The Sun Will Come Out

The sun made a quick appearance this morning and peeked through the fog for what must have been less than a minute. The skies have been gray and the fog- ridiculously thick for the past week. Downpour has been a constant. However, we are unaffected by the disaster that hit our country and have devastated so many lives. Over here, where the city is at peace and the calm is spread throughout the mountain, the pain and anguish experienced in the city is unthinkable. To us, it's far fetched and unreal.

Oh, but it's real. Unfortunately, this is a reality being dealt with this very second. Homes and possessions have been permanently lost, loved ones have gone missing, and thousands have been left homeless, sick, exhausted, injured, starving or dead.

But the outpour of concern, the determination to help, and the dedication people have come out with is overwhelming. Random people are volunteering to help, those better off are opening their homes to strangers in need, donations are being made, and people are coming together making that difference and showing that love.

Filipinos all over the world are doing anything they can to show support and donate to the cause. If you can't help first-hand, there's still something you can do. I'd like to think that if something, god forbid, as devastating had affected me or my family, that other people out there would be willing to extend a hand and help.

The Brent School Baguio PTA Board is organizing and accepting donations to be brought down to Manila by tomorrow. This is just one of the organizations set up here in Baguio to provide help to those affected by the storm. As i'm sure, the entire country is banding together to do whatever they can.

Reading the articles and browsing through photos were enough to bring me close to tears. I can't even begin to imagine the frustration these people are going through. How does one recover from something like this?
It will take weeks to clean up the mess, to organize the chaos and resume order. How do you rebuild a home and replace lost possessions? How do you say goodbye to a loved one taken by such a tragedy? If you've lost everything you own, how do you take care of your sick child lying on a hospital bed... when you worry that the bills will only pile up?
How does one start over?

The recovery process has barely started. Even today, people are still in need of rescue and some parts of Manila are still not open for vehicular use. More volunteers are needed. The evacuation centers are more than cramped. Supplies are running low and the donations need to keep coming.

It looks grim and people are exhausted. There's another storm heading in our direction and the damage it's looking to bring is unknown. Everyone is just hoping this one will float on by. The rain will keep coming and our people will continue to struggle. But even though the skies continue to be gray, in due time, the sun will come out... eventually.

We will get past this.

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Seeing everyone involved with relief ops and volunteer work makes my heart swell. Your country is proud of you and to those, whose lives you've made a difference to, are forever grateful. Keep up the good work guys!