RED ALERT
ISSN 0115-0839
CONTENTS
REGULARS
4
iContact Michelle Anne P. Diamante
6
Wonders of Disasters
Finance
Alvin M. Sta. Ana
Cash During a Calamity
10
Eggplant
14
Gratitude Amid a Deluge
17
Saved
20
Typhoon Preparedness
32
Bandana Mask
Home Gardening Saul L. Roylo
Grace in the Act
About the Cover Part of the Picture. Humans always have a role in the drama of disasters—as heroes, victims, villains, and often, all three. Cover photo by shutterstock/ Tithi Luadthong Photos and illustrations in this issue are from shutterstock.com unless credited otherwise.
COLUMNS
5
Here and the Hereafter
Janies B. Manipis
Education Peter Paul C. Cubay
Modern Homemaking ADRA Philippines
Arts & Crafts Lebette Angel M. Baybay
Pr. Leonardo C. Heyasa, Jr.
Red Alert
13
Caught in Between
21
Pandemic-related Insomnia
27
Fortuitous Event
Personal Answers Dr. Sheryll Ann M. Castillo
Dear Doctor Dr. Linda L. Varona
Consult Your Lawyer Atty. Silvino L. Sumagaysay, Jr.
31
Food for the Family Dr. Miriam R. Estrada
33
Family Nutrition in Times Like These
Standpoint Nathanlie M. Baldoza
My Charcoal Charred Chicken
38
Learner’s Lab Mary Grace L. De Guzman
34
The River
36
When God Washed the World
People & Places John Holbrook
Children’s Corner Etta B. Degering
41
Can Volcanoes Erupt Suddenly?
Word for the World Ecclesiastes A. Gasmen
Preparing for the Second Coming of Christ
COMING UP. . . Blue Zones • Life as a Nonagenarian • Overnight Oats • Caring Sincerely for the Elderly •
A Teacher’s Glory • Afraid of Parkinson’s • Policeman, Prisoner, Preacher
44
The Power of Hope Series Julián Melgosa and Michelson Borges
46
Cigarettes and Caffeine: Classics for Addicts
#AThousandWords Mark Joey E. Balani
#RedAlert
47
Light From the House
47
Notes From the Frontlines
T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I.
Jenefer S. Ediang
A Special Place
FEATURES
8
Protect Yourself From Scammers Lee Dunstan
The tools of thieves online
24
Responding to Emergencies: A Closer Look at ADRA
Aimee Grace B. Tapeceria
28
Christian Humanitarian Work
40
It Is Well With My Soul
12
Philippine operations of an international NGO
Janet R. Tolete
Interview with a DRRM expert
Royce Bellaire G. de Luna
A painful tragedy, a timeless melody
Music for Healing Lynde Kris G. Corpus
Therapy for PTSD
19
Every Juan’s Go Bag AMSA-WVSU
22
Essentials for surviving 72 hours post-disaster
Kind Things You Can Do at Work Karen Holford
Encouragement whatever the environment
42
Understanding Hazards and Disasters Sharon Feliza Ann P. Macagba
Helplessness or preparedness
Grace in the Act
By Janies B. Manipis
GRATITUDE AMID A DELUGE
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nonchalantly replied, motioning to my kids busily munching on their breakfast. “Besides, the flood will not reach us here! Don’t worry about it.” I waved off his warning and finished my own meal. But as I observed the surroundings, I noticed our family dog Margo restlessly pacing and barking outside—just like the other dogs in the neighborhood. Something doesn’t seem right, I thought. With a sigh, I conceded and told my children to pack their bags for Calintaan, a barangay also within Amulung, Cagayan, which was situated higher than Pacac Grande, where we were living. I, too, hurriedly gathered our belongings. “Janies, you and the kids can go ahead with Tatang; I’ll stay here awhile to secure our furniture Health & Home ︱ 14 ︱July–August 2021
and livestock,” my husband, Rolly, instructed me.
