26/07/2025
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๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐๐ญ
๐๐๐ฅ๐จ-๐ก๐๐ฅ๐จ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐
๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ. ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ญ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง, ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐๐ญ.
The rainy season in the Philippines continues to be one of the biggest concerns we face each year. โWhat should we do before, during, and after?โ is a question we keep repeating in hopes of an echoing answer that ends with a lasting solution. But at its core, one issue has been reverberating for years so persistently that it affects one of the most vital sectors of our society: health.
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Each year, around 20 storms or typhoons strike the country, with its poorest regions taking the hardest hit. Given this, the rainy season has always been troublesome for Filipinos, especially in the context of floods, where water often rises above chest level.
After Severe Tropical Storm Kristine hit the country, many cities and towns were deeply submerged. During an interview, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that there were problems with accessibility due to the limited supply of rescue equipment, such as rubber boats. In this light, the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) reported a total of 75,942 families displaced and 2,158 houses damaged, leaving people no choice but to plunge into the water and evacuate their families themselves.
Similar to a Halo-halo, floodwater is not only coldโit also comprises a mixture of contents, many of which are detrimental to your health, like the familiar threat of leptospirosis.
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Just like the colorful toppings of this icy delicacy, floods come with surprisingโand often unforgettableโingredients. However, unlike the exploding sweetness we anticipate in Halo-halo, what comes after a storm is far from delectable.
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by the Leptospira bacteria, which can be acquired from a mixture of rat urine and dirty water, such as floodwater. It is usually contracted when bacteria enter through open wounds or mucous membranes during exposure to contaminated water.
Its symptoms include:
โข Fever
โข Headache
โข Muscle pain
โข Nausea and vomiting
โข Fatigue
โข Red eyes
โข Difficulty urinating
The bacteria typically target the kidneys, liver, and lungs of the infected person, and in severe cases, can lead to organ failure or death. This is why doctors advise immediate check-ups after flood exposure, even if symptoms are mild or not yet apparent.
Despite the many repercussions of the typhoon season, health continues to be one of the most affected sectors in the country. According to reports from the Department of Health (DOH), there has been an 8 percent increase in leptospirosis cases this year, with 422 cases recorded as of early February 2025, compared to 392 cases during the same period last year.
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The true flavor of Halo-halo usually depends on what stands out the mostโto some, it could be the sweetness of the ube halaya; to others, the creaminess of the milk. Similarly, the flavors of the aftermath left behind by floods vary. The only problem is, they rarely taste sweet.
Like the striking coldness of ice, the aftermath of a flood leaves a sting. The taste of recovery can be a difficult scoop to swallow, especially when accompanied by thoughts of whatโs next after the storm. However, just as a Halo-halo is meant to be stirred before eating, we too must find the courage to blend vigilance with perseveranceโespecially when it is difficult to find a lending hand.
In this way, what used to be a threat can be transformed into nostalgia, and what used to be unfamiliar can become a bridge to a flavorful tomorrow.
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article by Jan Izel Bacuyag
art by Yesa Cabiad
