What's good about the rain? by Toni Kindipan

Posted by my friend, former officemate in Devcom Division here at PhilRice, Toni Kindipan. Toni,together with her two sisters and her mother, 25, died after the landslide in Benguet.

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"Doing what is right today means no regrets tomorrow."I was looking out
from the window this afternoon while the strong winds battered and the
heavy downpour of rain lashed houses and trees in our neighborhood. A
super typhoon is heading our way, again. While staring at the pouring
rain, I thought, "What’s good about the rain?"

Seven years ago, a super typhoon hit our area that damaged a lot of
properties and took a number of lives. I was about 18 years old then and
although I have grown up to such a stormy environment, this typhoon was
one of the greatest shocks of my life, that until now left a bad memory in
me. A big landslide came rushing down from the mountain cutting the area
beside our house. The impact was so strong that the earth shook. We all
thought it was an earthquake. After a few minutes, people in our
neighborhood all came out to see a huge area dug out with thick mud all
over the place. A house beside ours was partly taken and I saw a person
being pulled out from the mud. I was totally scared. Immediately, I and my
family were out into the rain heading towards the evacuation center where
we stayed for a few days until the storm was gone.

A week ago, our capital city was the center of media attraction, both
local and international, because of the storm that hit a record high of
rainfall in just a matter of hours and send raging waters along the roads
and streets of Manila making it like a big river inundating thousands upon
thousands of houses, washing away years of investments and livelihood of
more than a million people. The sight was horrible and pathetic. The storm
was no respecter of people. Rich and poor, famous and ordinary people
alike were on their roofs waving for help. Thousands became homeless and
starting back to zero. Children could not go to school. People couldn’t go
back to work. For a time, the world for them came to a halt. It has been
said that this was the worst disaster that affected the whole of Metro
Manila in 40 years.

My personal experience about the storm gave me a bit of trauma that
whenever it rains, I always think of our safety. When the rainy season
comes (usually starts from June to October), I start to worry about my
family especially when I am away from them. Even when I am at home,
hearing the rain pouring at night keeps me awake, not because of the
strong downpour but because of thoughts that I may be caught off guard in
case something bad happens. Because of these, I hated the rain. Today,
this thought kept me thinking. “What’s good about the rain?” Sure, it
sends irrigation to scorched lands and all other areas and creatures
needing water but too much of it sends catastrophe to others. Thinking
about it further however, makes me believe that there is more to it than
that.

After the flooding in Manila, people are pointing fingers at each other on
who is to blame for this disaster. Some said it’s not an act of God as
people have become so irresponsible of taking care of our environment
instead it’s a wakeup call from God that we be conscious of our roles as
stewards of what He has given us. In the name of development, people have
cared less of the consequences of their actions. High-rise commercial
buildings mushroomed everywhere even in places where they are not supposed
to be located. Talk about poor urban planning as pointed out by one
official. Garbage! Yes, the ubiquitous wastes which scatter at every
corner now clogged the supposed waterways and drainage that should have
eased the flow of water. Climate change? This is yet another easy culprit
or say, lame reason for some but could be a consideration. Now, is this
the prize for socially irresponsible way of development? I leave it up to
you to judge. What’s good about the rain? Perhaps it’s nice to think that
it reminds us of our social responsibility as good members of our society.

When we were at the brink of that situation back in 2002, there was
nothing we could do but pray and ask the Almighty to spare us from the
wrath of nature. Natural calamities are always stronger than us and almost
always, we as humans are helpless in this. When we got back to our house
after the storm, we were so grateful that everything was intact. Nothing
was lost or damaged. It was amazing that the area on both sides of our
house had landslides but our house was untouched. I realized that in times
like these, what’s good about the rain is that it makes one draw closer to
the all-powerful God who holds everything in His hand.

Many also believe that what happened in Manila is an act of God to which
we don’t have control. It is pretty scary in fact to think this way. But
even in the Bible, it tells of stories about people who suffered disasters
because of their sins. More than the garbage that floats around us, a
better attention should be given to the garbage in us or our sins that
makes this place a sickening abode of injustice, crime, and all sorts or
perversion. But it is comforting to know that there is also the story of
His forgiveness and salvation of our self-inflicted garbage.

If there is something good about the rain, for me, it would be these
realizations. Tonight, even as I write this, the rain continues to pour
on. But what’s good about it is that it makes me value more the thought
that life is brief, that there are so many things to be thankful for, that
I can always trust the One who gives life to spare my life and the ones I
love from this storm.

To those in the area of the storm Pepeng and to everyone, keep safe!