  Let’s not forget the lessons, lest we repeat them. It was a difficult boardwork for us, because the show must go on, but at the same time, it’s hard to have fun when so many people’s lives still hung in the balance.  We tried to mix public service with a bit of entertainment the best we could. Do you remember your Ondoy stories?

September 29, 2009 → The Top Ten Lessons Learned From Ondoy

1. Gawaine – Natural calamities like Ondoy are great equalizers. It spares no one, regardless of age, gender or social rank.
2. Astroboy – Don’t wade chest deep in flood waters. My brother almost fell in a manhole, twice in one day.
3. Kwistwine – Material things are all temporary.
4. Pinay Celebrity – Get insurance with Acts of God or Force Majeur benefits.
5. Rod Magaru – Car insurance applies to brand new, not to second hand acquired cars.
6. Rod Magaru – That politicians will exploit any opportunity, even disasters like these.
7. Kevin – It’s NEVER too late to learn how to swim.
8. Juggernaut – Panicking never solves anything. In fact, it even worsens already bad situations.
9. Ugly Kid Joey – A small act of kindness goes a long way.
10. Papu Estrada – Keep all important papers in one waterproof safe place.
11. KimyKimyMore – Crisis can turn out to be a blessing if you learn to take away the bitterness it brings & open your heart to the lessons it could offer.
12. Gorgeous Bitch – Your millions are worth nothing if it couldn’t save the life of a loved one.
13. Kaliex – Even a great flood can’t wash away bad energy from genuinely bad people, nor kindness & love from truly good people.
14. Jeanls – It is never too late to keep in touch with parents, relatives and friends.
15. RVincent – Instant noodles isn’t so instant without fire and water.
16. Marc Villalba – Invest in a rubber boat.
17. Gostalkerika – Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn’t people delight when sunlight returns to their lives?
18. Aldous Kim – The next time you throw a piece of garbage out of your car, think twice about what happened during Ondoy.
19. Stellarnomadine – Modernize PAGASA.
20. Derick Creme – That it’s not enough to wish the victims well. We have to do something, no matter how small the act may be. And THEN we can pray for them.
21. Summer – It’s good to always have identification on your body for whatever kind of emergency.
22. No name – When donating goods to victims, it’s good to remember to include things for kids like stuffed toys. To care for their emotional well-being is just as important as the physical needs.
23. Twisted Saint – Nature has the final say. We can argue, but she has the last word.
24. Rachel Tanaka – I have learned that if you yourself cannot do something good, you should at least not get in the way of those who do.
25. Pachuchay – To live simply. I realized that having too much material possessions cannot save us, nor can we save them.
26. Infrarod – Canned goods are useless without something to open them with.
27. Marioh Caryo – That climate change is real, and that it’s here.
28. Zuperjelly – Have emergency supplies of water, power bars, clothes, flashlights and batteries.
29. Quattro Bilog – That the bayanihan spirit is alive and well in the Philippines.
30. Jess – I learned that in dire situations like that, there’ no time for arte.  I peed in my pants while waiting for my ate to buy tickets on the MRT.
31. Egay – Always have jingle bags in your car.
32. Pringle – Count your blessings, tel your loved ones you love them, and when in a bad fix, always remember that it could have been worse.

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