The result of opening 7 dams in Central Luzon Philippines - waist-deep flood water at the street. A girl take advantage of the chance for a free swim without going to the river or beach. A man in the middle uses his rowing/paddling boat as means of transportation. I'm carrying my 8-month grandson Zachery Hernandez-Gregorio for some photos before evacuating the place after early lunch of Sept. 30, 2011.
(Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
MY UNFORGETTABLE PHILIPPINE VACATION
IN SEPT. 28-OCT. 19, 2011
MY 'SPLIT' vacation in 2009 was the start of vacationing with my wife on odd years. I stayed for a few hours in Manila (June 17) before flying to Sydney, Australia to represent Palau for the first time in the 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship.
I stayed in Australia for 11 days and back to Philippines for 6 more days before coming back to Palau with my wife Flor on July 04, 2009.
Since then, the 'even' years (2010, 2012, 2014) were for World Chess Olympiad -- 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, 2012 Istanbul, Turkey and 2014 Tromso, Norway.
The odd year of 2011 was the most unforgettable vacation with my wife...
The Palau-Manila flight on Continental Airlines is 'almost' normal as the Philippines is anticipating the coming Typhoon Quiel. It was windy and rainy as the previous typhoon left the Philippine soil a few hours ago.
We sleep at my wife's sister house and proceeded to our province (Bulacan) in the morning at 9am. The 3-hour bus trip is okay and before proceeding to our house, we had lunch at Jolibee (the most popular fast food chain in the Philippines that McDonald hadn't beat in popularity).
I had 'pancit palabok', with plenty of small shrimps around it. Bulacan is known for ponds of shrimps/prawns, milk fish, crabs, oysters and mussels.
We bought cake, fruits and 2 half gallons of ice cream. When we reach the place, to our surprise, the water at the ground floor is 4 inches deep. Our daughter Karen and grandson Zach meet us at the stairs of the 2nd floor of the house. Zach got scared of us. It's his first time to see us.
There's no power also but there is running city water. We had many stories to share and when it's getting dark, we used my laptop to watch a movie and when it's getting low on battery power, we sleep early at about 9pm.
At about 12:30 am, I heard some commotions from our neighbors. I was thinking, "why are my neighbors awake at this early time in the morning?"
When I go down, THE FLOOD WATER IS ALREADY WAIST-DEEP!
Wilhelm, my sister-in-law's husband, is putting up the appliances 2 more feet higher -- the refrigerator on top of 2 steel chairs, TV and components on top of the table, the sofas, computer table and others were put upstairs.
After securing our things, me and Wilhelm proceed to my brother Jerry's place, at the back of our house. We check the computer shop which he is managing. The 15 desktop computers there are still safe for a few inches if the flood with not go up by 8 more inches.
There is a baby also in their place. The bed is almost (3 more inches) wet by flood water.
I was able to sleep for another 3 short hours. When I wake up, there's no more running water. Wilhelm just came from the market. He was able to buy 3 gallons of mineral water. He said there is short supply already of drinking water. He also bought some shrimps (2 kilos) for 100 pesos ($2.10), mangoes and bananas.
Wilhelm said that 7 dams in Central Luzon were opened in anticipation of the coming of Typhoon Quiel. BUT THEY DIDN'T GIVE ALARM TO PEOPLE AND THEY DID IT AT NIGHT TIME.
While not yet decided on what to do, we have some photos taken on the roof of the house...
We've
heard that there are some military trucks in town to help evacuate some
families. No big buses can pass through the flow of floods.
That's when we decided to evacuate. We had our lunch at 11am and prepared our things for evacuation.
Eight of us will evacuate --Me, Flor, Karen, Zach, Vilma (my sister-in-law) and her 3 kids (Kenneth, Kim and John Martin).
I
wrapped my laptop inside 2 plastic bags and we used the water bed to
put our things there. Wilhelm will stay and he helps us to the area
where the military trucks are waiting.
We
split into 2 groups. Last in the group are Karen, Flor, Zach, Kim and
Vilma. Me, Kenneth and John Martin waited for another 45 minutes before
they come. The first truck is already full of evacuees.
The
next truck has a rubber boat inside and when it was pulled out of the
truck, we were able to ride on a very slow moving truck with the sun
shining brightly.
I
saw some big buses that can't pass through the waist-deep flood waters.
Many people are braving the flood waters just to get to Malolos City
where there's no flood and has power supply and they can recharge their
phones, buy kerosene for their lamps and instant noodles and canned
goods. They know this flood will last at least a week.
I
saw some ladies still braving the strong current of floods by clinging
to a rope that military personnel had put so that they will not be swept
by the strong water current. I saw also some 'entrepreneur' young men
who cast a net through the water and caught some small crabs, milk fish
and tilapia fish.
IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIP, OUR TRUCK HAD AN ENGINE PROBLEM. We are stuck.
Flor requested a military person to put us on a rubber boat so that we
can reach Malolos City. But they are using rubber boats to some isolated
areas to evacuate people there.
Luckily,
there is another military truck coming. I shouted, "Kids first!" and
lift Zach so that somebody inside can get him. I noticed that there's a
cameraman inside and took a shot of me and Zach...