Feeling secure On we went, navigating through the slick roads despite the low visibility, hoping to make it to a more secure shelter. From the vehicle, I caught a glimpse of the imposing Cagayan River snaking through the valley. Indeed, it had swollen and was spilling out over its banks. Despite this, we pressed on, arriving safely in Calintaan, where we carried on with our daily routines. The next day, news about the opening of Magat Dam’s seven spillway gates rang across the community—water must be released from the dam for it had already reached its critical limit. Our house might be flooded! I anxiously thought. Just to be sure,
photos courtesy of author
anies!” A voice fraught with a sense of urgency and slightly muted by the relentless rain called to me from outside the house. It was my father Ilong, stepping out of the owner-type jeep. He and my nephew Debdeb had just arrived from the market. “The river seems to be rising quicker every minute. We must take refuge in Calintaan immediately,” Father said in a hurry. It was the bleak Wednesday morning of November 11, 2020. The torrential downpour had been unyielding for the past two weeks brought on by Typhoon Ulysses. It did not bother us that much, though, and my mind was more occupied with the day’s activities. “Tatang, the children have to finish their modules first,” I
Saved Education
By Peter Paul C. Cubay
D
ue to my busyness as a teacher, I gave more attention to my career over my spiritual life. I hardly spent time for Bible sharing, worship activities, etc. Though I prayed, my prayers were mostly limited to thanking God for His blessings each day. God, however, saved me from this routinary life on October 15, 2013, around 8:00 a.m. A deadly 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the province of Bohol, especially my town of Loon, claiming the lives of more than 200 people and destroying historical edifices and many homes. The damage reached more than PHP2 billion.
Shaking Since it was a holiday (Eid alAdha), I was spending time with my mother who lived with me in a rented place. I was in the room, doing internet research, while Mom was preparing breakfast. Suddenly, I heard noise from the roof as if there were rats running. I paid no attention to it because such sound was common, especially at night. The clatter, however, grew until I felt the floor shaking slightly beneath my feet. The tremor grew stronger until I could no longer stand on my own. “Mom! Go out and save yourself!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, but my voice did not come out. Health & Home ︱ 16 ︱July–August 2021
I had to crawl my way to the door, but it wouldn’t open. The knob was already misaligned. I only managed to open it slightly to force myself out.
Panic
Out on the street, the tremor felt even stronger. I heard rumbling sounds and saw houses collapse in just a wink of an eye. I found myself somewhat like in disaster movies—alone, looking sullenly at the great devastation. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I called out to the Lord and yelled to my neighbors to get out of their houses or else they would be buried alive.
A CLOSER LOOK AT ADRA By AIMEE GRACE B. TAPECERIA
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individuals in more than 118 countries—regardless of their ethnicity, political affiliation, gender, or religious association. As the name states, ADRA has two focus areas as a humanitarian organization: 1) Development and 2) Relief.
ADRA Philippines In the Philippines, ADRA has been blessed with funding for several multi-year development Health & Home ︱ 24 ︱July–August 2021
projects in the last five years, focusing on health, livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. Operating in a disaster-prone country like the Philippines, however, made ADRA more known for its disaster response work. How does ADRA quickly respond to a specific disaster? The answer lies in its partnership with the Adventist Community Services (ACS),
photos courtesy of ADRA Philippines
he Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is the global humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its international head quarters is in Silver Spring, Maryland, but it has offices in many countries, including the Philippines. This international network of about 10,000 humanitarians and volunteers deliver relief and development assistance to
photos courtesy of Center for Disaster Preparedness
By JANET R. TOLETE “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with people as one who desired their good. He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He invited them, ‘Follow Me.’ ”1
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orn to activist parents who later went into development work and local governance, Mayfourth D. Luneta continues to live by her parents’ passion for serving the people. When she became a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, that desire to make a difference in the community only grew deeper and stronger. “The world is not getting better. The environment is in decline and, logically, there will be more disasters. These are opportunities for us to continue serving the Lord and serving other people—while we still have time,” explained the Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP). CDP is a national non-government or civil society organization (CSO) known for promoting communitybased disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).
Shifting Mayfourth originally took Psychology for her bachelor’s degree at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. But when she had an elective in Community Development, she realized it was the course that she wanted to pursue. “I asked my mom if I could shift and she said yes, so I shifted to B.S. Community Development when I was already in third year college,” Mayfourth recalled. When she graduated, she was able to organize women in communities, get a master’s degree in Public Health, and teach college subjects. She later found herself in the same field as her mother, who by then had already moved to international DRRM work in Thailand.
