Posts Tagged ‘Arayat Pampanga’

Remembering “Ondoy”

Who is among the Filipinos who could not remember “Ondoy”? Ondoy was like a mighty man who cast out all it has on a one Big One Night Stand. Yes, a One Night of heavy spilling and blowing its mighty strength upon the navel of Philippines’ Luzon Island that resulted into massive large flooding and casualties. A one night mighty typhoon that marks on Philippine typhoon history wherein it shatters a lot of Filipinos lives and livelihood and not sparing even Philippine celebrities in just One Night.

Everyone was caught in a surprise by this super One Night typhoon wherein the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA have not exactly forecast its forthcoming and have fore warn the public, thus so it goes, Ondoy stealthily creep in and pour its fury in just one night where everyone is not expecting its forthcoming and escape or slide away after it devastate too much the Luzon part of the Philippines. What a cunning typhoon!

Typhoon Ondoy

This super typhoon also marks a history in Arayat Pampanga Philippines wherein for the first time the town of Arayat have experience a landslide which killed 12 people brought by the typhoon Ondoy. The landslide basically happens near the foot of Mt. Arayat at purok 6 San Juan Bano Arayat, as it was reported. This is just one disastrous effects of the super typhoon Ondoy,for there are a lot of stories to tell like the Philippine celebrities Christine Reyes and Jean Garcia whose house were devastated by the typhoon which cause them to be stranded on their own respective homes.

Typhoon Ondoy effects

Typhoon Ondoy or so-called typhoon Ketsana which was internationally called caught the Philippines at the night of September 25,2009 which reveals its deadly fury the morning after and which caused 464 deaths in the Philippines which up until those who have been hit and traumatized by this typhoon still felt the pain it cause them yet still some never leave their own devastated homes rather they renovate them and added another floor on their house to get ready for another Ondoy in the making in the future. For the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA still could not have such high-tech facilities that could predict another Ondoy because as they complain, according to the reports, there is no too much funds allotted to them by the government and some high learned officials of PAGASA were resigning and transferring into another country because the salary in PAGASA is just low or minimum for the important service they give to the public.

Arayat Philippines is a region in Pampanga Philippines where Mt. Arayat seated where residence of it were at the slope of the mountain. Yap, most residence of Arayat in the Philippines or rather Arayat Pampanga Philippines was living beneath the slopes of foot of this inactive mountain. The closest barangay at Arayat Pampanga Philippines to Mt. Arayat is San Juan Bano where the Mt. Arayat National Park is. The park itself have a direct access to mountain itself because it has man-made so called “hundred steps” that will lead you already on the mountain itself once you reach the hundredth step.

Mt. Arayat National Park is the one that makes Arayat Philippines famous or known in the Luzon part of the Philippines as well in Pampanga in the Philippines. It is noted for its very cool swimming pools which of course best during hot weather or summer time. The Park is indeed a very refreshing place due to its natural flora surrounding it. Mt. Arayat National Park is originally a project of the wife of former late Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon during the post war times.

Arayat Pampanga Philippines is located at Central part of Luzon Philippines and is nestled at the foot of Mt. Arayat. Actually, Arayat Philippines is not the only place in the world that has its name, for there is a place in Spain which is also called “Arayat”. Arayat Philippine historians say that it is from this place Arayat Pampanga in the Philippines gets its name.

During the Spanish times, an encomiendero who conquer Arayat whose name is Fernando de Arayat has renamed Arayat which formerly known then as “Alaya” which means “East” and Mt. Arayat was then called Mt. Alaya. And the inhabitants of it were Aetas. It is said it is kind of wilderness ambience at the foot of Mt. Arayat which the Spanish encomienderos has transformed it into a farm land irrigations.

By the way, aside from the Mt. Arayat National Park which some tourist visit, Arayat Pampanga is also well known of its dignitaries who live at early times like Jose Alejandrino (the statue at the Arayat municipal) who is a companion and contemporary of Dr. Jose Rizal (Philippines national hero), who is also my forefather in my mother’s lineage or genealogy. Dr. Emigdio C. Cruz whose name bears a district hospital at San Agustin Norte Arayat Pampanga is known or said to be lived during World War II.

Moreover, Amelito Mutuc and Leoncio Parungao is both secretary during Diosdado Macapagal Government who made also Arayat proud. There are also military dignitaries, like Major General Rene R. Cruz who is former RaCom Commander and PC-INP Commander, Col. (Ret.) Vicente A. Pascual who is former a Deputy Judge Advocate General, and Commodore Lodovigildo L. Gantioqui who of the Philippine Navy.

Another well known at Arayat Philippines is Arayat’s well known organized tricycle association which is the famous New 06 Association, Inc. Wherein, my father is the founder and I too have work as an assistant secretary of the associations during the 1990 and early 2000.