SM malls give refuge to typhoon victims

As this column was being written at 4:15 p.m. Monday, moderate winds and rains preceding Tropical Storm “Ruby,” which was expected to be closest to Metro Manila in the evening, were being felt in the metropolis.

The rains were intermittent and the winds not as strong as those of Typhoon “Glenda” which visited Metro Manila in July.

But the winds could get stronger and rains heavier as Ruby gets closer to the National Capital Region, possibly causing flooding in many areas.

Traffic was heavy on Edsa, Metro Manila’s main artery, as commuters were in a hurry to get home.

Residents in the metropolis were hoping that Ruby would have weakened considerably after battering the Visayas and parts of Luzon.

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All SM malls remained open the whole day Monday until the following day (which is today, Tuesday) to give refuge to people who might end up stranded due to Ruby.

It’s the SM management’s way of showing the public their gratitude for making their malls nationwide what they are today, said Grace Magno, an SM executive.

SM malls opened their doors to people who were stranded by typhoons in the past, said Magno.

Now, do you still wonder why wealthy people like Henry Sy, owner of SM malls, become even more wealthy?

The more these wealthy people give of themselves to the less fortunate, the more blessings the universe showers on them.

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Many rich people feel wonderful when they give to the less fortunate so they become even richer.

Andrew Matthews, author of the best-selling “How Life Works,” tells us:

“Few things make us feel lighter and happier than giving someone a present, a compliment or a helping hand. When we give happily, we feel wonderful.

“When we feel wonderful, we become a magnet of good things. So WHEN WE GIVE, WE CREATE A FLOW (underscoring by the author himself).”

What we give away happily comes back to us tenfold, even a hundredfold.

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Swiss hostage Lorenzo Vinciguerra hacked one of his Abu Sayyaf captors while the terrorist camp was being bombarded by the military in Sulu and escaped to freedom.

It took Vinciguerra two years to escape from the Abu Sayyaf after being held captive while bird-watching in Tawi-Tawi.

Vinciguerra’s companion, Dutchman Ewold Horn, couldn’t escape with him as he was too sick.

I pity Horn because the Abu Sayyaf will most likely take its revenge on him for Vinciguerra’s escape.