Worst Flood in Years

We had to learn it the hard way.

The Ondoy flooding was the worst my brothers have experienced in years. But again, in the face of such a calamity, the Filipinos are proving to be a resilient race.

Relief operations are underway, and all my friends who I follow in Twitter are all exerting personal efforts to lend help to everyone else. Social boundaries are broken, and cynicism takes a backseat. In such a disastrous event, everyone stands together as one. Here we see real human communities at work.

The atmosphere of all the social networks I visit are sullen and struck but nonetheless banded towards a common goal. People are challenging each other for service. "Don't be a pussy," was the best-worst one I read so far. And I don't see much of the useless quizzes, mafiawars, farmsville or whatever updates as much. Anyone who would want to place anything mundane would rather think twice.

This is an illustration of the basic human bonds in a concrete raw form. It took us a disaster to realize it, but the world isn't as bleak as we make it to be. Our nation isn't as bleak as we perceive it to be. I am proud of my friends back home. They are strong and mature people, extending help even as they themselves need help.

I just realized how much I wanted to do my share, not because it is a trending topic or because I don't want to be called a pussy. For the longest time I have been living in apathy because I falsely perceived it to be cool. But in the deepest primal recesses of my being I want to reach out and be altruistic because this is how we re built - fundamentally social and good.

And yes, we are all like that. Behind all the cynical sarcastic snide comments about how hopeless everything is, we have this potential in us to be great even in the face of tremendous darkness. My heart and prayers extend to you, brothers. May you all be safe.

God bless you all.