Two years after ‘Ondoy,’ Marikina residents ready for new typhoon

They may be facing another typhoon on the same day Tropical Storm Ondoy unleashed its wrath two years ago, but Marikina City residents know they will not experience yet another tragedy. On Monday, Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman led his constituents in commemorating that fateful day when Ondoy ravaged their city, but gave assurance that the local government is prepared to face possible flooding to be caused by Typhoon Pedring, which is expected to hit Luzon on Tuesday. "Nananalangin tayo na sana ay hindi na natin muling abutin iyong ganoong karanasan, na hindi na tayo masalanta, at kahit umulan, hindi na tayo bahain," De Guzman said in an interview on GMA News TV’s “News To Go." He said that while the state weather bureau has already said the new weather disturbance will not bring Ondoy-like rains, he and his constituents cannot be complacent. "Kailangan huwag nating balewalain. Huwag tayong magpabaya. Kailangan lagi nakahanda. Kaya ngayon dito, umaambon pa lang, nagbabantay na kami," he said. A total of 68 of the more than 500 people killed due to floods caused by Ondoy in 2009 were from Marikina. The weather disturbance poured a record amount of rainfall over Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, affecting 4.8 million people and leaving damage to property amounting to P11 billion.

Trauma Marikina residents may be well-prepared to face a new weather disturbance, but the scars of the tragedy two years ago remain with them. Lina Senga, a resident of Provident Village, for instance, could not hold back tears when she recalled how floods brought by Ondoy ravaged her home, and almost left her, her husband and her grandchildren stranded for days. "Yung apo ko, ayaw niya pag-usapan. Sinasabi niya, ‘Please don’t talk about it.’ Yung bata, nakita niya lahat ng trauma," she said in a another television interview. Provident Village was one of the areas most affected by rains brought by Ondoy, which caused the Marikina River to overflow by as much as 23 meters. She also described how she and her family managed to survive the flooding through the help of her neighbors. "Hindi kami pinabayaan ng tao… Nagpapasalamat kami at nanghihingi kami ng awa sa Diyos," she said. Two years after the incident, she hosted a banquet for Church-goers in her house as a sign of thanksgiving for life after the storm. JP Mateo, another Marikina resident who saved 10 lives during the storm, chose to leave the area to cope with the trauma. He however said that he is still willing to risk his life to try to help others in times of need. “Kahit sino naman po talaga na nasa tamang pag-iisip, iyon ang gagawin. Ang disenteng tao, tutulong at tutulong sa oras ng pangangailangan," he said in a separate interview with "News To Go" anchor Howie Severino. — with Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News