September 26, 2009. This is the date the Filipinos will never ever forget. Typhoon ONDOY came as a surprised to most Filipinos. Typhoons come and go, strong and weak, short and long but this very day, the typhoon ONDOY came like a “wrath of God”. It never chose locations, when and where it will happen.  It just happened in five long devastating and never forgiving hours of rain and strong wind that flooded twenty six provinces in the Philippines. I cannot turn off my TV because I felt their pain and suffering. I saw roof of houses covered with water. I saw cars, buses and jeepneys floating everywhere in the city. I saw houses and buildings swallowed by the river. But the hardest one to look at were those people on top of the roofs of their homes with their family, mother, father, babies crying and grandparents waiting to be rescued. I saw people swimming against the current just to save their belongings and their loved ones. And for hours and hours, the flood never stopped and people continued to save whatever they can. And when it finally stopped, I saw people floating by the river, hanging by the tree, under the bridge, buried under the mud and died helplessly. What a flood! What a catastrophe! What a mess! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I felt so sad and so sorry for my fellow Filipinos back home. I knelt down and pray that this challenges that came may soon pass away and that all Filipinos will soon unite to help each other. And as if God heard my prayers, because I witnessed the good heart of all those who were able to survive the typhoon. Two TV stations organized their willingness to help and rescue people. I saw people helping their neighbors, comforting each other and making sure that everyone is safe. Filipinos unite so others will be saved. I am so proud to be a Filipinos knowing that the good things we learned from our ancestors and our culture was deeply rooted in our hearts. We may be challenged but we will do something about it. What have I learned from this event? That regardless of your status in life, all will undergo suffering and pain. Yes it’s a wake up call for everyone, not only to Filipinos. This is a warning that all material things are not the most important things in life. You may be rich, you may be poor but when this typhoon came everyone is affected. You may be living happily on this earth and then one day you’re gone. If you are survivor, what will you do now? If you have lost family members, what will you do now? It’s time to act and think, what can I do to help? Will you be prepare the next time? Just remember, life is precious so live your life to the fullest.