Davaoeños in the Hands of Tragedy

Image Source: Roland Jumawan Photos

So much has happened in Davao City recently, specifically in the Matina areas. A bloody vehicular accident occurred in Matina Shrine Hills yesterday when a dump truck rammed a public utility multicab, a taxi and a bus. Two were reported dead including a three-year old baby. His mother and eleven others got injured. I saw the remnants of the incident, and it felt so awful seeing those gory details. It was hair-raising, and I even found myself staring blankly at one corner just thinking about why it all turned out that way. Splattered blood and broken automobile parts were still all over the vicinity an hour after it happened.

Everybody was staggered about that news. However, what we all didn’t know was that something more terrible is yet to take place. At nine in the evening last night, the rain poured the hardest and the thunder rumbled as if someone was so mad at the world. What I thought was that it was God’s way of washing off the blood stains on the area of accident. DXAB’s news about the flashflood woke me up this morning. I didn’t know this could happen in just one night. My sister received an SMS from her best friend saying that the water rose as high as their window. Nothing left for them except their important documents. They live in Matina Crossing which was greatly affected by the flood as well as the Bangkal and Talomo areas.

I don’t have concrete numbers, but many dead bodies were retrieved by the search and rescue team. This time of misery and disaster has made me realize a lot of things. First, life is truly uncertain. We never know what’s going to happen next, as the cliché says. We can never tell when that hooked man is going to come right in front of our door step. Second, water can be very dangerous.  It’s the humanity’s most precious natural resource, and we are in dire need of it all the time. But if we abuse nature and it has gone through enough suffering because of our destructive interventions, the water can be our biggest enemy.  Remember, the water covers about 74% of the earth’s surface. If we do not do our part in maintaining the balance in our ecosystem, the water will definitely take its vengeance and might as well flush us all out.

Those were more than just sad news we cannot bear to hear. Let us pray for all the victims of the catastrophe so that they may have the strength to believe in the power of hope. Everyone’s prayer is our most powerful weapon in times like these. God bless everyone!

BREAKING NEWS: DAVAO FLASH FLOOD DEATH TOLL RISES TO 27. Here is the list of flash flood casualties. Davao City Council Declared 5 Barangays under state of calamity.

1.Talomo (Bangkal Area)
2. Matina Crossing
3. Matina Pangi
4. Matina Aplaya
5. Ma-a

Authorized the realease of P51.5MN Calamity Fund. Data courtesy of TV Patrol Southern Mindanao.