Kwento Ni Toto: Flood

2025/07/26

What to Do If Work Suspension Last for 3 Days: Stay Safe, Stay Cozy, and Help Others

Toto 7/26/2025 03:10:00 PM

With heavy rains and floods, many companies and agencies prompted to suspension of work, many of us are forced to stay indoors. While the weather outside may be gloomy, there are still plenty of ways to stay safe, comfortable, productive—and even helpful—while at home.

Here’s a simple and easy-to-follow list of things you can do without stepping outside. We’ve grouped them from personal comfort and bonding to doing your part to help those affected by the storm.

1. Binge-Watch Your Favorite Movies and Teleseryes

Take this time to relax and catch up on series or films you've missed. Streaming platforms are full of feel-good shows or drama-packed teleseryes to keep you entertained.

Suggested movies and series to watch:

Miss Granny (Pinoy version) – for family laughs and touching moments
The Rain (Netflix) – fitting for the weather, with a survival twist
Reply 1988 – a warm Korean drama perfect for bonding
The Glory – if you’re in the mood for intense storytelling
The Broken Marriage Vow – for teleserye lovers

2. Go on a Mini Food Trip Inside Your Fridge

No need to head out, just explore what’s inside your refrigerator or pantry. Try to whip up something fun or new with what’s already available. Get creative with leftover dishes or invent your own rainy-day snacks.

3. Snuggle and Cuddle Time

Cold weather? Perfect excuse to cuddle. Whether it’s with your partner, kids, or even your fur babies, now’s the time to slow down and enjoy these quiet, cozy moments. A warm blanket, a warm drink, and a warm hug can go a long way.

4. Play Indoor Games with Your Family

Bond over classic board games, card games, or even charades. You don’t need fancy equipment—just bring out the laughter and fun. It’s a great way to pass the time and strengthen family ties.

5. Organize and Clean Your Space

Now that you’re homebound, why not do a little decluttering? Rearrange your room, tidy up your shelves, or sort out your closet. A cleaner space can lift your mood during dreary days.

6. Read a Book or Listen to a Podcast

Grab a book you’ve been putting off or listen to podcasts that inspire, entertain, or inform. This is a great chance to rest your eyes from screens and slow things down.

7. Reflect and Pray for Others’ Safety

Spare a moment for those who are experiencing the worst of the storm—those displaced, affected by floods, or without electricity. A short prayer goes a long way in showing compassion and hope.

8. Do Online Fundraising for Affected Communities

Use your social media platform for good. Set up a simple fundraising drive or online campaign for those in need. Many people want to help but don’t know where to start—be the spark.

9. Donate to Legitimate Organizations Online

There are many trusted groups running relief operations. Check their official websites or pages for GCash, bank transfer, or online donation portals. Every little amount helps.

Here are some of the organizations:

Philippine Red Cross
ABS-CBN Foundation
Kapuso Foundation
Caritas Manila

10. Encourage Others to Join You in Helping

Share stories of people helping. Invite your friends and followers to take part in any fundraising drive. A simple post can inspire others to donate, volunteer, or even just be aware.

While staying safe indoors is a priority during these rainy days, don’t forget to make the most of it—whether it’s reconnecting with loved ones, doing small projects, or lending a hand to those in need. Even without going outside, you can make your day count.

Stay safe, stay dry, and stay kind.

2022/06/21

updates

The importance of Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Toto 6/21/2022 01:14:00 AM

A person's safety during calamities is mainly dependent on their community's disaster preparedness. No matter how ready they are for all possible catastrophic scenarios, every bit of preparation can go down the drain if their community cannot respond effectively to such events.

It is why a community-based disaster risk reduction and management plan (CBDRRMP) is essential. It places the responsibility of being prepared for calamities and other emergencies on the community as a whole, ensuring that organizations, households and individuals can work together in making their community more resilient in the face of disaster.

CBDRRMP is important, especially for countries highly vulnerable to disasters, such as the Philippines. Situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire and typhoon belt, the Philippines is frequented by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and typhoons respectively. The country ranked 9th in the world in terms of vulnerability to calamities in the 2020 World Risk Index.

One of the most common events experienced by the Philippines is flooding, which underscores the importance of effective floodwater management. There are many ways that local government units are doing this. Efforts range from structural measures such as sizeable underground drainage systems, floodways, pumping stations, flood warning systems, and urban greening to non-structural measures such as minimizing plastic waste, a primary culprit in urban flooding.

With the country situated on five active fault lines, Filipinos must also prepare for earthquakes. It is why many buildings are equipped with earthquake-resistance features. Taking earthquake resilience in the country further are the periodic earthquake drills implemented at the national and organizational levels.

These are good examples of effective CBDRR, where both the authorities and the citizens work together to ensure the safety of life and property in their communities.

SM City Masinag has a rainwater collection tank that can store 17,681 cubic meters of water.

As a trusted and responsible developer of integrated properties, SM has always been committed to promoting Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in its communities, which is evident in many of its malls that employ infrastructure design centered on disaster resilience. SM allocates 10% of its capital expenditures to incorporate disaster-resilient features, of which installing water management design features is one of them.

Artist's illustration of SM's rainwater collection facility in 22 SM Malls nationwide.

A few examples of these are SM City Marikina, elevated by several rows of concrete stilts to protect tenants and mall-goers during extreme floods. SM Mall of Asia was built with a storm surge barrier for added protection during storm surges, and several malls employ catchment tanks for recycling rainwater.

Across the country, there are 22 SM Malls that have rainwater collection tanks under the mall. All these malls combined can catch and store 79,880 cubic meters of rainwater, equivalent to 32 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“Wherever SM is, we try to help our communities become resilient to changing weather patterns,” explains Arch. Fides Garcia-Hsu, Vice President of SM Engineering, Design and Development. “Nationwide, we have 22 malls equipped with rainwater catchment facilities that help rain water management to avoid flash floods for surrounding communities.”

SM City Olongapo Central's rainwater collection tank can hold up to 14,580 cubic meters of water.

Supporting these are several initiatives focused capacity-building for its stakeholders. It includes workshops & learning sessions on Disaster Risk Resilience Management and regular participation in the quarterly national simultaneous earthquake drills for its employees, and the annual Emergency Preparedness Forum for persons with disabilities and the elderly, two of the most vulnerable sectors of society during disasters.

Similarly, in line with its multi-stakeholder approach, SM Prime has also continuously built long-term partnerships with organizations that advocate for a disaster-resilient Philippines. It includes collaborations with ARISE-Philippines, the National Resilience Council, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Office of Civil Defense, and the Bureau of Fire Protection, to name a few.