Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Day After Typhoon Ondoy - Barangay Olandes, Marikina

There was a Humvee, an amphibious vehicle, and a flatbed truck of Army and Marines stationed in the Industrial Valley area. The amphibious vehicle tried to enter through Quirino Street to rescue stranded people in Barangay Olandes but to do so would mean destroying cars and property along the road. They tried using a rubber dinghy to rescue people but they could only do so along Quirino because of the strong current. Had they gone farther they would have been sucked into the Marikina River as well. 
On the day Ondoy hit, Major Dizon which cuts across Katipunan C-5 and Marcos Highway was closed at the area close to the Barangay Hall and the entrance of Monte Vista. The water was about six feet high. When the waters subsided, the mud still prevented any vehicles from crossing. If you needed to get across, you had to walk barefoot.
The creek beside the Nativity of Our Lady Parish in Industrial Valley overflowed. Check out the mudmarks to get an idea of how high the water rose.
I first saw this lost dog on the day that Ondoy hit; around 8pm and it was leaning against a gate of one of our neighbors. It had a tag on him and was obviously separated from his owner. I saw it again the following day. If I had a place to call my own at that time I would have picked it up and looked for some animal shelter. I never saw it again after this.
This young family was discussing on whether to go up to Project 4 or Katipunan or stay in the area and return to their home when the waters subsided. The problem was there was still rain in the air and they had to seek shelter if only for their baby. The found it in the covered courts of Industrial Valley's Area I. 
These two ladies couldn't get home last Saturday because they had a hard time getting back from work. They tried wading through the mud but soon gave up.
This is Quirino Street that intersects with Major Dizon in Industrial Valley. It is one of several entry points to Barangay Olandes. On the day that Ondoy hit you could not see anything from where I took this picture. It was a like. To have an idea of how deep the water was, people were clinging to the telephone and electric wires from the posts. That's at least 20 feet deep. And the current was strong and frightening.
The only way to get to Olandes the day after Ondoy hit was either through a vehicle or walking barefoot or using boots. The mud was at least four inches deep and really treacherous. If you weren't too careful you could slip or even break a leg since there were potholes on the streets. I wore slippers but soon removed them for better traction. I also had a bottle of water on hand to wash my feet after a while. It sure hurt my feet and days after it still does.

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