Reach the poor

Tropical Storm Higos (”Pablo”) has been marching across the Philippines for two days, and we are getting beaucoup rain in Luzon! Ramadan ended today, so all Republic of the Philippines government employees were excused from work, and classes were suspended in public schools. I’d bet that schools will be ‘closed’ tomorrow due to flooding and risks of mudslides, rockslides and drownings. more →

We’re getting more blowing rain as Tropical Storm Jangmi approaches the Philippines on its way to Taiwan. Typhoon Hagupit passed Luzon days ago on its way to China, and eight people in this province died.

Typically, due to excessive rainfall and inadequate preparation of Filipinos, people drown in swollen rivers, die in mudslides/hillslides or get crushed by falling trees, houses or rocks. People reside in hillside shanties which wash downhill, and some live at the bases of slopes where tons of mud and rocks flow and crush them Other people wade into rushing rivers, are swept away and drown. I read of one man who waded in deep water covering city streets, fell into an open manhole (uncovered sewer) and was never seen again.

It’s sad. I pray for the souls of these unfortunate people who perish without preparing to meet their Maker and for their loved ones left behind to mourn.

Dominic said that this place feels like Autumn, and I agreed! For more than a week, since the cessasion of rain, I’ve felt as if Autumn is coming. Cool breezes, rustling of leaves in the trees, leaves on sidewalks, kids are in schools… I have felt that fall is coming. When we went to Sagada by bus last weekend, the Labor Day holiday, we were fortunate to have beautiful weather. Friends who’ve gone to Sagada in other off-season months have experienced inclement weather, such as monsoon season rain or cold, damp, foggy dreary weather. But we had gorgeous weather aside from an afternoon thunderstorm during which I dozed in a hotel room.

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Like other storms, Tropical Depression Fourteen has been spinning past the north east coast of Luzon toward China and dousing us with rain all the way down here in west central Luzon.  We’ve had plenty of rain in the monsoon season. more →

Typhoon Nuri has been blowing rain in Benguet for days. Continuous rain. We lost electricity for hours. A tree may have fallen upon an electricity-carrying overhead line nearby, or a cement pole holding up lines may have toppled on oversaturated soil. We’ve just regained our electricity, so I’m on the internet now.

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Tropical Storm Fung-wong has been sending alot of rain here for days, so I’ve no news to report. I’ve been hunkered-down at home. I watched the Edmonton, Alberta Indycar race on TV. This wouldn’t have been a good day to travel from Baguio City to Sagada by bus as we had thought of doing.

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Praise the Lord! The overnight deluge dwindled to a very light, almost invisible shower at midday when we wanted to go to Baguio City for lunch and groceries. That was convenient for us. One could walk without an umbrella. Downtown I held up my umbrella to ward off all the dripping from buildings and trees. The rain began to intensify as I rode a jeepney back to Tuding. Since we returned to the ranch, the heavy, steady rain has resumed as Tropical Storm Kalmaegi/Helen continues to spin along the east coast of Philippines on its march northward toward Cheju-Do, Korea. more →

Today was “a rather blustery day” in the Cordillera woods. In Tuding we had gusting wind and sporadic rain for several hours, then the “rain rain rain came down down down” all night. The apartment has been cool and damp all day. I’ve worn a synthetic fleece pullover that I brought from Florida. The rainy season is decidedly here now. A cook in Pizza Volante told me yesterday that the rainy season is July - September, not June - October as I’d heard previously.

Today I read, prayed, worked on this website, surfed the Internet, answered e-mail, cooked noodles, drank tea, watched a television show on Nat Geo… I didn’t reach the poor today. But I pray for them.

I’m really dead tired and don’t want to write. But I didn’t write yesterday. Yesterday we had rain for much of the day and night. My whole body ached; all my joints hurt, my sinuses all felt full and I had a piercing headache. By the way, I’ve been waging war against mold here. I’m allergic to mold.

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Today we’ve had rain since I awoke. Perhaps this is the first day of the rainy season -June 28. Although Nikko is here, we won’t walk up the street in the downpour to get a jeepney ride to Pacdal Circle to go to Mass in Saint Joseph Catholic Church. I don’t understand much of what’s said in English and Tagalog in the "English" Holy Mass, and I can’t sing the hymns in Tagalog. We’ll go to Mass tomorrow. Dominic has been in the city most of the day; unusual for him. †

I’m sorry that I haven’t kept up writing on the weblog. After Saturday evening Mass and dinner with Nikko, I came home, checked news on the internet and learned of the ferry capsizing after noon, seven hundred people feared dead and tremendous rainfall, flooding and mudslides in southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. We hadn’t had any rain yet here on Saturday.

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