It's Day-FIVE since Last Saturday on that fateful day Sept. 26, 2009. Water subsided slightly. My house still flooded and with no electrical power. Unlike other areas at due east and north of our city. Water flood are gone but they are starting cleaning their community.

Relief operation still on-going and out Fire Tanker its rear tires were busted and needs for replacement. It was worned out because of rescue / relief operation since DAY - ONE, stepping on debris or rocks. Our chief of our volunteer brigade orders us to stand down for rest for few days because we need the strength for the expecting a long road ahead for recovery. Until the flood waters of the remaining areas are still high, the work is not done. And including my area (my house) needless to say.

This great flood have surpass any flood that I've experienced. The last flood that severe was in the 1970's, and I was too young to remember that. And second to that was the late 1980's in which we had time to secure our stuff and move some our things in our second floor. A few years later, the city improved the drainage system and thought having a flood like that will be a thing of the past. But I was WRONG ! That saturday the 26th sept. change all that. The rain kept pouring all night until the morning of that day when a huge deludge poured down the metropolis. Like me and the rest of us here. Was caught by surprise that the flood water rise too quickly that we didn't have time move our stuff. I was fortunate that I've manage to move my motocycle to the higher ground almost stalled trying to get out of dodge.

After attending to my family first and secure our stuff in the house, buy some food, stocking it and prepare for the dark night ahead because we lost electrical power. Good thing some cellphone networks still working that we still use it to consolidate our manpower on that late afternoon. Most of our members showed up at our station that late afternoon....by walking in or hitch hiking. We shared stories of experience and despite our own personal difficulties, despite their POV's got hit on the first few hours. They are determined to bounced back into action. Good thing our tanker despite it almost sank in the flood waters managed to get out of dodge too but sustain little damage in our radiator because some water debris caught in the cooling propeller and scratched the honeycomb part of the radiator in which it leaked. We improvise to plug the leak and use our second portable to keep it running and pour water at the radiator intake at the middle of our tanker. Our first day of the storm was frustrating, as we move near the Ortigas Extension bridge. We had flat at front left wheel of our tanker and have to get away from the area. We managed to stop along the west bound of the Ortigas extension ave. No towing, or no tire shops can be seen or expected to be open during that stormy day. It took us several hours for our tanker to get fixed. Firefighter Paul Dano came to the rescue using van to pick up the mechanics and help switch tires. The tanker was back in service at that night but our chief decided to stand down because our members where tired and cold and needed some rest. I went home and attend to family first but still few handful of members stayed behind to be on duty. Late at night, they have responded to a difficult residential fire at Tatalon, Quezon City. It reaches a Task Force Bravo Alarm which means a lot of trucks needed and high flood waters complicates firefighting effort. It took more than an hour for tanker to reach the fire ground because of lots of detours away from the deep flood waters. On scene, they lay down a supply line to a frontal engine which is really far from the fire ground itself...what ground... but water everywhere. Our engine man describe the scene as fighting a fire in the middle of an island in pitch dark. Fire was under control around midnight.

Day -Two. Then off we go to the Ortigas Extension Ave. in which we heard radio reports that it turned into a beachhead. A lot of manpower, their equipments and anything that floats stuff will be needed for rescue at that focal point. Rubber boats becoming a rare equipment because one City's career rescue teams boat and city's fireboat have both sunk due to strong currents at the floodway on that morning. Good thing nobody hurt on the rescue teams on their attempts. As we arrived the bridge in which it resembles a ferry-scene of the war of worlds in which the military have took over that area and they set up a barricade to keep the civilians out of the area. The other half of the bridge is the entrance of the flood zone. I have never seen so many resources and manpower poured in that area trying to make a difference and do the best we can, and most we can. When entered the floodzone areas and since we didn't have rubber boats only old tire's we bought or begged from the tire shops we brought along is use for our safety and as a rescue can. We seen some cars, vans, etc. stacked up like toys. Sometimes we are surprise we stumble upon a shallow water but it turned out we are stepping somebodys car's windshield. Homeowners during their first frightful hourse setup a network of ropes around their neighborhood to get out of dodge. I was amazed of their ingenuity despite on tense moments in their lives.

The following day, heavy stuff arrived, amphibians tanks, 2 1/2 trucks, rubber boats from different units converged to our area, some private individuals joined in using their motor jet ski for the effort. Also, U.S. Navy personnel joined in the rescue effort. The Ortigas Extn. Ave bridge is not only the gateway to our eastern part of the city but also a gateway to the our city's limits beyond to the province of Rizal in which it was hit too by the storm.

Day three, the water is gone in that area and truck convoys with supplies can go in. The National Disaster coordinating forward command post was set up at the mall so that it covers the whole Rizal Province. It was turned also into a relief center. On that day our fire brigade participated on relief operations. Initially, food stuff was gathered from one of our member's mother's friend in the uptown area in which they are not affected at all but deeply moved on what they've seen on TV and wanted to help out. We are glad we are not alone and people started to show up and be counted in.

Sadly, despite in some areas that have experience normalcy. Still, my house still flooded and seen a little reduction of water level and I've feared in what we experience before....it will take a while to see the water will be gone. My area is at the mercy of the tide waters of Marikina / Pasig River. As every night I will go home, my heart sank to see my neigborhood still underwater and dark.

Oh well.... here we again.............

Mike