Ondoy

Ondoy was officially the worst typhoon in 42 years to hit The Philippines. We shut down office operations today in deference to its aftermath. We were not alone. Some local market call centers also shut down phone interface (for Philippines end-users) as citizens (perhaps like their employees) tried to gain ground on a Monday that was also the first dry and sunny day after the typhoon.

For some of our employees, they faced the shock of their lives as flash floods submerged their homes and property (like cars) before they can even conceive a response. We are all grateful that despite it all, our employees and their families have their life and health. We trust that with perseverance and a can-do attitude, they can successfully rebuild their lives.

Our minds and hearts are truly with those who experienced exceptional suffering under Ondoy. Class and circumstance did not matter as homes and people of all backgrounds fell prey to the randomness of this natural calamity. Many lost lives, many more were injured. If you have not yet heard, this typhoon brought 400+ MM of rain (for reference, Hurricane Katrina brought 250MM). This should give one an idea of the massiveness of this event. It is amazing to find that the people of hard-hit Marikina and Rizal (and other cities in Metropolitan Manila) faced this challenge with resilience and resourcefulness, resulting in a very high survival rate.

But still, there is very real suffering and work to be done. And so, we ask you, our dear friends and readers, to consider helping Ondoy's victims in any way you find agreeable. Google.com/Ondoy is a good starting point to learn more. Donations of food and clothes would provide immediate relief, cash would help too. We suggest directing your contributions towards effective consolidators like Ayala Foundation.

It is our prayer that the people of Metro Manila will soon clear their minds and focus on the vision of a prosperous and restored metropolis. We believe we will bounce back with a vengeance. After all, there is that matter of the general expectation that Metro Manila will become the 30th most prosperous metropolis in the world by 2020 (today, we are 42nd with USD 108 Billion GDP; Rio de Jainero is currently 30th).