Bend but do not break

A Filipino writer ( I forgot her name) describes the Filipinos : "like a Bamboo that bends but does not break." It may be true, yes. Considering how Filipinos react to disasters and natural calamities, I see the point. I find it rather sad that it takes a disaster to bring out the spirit of Bayanihan and unity among Filipinos. The disaster devastated hundreds of people, killed hundred of lives, among them are children, and is causing severe suffering to our people up to now. It just irritates me to see how we react to the situation, as if it is just an overnight thing, and as if it will just pass and be forgotten tomorrow, you see the point. I mean we are too immersed with giving donations (which I see for most: Media exposure; especially for the well-to-do and politicians! have they allocations, budgets in case this "typhoon-disaster oppurtunity" will come?) and the "happy-feel" thoughts and touchy feeling programs we see all over the tv and news, that we fail to realize how the disaster actually destroyed the lives of these people. Families and loved ones were lost, there's nothing we can do about this. But what about their houses, their businesses? This is far more important for them now, than anything else. It's nice to see help coming from many of our kababayans, but the truth still is that this disaster will, for most of the victims, cause devastation for their entire lives. Filipinos may be as strong as the bamboo, but looking at it, I'd say we are as numb as a bamboo as well.