The
cameraman was Mr. Mallare of ABS-CBN. He gives way for ladies and
children and we both stand still and holding to steel braces of the
truck. He puts his big camera on top of the truck and we have a long
conversation. He said that the shot that he took at me and Zach will be
televised on TV Patrol Channel 2 (in Philippines) and TFC (The Filipino
Channel 20 in Palau and overseas) at 6:30pm.
While
inside the truck, Zach feels uncomfortable because it's very humid and
hot. The handy fan of other mothers didn't help. When Flor carry Zach,
he stops crying. One of the lady there said to her kid, "See, it's
really different if it's the mother that takes care of her baby!"
Flor just smiled. She likes it very much. Even when Karen was 8 or 10 years old, many people thought that they are sisters.
Mr. Mallare said he's been to Yap but never been to Palau and he'd like to go there someday. I gave him my business card.
EVERYBODY IN THE TRUCK IS WET WITH FLOOD WATERS BUT ME AND MR. MALLARE ARE ALL WET WITH SWEAT!
It's amazing to see a 'horizon'-like surrounding that floats with flood water and the sun is shining very brightly.
THE USUAL TIME TO REACH MALOLOS CITY FROM HAGONOY IS 30 MINUTES.
IT TOOK US 5 HOURS!
When
we reach Malolos City, we proceed at McDonald's and changed our
clothes. Flor changed Zach's diaper on top of the table to the disgust
of one lady customer. The rest room is full. There are 8 of us.
After
dinner, it's getting dark and we took a utility vehicle (Toyota FX van)
to Cubao, Quezon City where we ride a bus to Alabang and will stay with
Flor's sister Marivic (nickname - Baby) until the flood subsides and
the power is back to normal in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
While
on the bus, I saw in one of a nearby canteen that has a TV near its
counter, a news flash of me and Zach on TV Patrol of ABS-CBN. When I
look at my watch, it's 6:32pm! Mr. Mallare is right!
Telling
stories about the flood is never-ending. Baby, her daughter Kristel,
Karen, Vilma and Kim all fit in one bed. Me and Flor on the floor with
Zach in the middle. John Martin, Kenneth and Harold (Baby's son) all
sleep on sofa inside and on a sofa outside.
Two
months before this vacation, we tried to loan $1,500.00 at Fidelity
Bank in Palau but it was not approved. Our last source of vacation money
is my gold coin I earned from Goldquest International Ltd. for getting 5
friends on my left side and 5 friends on my right side who bought gold
products. The gold coin is a commemorative John F. Kennedy limited
edition (5,000 pieces). I also received a check of $400.00 from Chase
and Manhattan (New York) bank.
Me
and Flor go the Cebuana-M. Lhuillier pawnshop to pawn the gold coin.
But when they said that they will drill a small hole in the coin to
check its purity, Flor said we will try other pawnshop. The next
pawnshop offers smaller rate and they will also drill a very small hole.
So, back to the first pawnshop.
We were able to pawn it for more than 58,000 pesos or $1,250.00. My investment to that is only $400.00.
We don't have the capacity to get it back but at least, we have some money to spent for this strolling...
After
a week, we keep on calling Wilhelm about the situation in Bulacan. He
said there is still water in the first floor and still no power.
On
the 9th day of our evacuation, Philippine and USA Master Almario Marlon
Bernardino called me and invited me to attend the 18th birthday of GM
Wesley So at Shakey's Pizza Parlor, in Tomas Morato Quezon City. He said
Congressman Prospero 'Butch' Pichay will be there together with some
close chess friends.
I
go with my wife Flor and I met Congressman Pichay again after one year
(2010 Olympiad in Russia). GM Eugene Torre, GM Darwin Laylo, Ronald
Dableo, Cesar Caturla, the Phil. team captain in 2010 Olympiad, and many
other chess masters were there for the occasion.
When
I bring out the Tia Belau Newspaper, GM Torre, who is hooked in playing
Sudoku (the numbers game), asked me if he can answer it using a pen. I
said yes.
It
is also in this occasion that Congressman Pichay reiterated that he is
willing to send young players to Palau so that Palau will not be short
of players in the coming Olympiads.
My
wife Flor asked Wesley to sign 3 balloons as souvenirs from him.
Roberto will give those to Australian-Filipino chess prodigy Daniel
Lapitan, who idolizes Wesley.
The
next day after GM Wesley So's birthday celebration, we go back to
Bulacan as we were informed that the power is back to normal and no more
water in the 1st floor.
I
have time now to study the 10 Taiwanese songs that were given to me by
Taiwan Ambassador to Palau Maggie Chen for the 1st Chinese songs Singing
Contest that is open only to Palauans. The contestants are required to
sing one song in the first part of the contest and another song in the
2nd half of the event. I'm familiar already with Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo
De Xin, which is the most popular Chinese/Taiwanese song that even small
kids know.
When
me and Wilhelm open and clean the keyboard that was soaked in the
flood, there's no sound or even the power source from the keyboard. I
have to use a guitar to study the 9 other songs.
When
I came back from vacation, the security personnel at Palau Royal Resort
said something to me because he saw me and my grandson Zach on TV
Patrol many times. He said, "Robert, you're a hero! You're saving
children!"
Sources:
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
September-October 2011
To be published as a book in the future
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 - June 2015
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