When power was restored in our area on Tuesday, and after the announcements that classes would remain suspended until Saturday, one of the first instructions that I gave my daughters was to collect clothes and blankets that they could spare so we could bring them to the evacuation centers. Since we were on our way to the supermarket, I was thinking of buying additional canned goods and instant noodles that we could donate as well. But all of that was easier said than done. Cash and food turned out to be scarce.
On the way to the supermarket, we passed by the bank – two different banks, actually – to withdraw cash. ATM machines were down. The bank branches were closed because they, too, got submerged in floods over the weekend. I was down to my last forty pesos.
When we reached Cherry Supermarket (we had to take the long round-about way via Cogeo because Sumulong Highway is still closed due to landslides), we saw the crowds and Speedy said it looked like people were buying in panic mode. The first thing I did was to ask if they would accept credit cards. Yes, they would. Great, I thought. At least, we could replenish our food supply at home. See, almost everything in the fridge went bad. We had to throw out the contents of the freezer and most of those in the lower compartments. What a waste, really, but that’s what happens when power is out for three days and you’re trapped because there’s no way in or out of your area because surrounding portions of Antipolo were flooded.
Having been assured that I could purchase using my credit card, I got a cart and went directly to the meat and chicken section. They were almost empty. Just bits and pieces of discolored meat and grayish chicken wings that I’d be too scared to feed my family. I must have stood there for several minutes — stunned — wondering what happened and what to do next.
I went to the frozen fish section, got enough bangus fillets for a couple of meals then went to the vegetable section. More empty shelves. No onions, no potatoes, not even ginger. I must have gaped there for a while. There was an attendant stacking some shelves with what looked like newly delivered vegetables. I approached her, I pointed to the vastness of the empty shelves and asked if there had been delivery problems, and she said no. No delivery problems. There were just too many shoppers and they had been buying in bulk for two straight days. People were HOARDING. They were buying by the crate — milk, diapers, canned meat, sardines… and rice by the sack.
I pulled myself together, went from one aisle to another scanning what were available and what were not. No one’s buying turkey and they were on sale. At P200 per kilo that’s cheaper than beef and premium pork cuts. I got a whole 5 kilogram turkey — that should last us for three days or more, I will just need to get creative and come up with several different dishes using the same bird.
Next, canned goods. Speedy loves SPAM — we bought SPAM. Weather news say another storm is coming and SPAM won’t spoil the way meat does. I know that Speedy bought a SPAM cookbook several years ago and I’d have to look for it. Damn it, we’re not going to get defeated and depressed.
Then, bowls of instant noodles. Much as I don’t like them, it wasn’t the time to be choosy. Until we could figure out where to get fresh meat, fish and chicken, we’ll have to live with instant food. I couldn’t go to the public market because I didn’t have cash.
Earlier today, Speedy went out in search of functioning ATM machines. We live in Antipolo. You know where he was able to get cash? Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City. He went by way of Marikina and saw the extent of the damage there. All business establishments, including banks, remain closed. We buy dog food by the sack from a pet store in Marikina, the store was closed and empty, and the owners and employees were sweeping the remains of drenched dog food on the driveway. Speedy still looked a little dazed when he got home. The experience was that shocking.
I already expect prices of basic commodities to skyrocket. Not only because until all roads are passable, there would be delivery problems and supply would be short, but also because unscrupulous businessmen will take advantage of a panicky and starving public. Sad but true. And it always happens after a calamity. There will always be assholes. I’m not sure if you’ve heard about the looting in Marikina. People have lost their homes and possessions, and what remain are being looted.
What happens from here… well, everyone’s just trying to get back on his feet. It’ll be harder for some. My family’s among the lucky ones but I can’t say we’re in a celebratory mood right now.
I was just at the supermarket today, hoping to buy some real food after living on instant noodles and egg these past three days and the scene was really as you described above: panic buying! But I dont have enough cash for panic buying , and so I bought only milk for my kids, and some canned fish. My mother was telling me just now that pillows that used to be at 3 pieces for a hundred in our palengke are now being sold at 80 pesos each! I told her not to buy muna, we slept naman without pillows for 3 days na, so a few more days shouldn’t matter. Grabe talaga ang insensitivity ng ibang tao!
