Remembering Ondoy

Two years ago, I was about 16 weeks pregnant and was scheduled to visit my OB-GYN for a check up at 11am at the Makati Medical Center.  Hubby and I together with his parents left the house early at about 7am to visit my MIL's sister confined at Manila Doctor's Hospital before my check up. We also planned to go Asian Hospital for my FIL's check up after that. We left Manila Doctor's at about 9:30 am but never made it to Makati Medical Center. We didn't even get past the Buendia bridge. We got stranded in the heavy traffic and floods along SSHW for 17 hours! 

I normally always keep a pack or 2 of soda crackers in my bag and there's always a bottle of water in the car. Obviously, those weren't enough to keep us satiated for that long. It was a little after 2 hours that we realized what was really going on. Hubby had to brave the murky flood waters to make it across the highway to a Baliwag Chicken stall.



hubby braving the floods while steering clear of the open manholes along SSHW to buy lechon manok



There we were stuck between 10:30am to 3:30am. Poor hubby. Not only did he have to worry about the flood situation but he was literally the only "able bodied" person in the car. There were 4 of us in the car: 2 senior citizens, one of which is diabetic and with a prostate/ bladder problem and 1 paranoid, pregnant wife.  

My sister texted that my mom was at my aunt's place in Provident Village and that they had been rescued and brought to an evacuation center via rubber boat and that my parents' bungalow in Paranaque was knee-deep in flood. They had already fled to the 2nd floor of a neighbor's house. Thank God we were all safe. 
I know this nothing compared to what others have gone through. I really pray that nothing like this ever happens again.


on our way home at around 3:30m



It was because of our Ondoy experience that we always have this emergency road kit with us during trips.  Also, in addition to the standard umbrella, flash light and car tools, we also now keep the following inside the car: rubber boots, rain coat, cell phone charger, extra batteries, bug spray, extra t-shirt and a towel.

Oh, just and in case you're wondering, becuase of my FIL's condition, we have always kept a portable urinal in car!