When the ‘Great Flood’ came to UST

SOME SAY that walking through murky water on a rainy day is a rite of passage for any Thomasian. With UST standing on España Boulevard, the catch basin of Sampaloc area, one’s most probable choice is to endure this “baptism” on flood that easily rises in and around the University.

But the water brought about by tropical storm “Ondoy” on September 26 last year was more than what most people expected, leaving an estimated 3, 000 people struck by its depth and stuck with limited food on campus.

Dubbed as the “Great Flood,” the incident was also the worst in UST in the last 40 years, according to school officials. Ondoy dumped a month’s worth of rainfall in Luzon within six hours, claiming more than 300 lives and leaving parts of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces in ruins. The storm also left at least half a million worth of damages and destroyed 18,000 UST Health Service records, including X-ray plates.

According to earlier reports by the Varsitarian, Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. suspended classes at 9 a.m., while the Central Student Council—then led by law student Jeanne Luz Castillo—announced an hour later that deans had the prerogative to suspend classes in their respective colleges. By that time, flood had ruled over the streets in and around UST.

Overnight stay

In the Faculty of Arts and Letters, classes still continued despite the suspension. Asian Studies seniors Jo-Mari Rifareal, Ivanah Karla Vicencio, and Mary Anne Maligalig were taking a test when the flood began to seep into the first floor of the St. Raymund’s building, where they were holding their class.

“[While answering], we were surprised to see water leaking in the classroom,” Rifareal recalled.

They threaded through the rising water to eat at the carpark at around 11 a.m. and were called to join the others who were also stranded up at the AMV-College of Accountancy multi-purpose hall. A seminar was supposed to be held that day, but it was postponed because of the storm.

Despite having to spend the night lying on manila paper and without toiletries, the three considered themselves fortunate. The place had electricity, courtesy of a generator, and good facilities like a television, where they got updates, water dispensers, and a rechargeable phone they used to call home. People stuck in that hall passed time by watching movies and keeping in touch with friends and family.

Around 300 Thomasians stuck in St. Raymund’s building were not as fortunate. The ground floor was flooded, there was no power supply, and there was not enough food. It was the same for those in St. Martin de Porres building.

In an earlier report by the Varsitarian, Facilities Management Office Director Fr. Roberto Pinto, O.P. disclosed that they shut the generators down because the ground levels were heavily flooded.

But Artlets refused to transfer to the UST Tan Yan Kee Student Center nearby, where there was higher elevation and electricity.

“They (the students) said they would much rather go home than move to [Tan Yan Kee] if they were going to walk through the flood,” former Artlet Student Council Auditor Wayne Uyseco told the Varsitarian a day after the storm came.

Rifareal commended student council officials’ actions on the situation, considering that it was unexpected. He was also thankful that he got medical assistance from Red Cross volunteers, who applied first aid on his wounded foot.

Meanwhile, Vicencio said that they felt “lucky because we never ran out of food,” which came from different donors like the seminary and a doctor from the UST Hospital.

“We felt sorry for our friends and blockmates stuck in [St. Raymund’s] and wished they had gone with us,” Maligalig added.

Mass destruction

The damages, however, went beyond the vicinity of UST. When Ondoy swept the metro and peripheral provinces, it left, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council, an estimated P10.5 billion in ruins, divided between infrastructure and agriculture. The calamity also took over 400 lives.

At least 200 Thomasians, residing in disaster areas, were gravely affected by the situation. Among them were then Accountancy junior Camille Ledesma and Computer Science senior Jerome Pascual.

Pascual and his family had to spend the night at their house’s rooftop because of the high waters at the Provident Village in Marikina City, where 58 people were killed.

“[When the flood subsided], we temporarily settled at our grandparents’ house in Tondo. We came back the next day to clean our house filled with mud. We have not yet finished cleaning as of this time,” he told the Varsitarian.

Meanwhile, Ledesma and her family, residing at the Vista Verde Village in Cainta, Rizal, were left homeless after Ondoy left them with only two cars and a few pieces of furniture to “start our lives again.”

Lessons from the flood

For Jasper Timola of the College of Education, who opted to brave the waters in an attempt to go home, the Ondoy experience taught him to think over a situation thoroughly.

“We should be patient in waiting so that we will be sure of our safety,” he said.

He added that the University—with the recent elevation of España Boulevard—seems ready to face a calamity like what Ondoy brought.

“I believe that UST officials, faculty, and employees have seen the effect of Ondoy in the University, so they could already prepare for better support to students [in case this happens again],” he said.

After the Great Flood, Fr. Manuel Roux, O.P., chairman of the UST crisis management committee, called for the revision of the crisis management manual. Renovations and repairs also had to be done around the University.

The Rector also told the Varsitarian last July that they are keeping a stock of food and have bought rubber boats. A military truck has also been bought to help deliver food and other relief items in case of another calamity.

But for Rifareal, Vicencio, and Maligalig, officials need to put more effort in making sure that they are geared up for such situation.

“I hope they do something about [St. Raymund’s] and Dapitan. They must fix the roads,” Vicencio said.

Maligalig noted the good intentions of having the UST Sim, but said that there are more important needs that must be provided should the Ondoy situation happen again.

“Communication is only one part. They must work on getting food and toiletries for those who will get stranded in the University,” she said.