January 4, 2018 was the day Boljoanons felt the rage of Tropical Storm Agaton. At around 5am, barely just after the daylight spread, strong surge of water from the mountains coursed its way to the sea—as all rivers end up in the sea—and brought with it everything in its way. Inwas there just two hours after the flood. I was a witness on how the townspeople who were affected by the flood slowly picked up what they can pick up, cleaned what they can clean, and tried to rebuild the ruins. I talked to two families whose small houses that were made up of light materials were washed away. I met some of my students who were helping their families checking and cleaning their houses. I was told that had the flood came late at night, with its intensity, lives would surely be lost and the damages would be more serious. I thought, It had to be God’s grace. Somebody said that the river did not course through its designated way; it went to its old course, that part of town the local government reclaimed and put a dike between the river and the reclaimed lands so some people can build houses. Some parts of the dike were washed away. Thinking about it now, I can say that it is not of man’s good interest to alter the course of nature. That river will always find its natural course to the shores, and if not properly planned and rebuilt, the dikes will give way again because they will never be able to contain the flood water, and I will not want to imagine what it will cost to human lives. My students picking up pieces of what they used to call home.
