0140E: The Day It Rained

An image of the LRT near Marikina

So I didn't go to work last night given the rains. While this isn't even a typhoon, the heavy monsoon rains have been steadily beating up Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces for more than a full day. And the rains still haven't stopped as of the time of this blog entry's writing.

Many parts of the city are already dealing with rising flood waters and the weather bureau has declared that the amount of rainfall constitutes a "red alert" following their scale for these things. Classes in all levels have been suspended while work in both government and even private offices have been suspended as well - although I'm not sure how that will work out in the long run.

I know we're luckier than most at the Sietch. The immediate area isn't flooded and we continue to have power, water and internet access as of this time. We are well supplied for now so I don't foresee us leaving the apartment any time soon. So that's a pretty good situation.

I still managed to get my work done for the day. I even attended a conference call using Gmail Chat - and the call quality was surprisingly good to boot. Other than my work duties, it's just been about keeping ourselves entertained while monitoring the news and hoping for the best.

I'm not sure if I'll be reporting for work tonight. With luck the rains will abate within the day and things will be much better by the evening. And this not just for my sake but for the metropolis in general. It's a horrible shame that the capital region has one of the worst drainage systems around and lacks the essential infrastructure needed to cope with even normal rainfall, what more the horrendous torrent that we've been experiencing thus far. But I doubt this will change anytime soon.