24/07/2025
Joy in the Flood
Amid the chaos of a relentless typhoon sweeping through the city, while most sought shelter from the rain and rising floodwaters, a different scene unfolded outside a Shakey’s branch. What could have been a picture of disaster turned into a rare display of resilience, laughter, and unexpected joy.
In front of a waterlogged basement parking entrance, a group of young boys plunged into the brownish floodwaters. With no pool in sight, this sudden flood became their playground. Splashing, swimming, cheering—each wave they made drowned out the gloom around them. Onlookers stood nearby, some shaking their heads in disbelief, others smiling with nostalgia.
A man, possibly their father or a neighbor, stood barefoot at the edge, phone in hand, capturing every spontaneous moment. The rain kept pouring, but it couldn’t dampen their spirit. They weren’t blind to the problems a typhoon brought—power outages, closed roads, uncertain safety. But for this brief moment, they made a choice: to laugh, to play, to be kids in the storm.
In a country where storms are a part of life, so too is the choice to find sunshine in the rain. This was more than just boys playing in a flood—it was a story of joy in adversity. A reminder that sometimes, happiness isn’t found after the storm—it’s created right in the middle of it.