Dexter Tumaclas Clemente BS Electrical Engineering III JEEP Accelerate, WS(5:30pm-7:00pm) “Bang!”. The first sound I heard when I woke up in the morning of September 9. I was like “oh my GOD”, and I really thought it is really true… but it’s just a sound from the radio. The hell I care about that stupid radio? Our place is very silent, like the usual, normal days. So I got up and took a sneak peek on the clock, and it’s like, “oh my GOD it’s 6:30am! Mama, I’m so dead late!”. Just so you know, I live in Barangay Talisayan, a sort of rural area located approximately 20 kms from Zamboanga City Town Proper, so I need to pack up an hour before 7am for me to arrive healthy in my 7am class(or else I’m doomed). I asked my mother why didn’t she wake me up 4:30am? She just said, “Rayu, gyera ya gane. Uwi daw na radyo y kalya boka!”. And that’s the only time I realized that the entireness of our neighborhood is at our house, listening intently to the radio announcers. Yes! There really is an ‘exchange of gunfire’ going on near the town proper. At Barangays Sta. Catalina, Talon-Talon, Sta. Barbara, Mariki and Rio Hondo. Our place is far from the city, just that I didn’t panic nor felt the tension. Our barangay is so silent and far that we can’t relate what’s happening in those areas. So I topped being such a school boy and listened to the murmurs of the radio announcer. “Bang! Bang!”, I know it’s not actual, but as the continuous sounds of gunshots flooded the speaker of our radio, I started feeling the fear. Questions flashed my mind, “what about my family and friends who lives there? Are they still okay? When will this end? What’s gonna happen?” I knew I was exaggerating, but I was really worried about all those stuffs. I tried texting my cousin and friend, and I immediately received a reply saying they are not okay. My mother asked them to come and stay into our house for how many days just until the conflict is over. And the next day, Tuesday, they came. They stayed in our for one week. And I mean it, that 1 week was the happiest family week of my life. It’s not that I’m being rude to those who are seriously affected, but it’s just that we are so unaffected that we can’t help but be happy and thank GOD that nothing happened to us. Of course we never stopped worrying about what’s gonna happen next to the people and to our city. Plus, the hostages. We can’t do anything to help them but pray for their safety. In the following days, nothing. It’s just nothing. We still are unaffected. But what also bothers my mind is the fact that if the conflict will still continue, economically speaking supplies will go down, demands will go up, and prices will go up too! I hate those people who are happy rumor-mongering. People who have nothing else to do with their lives but to spread unvalidated and stupid messages which are not credible. They just cause panic, stress and fear to the people. They just add up the problem. I hate to say this in public, but to those people, my middle finger is yours! Can’t they just keep quiet and help? Why? Which saves, ‘spreading those messages’ or ‘prayer’? Days passed but nothing ever changed. I pity the soldiers who fought for our city, and died. To the Red Cross Members who were always there, in the middle of the exchanging gunfires, running here and there just to try saving lives of the hurt ones. And to every individual who tried their best to help and protect our city. I salute Mayor Beng Climaco, who was so brave that she never ever let the MNLFs raised their f*ckin’ flag in our city. And also other Government Officials who were so active and helpful during the time (although not all, we all know who didn’t. Shame on them!). But most specially to GOD who never forsakened us during the time we need Him most. Who answered our prayers. Who brought back the light to our city. Whom we owe everything. Thanks to all of them! Maybe not now, but I know, eventually Zamboanga City’s gonna rise again and be more than what we were before if we help each and everyone! Altogether we’ll stand and fight, and they’re gonna hear us roar… Noe T. Lacastesantos
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 10:22:05 +0000