Health & Home ︱ 28 ︱July–August 2021
Learner's Lab By Mary Grace L. De Guzman
O
Can Volcanoes Erupt Suddenly?
n September 27, 2014, Mount Ontake in Japan erupted without warning.1 It took everyone by surprise, including hikers to the famous tourist attraction. Many of them died or got hurt. Scientists were not able to predict the eruption even if they placed monitoring instruments near the volcano. Mount Ontake’s eruption happened so fast there was no more time for authorities to warn the people. So, yes, volcanoes can erupt suddenly. But is it always the case?
Not just a mountain
First, let’s study what is a volcano and what is inside it. “Volcano” comes from the Italian word vulcano or “burning mountain.”2 From the outside, it can look like any mountain. A volcano, however, has something different above and below it. On top is a hole called a crater. Below the crater is a pool of molten rock3 called magma.
Hot and rising “But rocks are very hard!” you may say. “How can they melt?” Like butter, these rocks under the earth can melt when it gets very hot around it. Temperature inside a volcano can be as high as 1,000°C.4 (In contrast, butter can melt at 21–40°C.)5 Magma is lighter than the rocks around it so it rises. As it rises, it causes earthquakes. As magma reaches the earth’s surface, it bursts into the crater or a vent (another opening on the ground) and the volcano erupts. When magma comes out of the volcano, scientists call it lava. An eruption caused by magma is called a magmatic eruption. Scientists can detect and monitor earthquakes from a volcano during a magmatic
Health & Home ︱ 38 ︱July–August 2021
eruption. They can say when it is already too dangerous, so they can warn the people to stay away from the volcano.
Steam blast Sometimes, however, a volcano can erupt even without new magma coming out of a volcano. When water, usually underground, gets near magma, it gets heated up so fast and instantly turns into steam. The process causes a huge blast, sending off vapor, water, ash, and rocks into the air.6 This is called a phreatic eruption, which is what happened on Mount Ontake.
Hazards and Disasters By SHARON FELIZA ANN P. MACAGBA
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arious threats loom over our homes and communities. Some threats are man-made, while others are natural and come as part of where we live. According to the World Risk Report 2018, the Philippines ranks as the third most at-risk country in the world, primarily due to the country’s high exposure to multiple hazards like typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, etc.1 But do you know that exposure to multiple hazards does not necessarily and immediately equate as disaster?
Hazards and possibilities A hazard, in the simplest terms, is the possibility of a process, phenomenon, or activity to cause disruptive impacts on our lives and communities.2 For example, if you live near a body of water or a low-lying area, you face the danger of getting flooded. This type of hazard can damage property, disrupt dayto-day activities, and, in worst cases, cost lives. Yet, these potential impacts may or may not occur, depending on how the risk is managed. If impacts of hazards are not managed, or if the impact exceeds the capacity of a community to manage, that is when a hazard becomes a disaster.
Disasters and impact Disasters are serious disruptions to the way our communities or society functions due to hazardous events, leading to human, material, economic, and environmental losses and impacts.3
Remember Typhoon Milenyo (Tropical Storm Xangsane) in 2006? It caused serious flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces—and in Vietnam and Thailand. In the Philippines, offices and establishments were closed. Roads became impassable. Electricity and communication lines were down. Almost 200 people died and about PHP5.8 billion worth of properties and structures were damaged.4
Rising risks Based on scientific studies, countries in the Pacific are now experiencing more and stronger typhoons primarily due to warmer waters caused by climate change.5 This fact further emphasizes the importance of disaster risk reduction management in our communities. But aside from understanding our exposure to hazards, we should also evaluate our own vulnerabilities and capacities. We rank high as most at-risk country in the world also because our social systems have high vulnerabilities and low adaptive capacities. What do these mean?
Social realities Our country’s poverty rate, the number of people living in decent housing, allocation of land, access to basic services, and availability of food are some of the indicators for vulnerability and adaptive capacities.
Health & Home ︱ 42 ︱July–August 2021
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