Twenty Fourteen Tales: Typhoon Glenda’s Rampage in San Pablo City, Laguna

July of this year came in with yet another typhoon, a storm with a feminine name but acted way beyond the name’s connotation. One can prepare for a typhoon, stow away light materials, secure the houses, and stock all the necessities that may prove necessary in its aftermath but such preparedness can only be assessed upon the storm’s coming.

 * a view of the rage of typhoon Glenda

* the storm forces other creatures to the open, in this case a baby rat

* San Pablo Central School's perimeter in chaos

Honestly, I was not able to sleep during typhoon Glenda’s arrival. The roof screeched horribly and my books near the window were in danger of getting soaked. Sometime during the night I had to cut off the electrical wiring of the outside light because the canopy where the light receptacle was attached was dangling already, with only one big nut securing it in place. The moment I cut through the wires, the whole canopy tumbled down. Our neighbor’s window, which was made of glass, was blown by the strong wind, breaking into splinters below. And the rambutan trees of an adjacent compound? Nothing remained except for a few leaves. 

* San Pablo City plaza in Glenda's aftermath

When the storm passed, it was all but destruction. Some neighbors had to move to another house for their house’s decades-old roof was ripped clean. Barangay lights were broken and pathways were literally filled with flown leaves and debris. 

* San Pablo's famous Manga (mango tree) still standing strong after typhoon Glenda

Walking through the city streets, which were eerily quiet despite the nearness of noon time when we did our walk, we could only see damaged structures, bowed trees, leaves and leaves and leaves and leaves, and various stuff ranging from table mats to clothes. 

The towering logos of some fast food chains were destroyed too. Fruit stalls lining the San Pablo Shopping Mall were ripped open. The paths to the market were filled with mud and the open meat stores can be counted using one’s fingers. We had to do with the brave meat vendors’ products on that silent market place.

* a huge tree felled by typhoon Glenda, missing San Pablo City Library by a few feet

What I was most thankful for was the fact that the San Pablo City library was fortunately spared by a fallen tree. The tree was ENORMOUS and it missed the City Library by just a few feet. 

Tales abound in such trying times but hope definitely burns high in the hearts of the Filipinos.