Thankful to be alive
By Juan Miguel Lago, World Vision Philippines

World Vision relief staff Choi Magdaong talks with Lola Rosita, 76. She recounts what happened when Typhoon Ketsana hit and is thankful to God to be alive. Photo by Juan Miguel Lago, World Vision Philippines.

It was the worst storm she has ever experienced in her whole life.

Rosita, 76, bears the mark of a hard-knocked life on her face as she recounts her experience fleeing the fury of Typhoon Ketsana. “I’ve suffered very bad storms in my life, but nothing like this. The others didn’t destroy my house,” she says in Tagalog.

Rosita shared that she and her adoptive son had to climb up to the roof of their house in Marikina to avoid the rising floodwater. It was futile. “The water kept rising. We were with other people on the roof. They got a rope and my son told me to hold on to it as we crossed to the other roofs.” Finally, a man offered to carry her on his back as the crossing proved challenging. She had already drunk some flood water by then, bopping in and out of the waters.

After crossing five roofs, they eventually settled down because the water kept rising. “We were stranded for two days without food and water,” she says. “There was no one to rescue us. No one came to our aid.”

When floodwaters started to recede, they decided to go to the evacuation centre in San Mateo, Marikina. With no help or rescue, they had to make their way there by foot. Rosita, who was only 4 feet 11 inches tall, had to trek the muddy waters, through the marketplace before getting to the centre. “The flood water was receding, but it was still up to my chest. The mud was knee-high,” she gestures. “I even lost my slippers.”

One might think that after having lost her home, ingested dirty water, climbed on five different rooftops and waded through chest-high floodwater armed with only a cane taller than herself, and having to recount these experiences over again, she would burst into tears. Instead, Rosita had a gleam in her eye as she shares this.

“When we were on the rooftop waiting the storm out, I told my son to pray. I also prayed to God to save us, and He did,” she stated, sharing that her faith had helped her survive the storm.

“I am thankful to be alive,” she says, that gleam still present in her eyes.

World Vision managed to reach her, and gave her and her son a two-week relief pack containing 25 kilogrammes of rice, 6 litres of water in a refillable jug, noodles, canned goods, blankets and basic toiletries.

 “Thank you, World Vision,” she uttered, grateful.