We will recover and rise from defeat, misfortune

We were all shocked by Manny Pacquiao’s defeat at the hands of Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez.

That’s natural. To most Filipinos, Manny has reached the status of a national hero.

But let us be reminded that Pacquiao is the quintessential Pinoy.       He may have fallen, but he will rise from his defeat.

Our defeat in Bataan at the hands of the Japanese Army was avenged by our victory at Bessang Pass.

We’ve been battered by so many typhoons, earthquakes and other calamities—natural and man-made—and yet, we stood up from the ruins and went on with our lives.

We will recover from Pacquiao’s defeat as we will recover from the devastation of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley by Typhoon “Pablo.”

You’ll see.

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People in Baganga and Cateel towns in Davao Oriental province need your help.

The two towns suffered the most from Pablo’s fury as the supertyphoon made landfall there.

Richard Gordon, Philippine Red Cross chair, said Pablo’s winds were so strong they flattened the two towns.

Only a few coconut trees in the coconut-producing towns were left standing, and even many trees in the forests of the two towns went down, according to Gordon.

To add to their woes, Baganga and Cateel have been cut off from the rest of the world because the bridges leading to those towns were destroyed.

Only helicopters can reach the two towns.

Food is so scarce some people have resorted to breaking into stores and houses for food, prompting President Noy to order the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arrest the looters.

But why did the PNP have to wait for the President to issue a directive to go after the looters? Isn’t maintaining the peace part of its job?

People in the two towns need food and medicines more than they need clothes.

If you have excess money, send your donations through the Red Cross, which will take care of buying food for the victims.

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Can you celebrate Christmas without contributing to ease the sufferings of your fellow Filipinos in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental?

Christmas is sharing your blessings with the least fortunate of your brethren.

And the more you give to the calamity victims this Christmas the more blessings will come your way.

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In New Bataan, Compostela Valley province, another town hardest hit by Pablo, the President said he was not satisfied with the level of preparedness and response of the government, both local and national.

“I will not stop, your government will not stop, to ensure a better life for you and to prevent this kind of calamity from happening again,” said P-Noy.

To his credit, the President did his best to reduce the death toll in Mindanao.

His warning to people in areas about to be hit by Pablo to take all the necessary precautions contributed to the saving of many lives.

If the President didn’t issue that warning to “take the typhoon seriously,” many more lives would have been lost.