Baha na naman

First off I want to offer my prayers to those who died and those still missing in the landslide that happened in Southern Leyte. Isy sent me a text message to inform me that it was in the news that there was a landslide in Leyte. She didn't know exactly where and the news didn't mention it. I sent my dad a text message to ask but he wasn't privy to that information either. I thought it was the same one that I read from the Tacloban website. But I was wrong. This was a separate incident. It was breaking news in all the news programs but it just mentioned Leyte island but no specifics. Its tough because as a Leyteño I want to know what is going on but the news were just as vague as the mud that came down. Leyte is a large province and comprised of Leyte (Northern Leyte) and Southern Leyte. I can only speculate where it could have possibly happened but nothing definite until I came to the office and read the Philippine dailies online.

Living in the Eastern side of the Philippines, typhoons, continuous heavy rainfall and flooding are part of our daily lives. When one of my parents inform me that "baha na naman sa bahay" I don't know how to react anymore. Its such a regular occurrence that we just shrug and take it in stride. Not my parents though and for good reasons. From the time we moved into our house some 28 years ago I don't know how many times we have had to renovate our house. It was not so bad before but due to rapid development around us, a common case in any suburbia, it has gotten worse over the years. I have had my share of walking through flood to get to my aunt's house which is at the higher part in our street. Our house sits in what used to be a swamp but nothing that engineering couldn't deal with. But the fact is we are lower than the highway so when it rains, water goes down and accumulates in our side and with not much place to go since development occurred behind us, it stays infront of our house. There have been instances too that water came inside our house and we have had to stay at my aunt's house.

My dad along with my cousins have thought of ways of dealing with it. I don't know how many times we have had to raise our floor. A flood control drainage was built but it doesn't lessen our anxiety as soon as it starts raining again. My mother's blood pressure goes up and my dad who hasn't even recovered from the previous flooding has to deal with it again. Just last December just before Christmas, incessant rain once again came. Mama and Mana Mila had to scramble to make sure that the house will be ready when my siblings came home from Manila and my aunt and uncles arrive from the US. Then, just last week, it happened again. Four days of rain was just a bit too much. Good thing, Mama was in Manila at that time and was told to stay there until it was okay for her to come home. Her blood pressure might just shoot up again when she sees the house. Papa had to stay at a hotel for the time being.

Yet, despite the constant problems that we have to deal with, we cannot just pack up and leave. This is our home regardless. This is where all four of us siblings grew up. Each and every nook and corner of it holds a memory or two. Mama out of frustration told my sister that she just wants to sell our house and rent somewhere since its just her and Papa anyway. I didn't want to hear any of it. I mean, my parents spent all of their lives making sure we have a roof above our heads only for them not to be able to enjoy it now. My parents sacrificed a great deal for us to have that house and as long as there is still a way, that house is going to stay with us. The flooding may be troublesome but thinking of all the good memories we have had in that house somehow ease all the trouble. Despite of everything, I love our house and I am sure my siblings share that feeling. I once joked to Mama that I know that my brother, being the only boy would get the house. Of course, she denied that, told me it belongs to all four of us. I am not naive to how our society works so I know that there is a possibility that it will go to my brother but I added that if he doesn't take good care of it, I am going to take it back. Knowing my brother, I am definite that he will make sure that it will belong to all of us and if it does go to him, he will take good care of it.

This is the only house my siblings and I know. We have seen it grow as we did. A lot of people have said that once they step into our house they sense a "welcoming feeling" and that is such a nice thing to hear. We all have had our share of parties and sleepovers here. Our friends love to hang out at our house and our parents like having them too. But more than that, we as a family have made really amazing memories in this house that we have come to treasure for as long as we live. We have meals and family meetings in the same dining set that Papa designed. We have all sat at our porch and enjoyed talking and teasing each other all night or just staring at the night sky. We have all sat infront of the tv watching one show. All four siblings have had to jump over our fence when we would come home without our house keys. No matter how old and grown-up we have become, we still sleep in the floor of our parents room, all squished but happy. I do not know of a corner in our house that we don't have a story to tell. For an outsider looking in, it may just be a house but to us, it is our home and "baha" or "no baha" it is going to remain that way.