Leo Verdad and his family lived in Provident Village in Marikina City for 13 years. Their house which is made of wood and cement stood the test of many severe weather disturbances, including Tropical Storm “Ondoy” that brought Marikina to its knees in 2009.

But in a flash, Typhoon “Ulysses” took everything away from them when it leveled their home and swept away most of their belongings.

“Mas malakas pa ito kaysa sa Ondoy. Kasi noong Ondoy umuwi kami na may nakatayong bahay. Ngayon wala na (This (Ulysses) is stronger than Ondoy. During Ondoy, we returned home with our house still standing. Now it is gone),” the 18-year-old Verdad told Manila Bulletin during an online chat. 

“Marami kaming memories sa bahay namin lalo na every New Year. Nagkakaisa mga kapitbahay at nagbibigayan ng pagkain. Always masaya kapag December, pero ngayon wala na kaming bahay (We have lots of memories in that house especially every New Year. Neighbors come together and share food. We were always happy during December. But now, we don’t anymore have a home),” he lamented. .

Provident Village is a residential area located near the Marikina River. The recent typhoon has flooded and covered the entire village in thick mud reliving experiences during “Ondoy” which happened over a decade ago.

“Ulysses” began to unleash heavy rains accompanied by strong winds over Metro Manila before midnight Wednesday (Nov 11) causing Marikina River to rise from 15 meters at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, to a peak of 22 meters by noon of Thursday (Nov. 12). 

Scores of Marikeños left their homes when floodwaters began to rise and took shelter in 49 evacuation centers prepared by the local government.

Verdad, his mother and his two younger siblings were among the thousands of evacuees. At about 2 a.m. of Nov. 11, they hurriedly left their home, securing only their clothes, and kept most of their other valuables in their ceiling expecting that the water will not reach it. They took shelter at Tañong National High School.

As flood waters receded and residents were allowed to return home, Verdad witnessed the destruction that “Ulysses” left in its path—streets covered in thick mud, debris scattered all over, properties damaged, and their house destroyed.

“Totally washed out na talaga. Hindi pa po namin alam paano mag-uumpisa (It was totally washed out. We do not know yet how to start),” he said.

“Sa ngayon indecisive pa kami kung paano sisimulan ang pagpapagawa ng bahay, saan titira temporarily, at paano makakarecover (So far we have yet to decide how to start building our house, where to live temporarily, and how to recover),” he added.

As weather conditions improved on Friday, the Marikina City government launched a massive clearing operation with the help of firefighters, police officers, the military, and equipment sent by government agencies to remove mud and debris, and help affected residents with the cleanup.

Mayor Marcelino Teodoro placed the city under a state of calamity due to the extent of the typhoon’s damage. Local officials recorded at least four casualties in Marikina, including an 82-year-old woman who reportedly drowned at the height of the typhoon, while at least 13,000 individuals remain at the city’s evacuations sites.

With their house gone, Verdad’s family is facing another problem.  Their house also serves as their main source of income as they were renting out some of the rooms.

“Mukhang aalis na raw sila dahil wala na nga po natira. Tapos may naiwan pang bill ng tubig at kuryente na P100,000 na di pa nababyaran since nagsimula ang lockdown (It looks like they are leaving because there is nothing left. Then there are water and electricity bills amounting to P100,000 that have not been paid since the lockdown),” Verdad shared. 

“Sobrang nakakalungkot. Marami kaming gastusin nadagdagan pa ng nasirang bahay, di namin alam kung paano ipapaayos. As of now, kailangan namin makahanap ng temporary shelter (It's so sad. We have a lot of expenses and now our house was destroyed. We do not know how to go about its repair. As of now, we need to find a temporary shelter),” he added.

The typhoon may have left. But Verdad family’s road to recovery has just began.

To source out funds for the reconstruction of their house, Verdad has turned to social media, asking kind-hearted people for donation. Those interested to help can get in touch through 09082627393.

“Hindi po namin alam paano maguumpisa sa pagpapagawa. Still, maraming salamat sa mga nagpadala sa amin ng tulong at tumatawag o nagtetext, naappreciate po namin ang pagrereach out niyo (We do not know how to start. Still, many thanks to those who sent us help and called or texted.  We appreciate that you have reached out to us),” he said.