Virginia was part of the crew on board the Greenpeace International ship Arctic Sunrise, taking action against a Shell oil platform as it heads for a major oil and gas field. Learn more about the action here
I live in San Mateo in the Philippines, an area battered by typhoon Ketsana – one of the worst natural disasters ever seen in my country. The massive rains and flooding claimed 464 lives and affected more than 900,000 families, including mine. This is our story.
It was in 2009. Two years before that, my husband and I got a house. After renting for several years, owning a home was a dream come true. For two years, we tightened our belts to save enough money to furnish our new home: a stove, a refrigerator, a TV, a washing machine, and a couch. I remember the joy we shared each time we were able to buy those items – we’d beam with pride as we brought them home.
Then came Ketsana. Trapped in our tiny attic, we watched the muddy water rising through our home. I felt the rain wouldn’t stop; my husband had to break our roof to give us a potential escape route. Luckily the water stopped rising before we needed to use it.