Gani Coruna, vår medarbetare på Filippinerna gav sig tillsammans med sin familj ut i regnovädret för att hjälpa en nödställd släkting med mat och kläder. De vandrade genom vatten som nådde upp till bröstet, simmade och flöt. Efter att de lämnat nödprovianten gick färden hem motströms. Deras uppblåsta plastring gick sönder och vattnet var för strömt för att orka fortsätta simma. Läs Gani Corunas personliga skildring av ett katastrofdrabbat Manila:

The floodwaters came sudden and very strong. People were trapped in their houses during their sleep.  Before they could escape, the floodwaters surrounded them already. Some of them were carried by strong current when they attempted to get out of their houses.

Next morning, Manila was flooded. My wife Liling got a message from her sister who lives nearby our school in Taytay. She was begging for food, water and some clothes. They had not eaten for two days.  We decided to embark of a dangerous mission.  Liling prepared the relief goods which include food, water, clothes and some can goods and a cell phone battery charger (electric power was cut off).  There were four of us in the team, Liling, Gani, Jayjay and his girlfriend Weng.

We walked three kilometers of breast deep water. Jayjay and I left the women when the water became to deep and swam and floated for another kilometer. When we reached the house, the roof was almost covered with water and there were no people there.  We rested on the roof for a while and then we began to yell the sisters name. She responded, she was in the school building on the second floor. So, we went back into the water again and delivered the relief goods to them.  They were so grateful that we had risked our lives bringing them those badly needed relief goods.

As we went back to Ortigas Avenue which has shallower water, our inflated plastic which we use to keep us afloat got punctured beneath the waters.  We were able to continue for another 100 meters, and then we had to stop. The currents were to strong. We held on to a side street post to rest. The water continued to flow around us, we were cold, wet and very tired. After an hour, a rubber boat by the rescue team passed by and we begged to be picked up.  They said that they can only take one and I had to push Jay, my son, to go ahead first while I stayed behind.

I attempted to swim closer to the main street but it was difficult and people atop the houses were yelling at me not to continue because they say that such an attempt was suicide.  I rested atop a submerged tricycle hoping that another rescue team will pass by.  It was already past four o’clock in the afternoon according to the people there.  I stood and sometimes sat there for more than two hours, shivering in cold, tired and hungry.  People across the street were kind enough to offer me shelter on the second floor of their house.  But finally, thank God! Another rescue team pass by and the people around yelled at the coast guard to have mercy on the poor old man (they called me old man) and take me on their rubber boat.  I finally reached Ortigas avenue and Jayjay my son was waiting for me there and it was past six in the evening.  When we reached home after another three kilometers of walking on the floodwaters, Liling and the rest of the family cried for joy that we reached home safe.

Gani Coruna