That’s one thing about public markets — how volatile prices are and not because of supply and demand but because food stall owners can get really greedy.
I saw the pics you posted in your blog. I hope you’ll be able to get some rest soon.
I can’t even find words to express my sympathy and a lot of shock at how helpless many families are right now. Stay safe!
Thanks, Tintin. We’re still acting a little zombie-like here and still living on instant food. Haaayyy…
it may be because a lot of people are donating food..
Donating fresh meat, chicken and fish? I don’t think they have cooking facilities at the evacuation centers.
Hi Connie, some relief efforts are actually giving cooked food to people. Most people are hungry having been stuck in their houses and roof tops for days so a warm meal from relief efforts make sense.
Perhaps. When you go to the supermarket, however, face to face with those shoppers, you just don’t get the impression that they’re buying in bulk to donate food.
we were just talking about you at the office before going home kanina. yes, i discovered that a workmate is also a reader of yours so i had to ask her if she has visited your blog after ondoy since i remember nasa antipolo kayo. we’re both glad you and your family are safe, ms connie. i haven’t read the previous posts yet but she told me you had to stay in a hotel daw.
and so the blogging continues
Thanks, Rowena. We stayed overnight at the MMLDC. Dun lang buhay ang internet. We didn’t have food here anymore. Grabe. Dead batt lahat ng phones tapos may deadlines pa ako.
Yes, Connie, I think that panic buying scene that you described was repeated in most supermarkets— Unimart in Greenhills included! We went there Sunday, right after Ondoy…and sabi nga ng Chinese woman who was next in line to me, parang new year na ito ha… bakit parang nag-hoarding na ang mga tao…??? I had to change my line about 3 times…grabe talaga! She said, “look at that, you’d think lahat sila they’re going to sell sa stores nila…” Kasi we saw someone with a cart na siguro merong about 30+ kilos of brown sugar…tapos marami ang bumibili ng bottled water…and also rice by the sacks!!! It was as if, wala nang bukas— or as if they’d wipe the store clean…
Kanina sa Shopwise, same scenario. Ang tagal ko sa pila, grabe! But there were also those who, I think, are just getting carried away by the shopping bandwagon. One family — it was toys for kids. A group of teenagers — pants. Amazing, at a time like this?
It is something not surprising anymore. It is a matter of survival. People can see that delivery of goods would be interrupted for a while since trucking are impossible in some areas and that supplies in the store will not last for long. Not to mention that prices would naturally go up and price control will be ineffective since the government cannot close down the retailers that provided the goods to make matter worse. This is the period that retailers are exploiting the situation but the government can make some grounds by having these violators pay hefty fines.
The saddest part is how some politicians are exploiting the situation. Instant noodles with Manny Villar stickers? Yikes!
Ms. Connie, our house is still submerged in knee-high water, our car is half-submerged too, so that means that for me to go to the office, I have to ride a banca/balsa or go via taytay which means 2 hours travel to Ortigas.
My husband and I have gone from hopeful to shocked to acceptance of our grim situation. WE’re still trying to pull ourselves together.
Last night, we were in SM Taytay and just like, my mouth must have hung open for a few seconds at the empty shelves (lahat ng brands ng sardinas, wala!), there was no pork, chicken, fish. The vegetables there were obviously pinagpilian na. sigh. Good thing my brother-in-law just came from bataan with lots of fish kasi unlike the househelp, we are sick and tired of meat.
Oh and last night, I was lucky bec. one atm was devoid of queues. Himala!
Stay safe Ms. Connie.We’ll get through this somehow. We have to.
It’s one of those times when I’m really, really thankful that I don’t work in an office anymore.
The upside is knowing that this isn’t a “forever” situation. Recovery will take time pero kaya mo yan. Good luck to all of us this weekend with Pepeng.
By the way, lucky for you your kids were all inside the house, safe when Ondoy came along. I heard one parent in the supermarket berating her son who insisted that he needed to go to UST last week.