Typhoon Frank: the aftershocks
June 24, 2008
I stole these shots in a supermarket adjacent to our office. People are panicking they’d run out of food supply. The rice shelves were totally empty, so with the bread. I bought a week’s supply of canned goodies and instant food too. Another pain on my credit card dues.
Instant foods were low in supply - biscuits, canned goods, noodles… bottled water. maybe they are purchased in bulks to be donated to the severely affected victims - those who are in the evacuation centers.
Prices of common commodities shocked me. A sack of rice which normally costs around P1,800 was now P2,200. A small piece of candle at P2 before was now P5 each. Purified water tripled or quadrupled their prices. From a low of P15 per 5 gallon, it’s now playing at P60 or more…
No electricity still and telecommunication services (landline and wireless) weren’t yet restored in some places. Water supply will be suspended in at least a month, as they are fixing the plants and pipelines. Some roads are still unpassable due to landslides, and wrecked bridges.
Death toll is still rising. From nearly 200 sure it will go up as more persons are still missing. Plus the still missing 700+ passengers of Sulpico Lines’ MV Princess of the Orient - their biggest vessel.
Let’s say all deaths summed 1000. And everyone cries it’s the greatest tragedy to hit Iloilo or Panay Island in general. Yet, one who always reads the news can only ridiculously belittle the figure. Think of China quake or the Myanmar flood, or the landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, or the Ormoc City flashflood which happened at night time… so scary.
