More than cats and dogs

The sun was scorching hot, typically for a tropical country like the Philippines. It was a school day, and I was in casual clothes. I pulled out my umbrella to protect myself from the heat and crossed the street to attend class in the other building. On the way back after the class, rain poured. It poured so hard, that, saying “it’s raining cats and dogs” is already and understatement. The rain was more than cats and dogs!

This has been the weather in Cebu for the past week or so. In one moment the sun heats up like a mad oven. After a few hours, the rain pours madly. In some instances, it drizzles while the sun is up.

It is a crazy weather, indeed.

“Uwan, init, pista sa langit,” is what people say to describe unexplainable weather. But if it is true that there is indeed a celebration in the heavens during such situations, we on earth are surely coping with the result of such celebrations.

When it rains, the roads of Cebu get flooded due to the lack of or absence of a good drainage system. Students, workers and commuters alike are stranded for many hours on the street. 

You’re lucky if you have a private vehicle. But then again, you are not exempted from the monstrous traffic. This was the scenario last week. Heavy rains flooded streets in the metro. The University of San Carlos – Talamban Campus driveway and the SM City Cebu are among the areas that were flooded. There were no alternative routes to take. With every turn, vehicles are forced to fall in a long line moving approximately an inch every five minutes.

Meanwhile, when the sun is too hot, we complain about the heat. The allowances of students like me are spent on cool drinks. Some even get heatstroke or sunburn.

Whether it is the rain pouring, the sun shining or both, the situations are already getting on everyone’s nerves. And we only have ourselves to blame for what is happening. We are now experiencing the effects of global warming. Mother Earth is waging weather warfare with us.

One reason is our garbage. Just look around you and you will know what I mean. And I’m pretty sure that garbage is also a problem in other areas in the Philippines. There is just not enough space for our garbage. Yes, there are already recycling efforts but these are not enough. There is nobody to blame for all these garbage, which are mostly plastics, but ourselves.

**Published in The Freeman newspaper on September 11, 2012