I was shocked to hear that our entire family in Calasiao has been under water for weeks during the whole Ondoy and Peping fiasco! My relatives had to camp under one roof because everybody else’s houses were under water.

The trees still show how high the flood waters went. It reached up to the second floor of my relatives’ houses so they had to stay with my uncle who had a third story stockroom. Here, the tree shows how the flood waters have gone above the cement wall:

My mom then made it a personal mission to come back on Christmas to give food and other goodies to the folks who need it. It’s her way of saying, “Merry Christmas!


My relatives told me that they could see rats and cats coexisting together, staying huddled for warmth on rooftops. I had to laugh amidst the circumstances!


This is my Lola’s house. As you can see, we came from very humble beginnings. I’m quite proud of how my family has fought through hardships, not letting financial problems get in the way of our dreams:

In my Lola’s house, my mom’s achievements are hung with pride:

This is part of the list that my Mom used to help her keep track of who she’s given relief goods to:

Wow, my family in action! They’re giving relief goods – plus cash! – to flood victims in Pandayan, an area neglected by the government during their attempt to reach out while Ondoy and Peping were still in their peak:

    

This was what remained of the relief goods we gave to the small neighborhood of Pandayan in Calasiao, Pangasinan. All the goods we brought were gone, except for two lonely plastic bags:

What a fruitful day! Hopefully, we get to do more for others in the future. I was late for Christmas, but it all panned out in the end. :)