Monsoon mayhem and the stars

With the persistent rains these past few days, even show biz denizens were not spared from the resulting floods and traffic jams.

Like many Filipinos, these stars were invariably haunted by memories of the wreckage wrought by Typhoons “Ondoy” and “Sendong.”

When the going got rough, they turned to prayers, TV and Facebook—again, like many of us, less-famous observers.

LORNA TOLENTINO: I decided to stay home—praying, watching the news and keeping in touch with family and friends.

LIEZL MARTINEZ: On Tuesday, my husband Albert (Martinez) left for taping (for the ABS-CBN soap opera “Princess and I”). My screening for the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (of which she is a member) was canceled so I was just home with the kids. Alyanna and Alfonso had no work and Alissa had no classes. We are very lucky that we live on a hill. We don’t even have a puddle in our garden.

EUGENE DOMINGO: On Monday night, I was at the Peta building, rehearsing for the play “Bona.” Our director Soxie Topacio decided to let everyone go home because most of the cast members live either in the south or in Manila. I managed to get home safely by steering clear of flooded areas. I have memorized which Quezon City streets to avoid when there are heavy rains. On Tuesday, my shoot was canceled.

JON SANTOS: I stayed home, glued to the TV set for weather and traffic updates. I made sure that my cell phone was fully charged because I needed to keep checking on my staff, friends and family who live in Marikina, Valenzuela and other flood-prone areas.

RITA AVILA: On Monday night, I attended a story conference at the GMA 7 office. Later, I barely slept because of the sounds of the rain. On Tuesday, I felt grateful that my husband and I were home safe. I kept praying for the sun to shine, for the land to dry up and for those affected to recover what they have lost.

GISELLE SANCHEZ: Monday and Tuesday, I prayed incessantly for the rains to stop. So many homes and lives are lost because of monsoon floods. When Ondoy hit Manila in September 2009, my parents’ bungalow in Pasig went under water, while my brothers were trapped on the second floor of our neighbor’s apartment. I prayed and prayed it wouldn’t be another Ondoy.

JOHN ARCILLA: On Tuesday, my interview (about “The Bourne Legacy”) with GMA 7’s Arnold Clavio was canceled. Right now, the only thing I can do is post entries on my family’s Prayer Request page on Facebook. I called up my mother and siblings who live in Aurora and told them to pray and stay alert. It’s really frightening, especially when we remember Ondoy and Sendong.

SUE PRADO: I was stuck in La Union. I’m still waiting for the weather to improve so that I can go back to surfing.

OGIE ALCASID: On Monday night, I was at work, taping (the GMA 7 gag show) “Bubble Gang.” We had to finish early so everyone could go home to their loved ones.

MERCEDES CABRAL: On Monday, I was home… slept all night. When I woke up the next day, I was shocked to realize that most of Metro Manila had been deluged. Fortunately, our neighborhood in Quezon City doesn’t usually get flooded.

HARLENE BAUTISTA: I was home with my husband (Romnick Sarmenta) and the kids, reminding everyone to keep safe.

CARMI MARTIN: I stayed home, constantly praying for the rains to stop. I also kept watching the news and checking on friends and family members, making sure everyone is fine.

LEON MIGUEL: I was in a church on Monday, stranded because of the floods. On Tuesday, I stayed home—praying for the safety of our countrymen, monitoring the news, calling and texting friends, and convincing them to evacuate if needed.

RICKY DAVAO: On Monday, we were at the Rizal provincial jail in Taytay for a taping of “Makapiling Ka Muli,” a GMA 7 series that I direct. All our scenes were interior shots, but there were snags here and there because the rain affected the sound recording. The cast and crew—led by Phillip Salvador, Mark Gil and Gloria Romero—were monitoring the situation. We were all nervous. We finished at 5 p.m., but it took us two hours to get home. We had to avoid flooded streets and find alternative routes.