After surviving the man-height flood of Typhoon Ondoy, my family and I are chest-deep in restoring and reorganizing our Marikina Homestead. I haven’t been able to blog much the past week, not because of the lack of adventures, but mostly because this blogging beauty queen has had TOO many to deal with!
Look at that FUNKY power vacuum in front of the doorway!
One VERY exciting thing I should have blogged about earlier was that we were able to RESURRECT OUR FLOOD-DAMAGED BEDS AND SOFA!!! Serendipity led me to find a group of people who could do the job. The former yaya of my children, who retired when the kids reached their early teens, dissuaded us from buying new beds because her hubby used to work for a group that cleaned sofas and beds!
It took the bed/sofa cleaners 5 hours to clean one queen-sized box spring and mattress, one twin mattress and a cloth sofa with 6 cushions. They charged P6,500 for the entire job – a bit pricey for some people but a whole lot cheaper than running out and buying replacements!
The Typhoon Ondoy mud they sucked out of our beds! yEEECHCHCCCHCH!!
One of the sofa/bed cleaners happened to be an electrician and he was able to fix our 110 Microwave Oven which got plugged into a 220 outlet the day before. Just shows how skillful Pinoys are! The average male Pinoy worker knows how to cook, clean, paint, repair things, drive, do gardening, take care of kids, do the laundry and speak good basic English. Now if only the government could harness all that potential and keep our skilled workers in the Philippines… or if they do work abroad that they would be allowed to bring their families…
Before I digress any further, please leave a comment if you want the number of the bed/sofa cleaners!
My beds are now drying in my living room – they smell fresh and look a little cleaner than before! I must note that I was surprised to see the cleaners’ van parked near the house two days later – apparently, our neighbors heard about what they could do and hired them to clean out the cloth upholstery of their cars.
Our restored CLOTH SOFA under my husband Ron (left) who is chatting with Migo, the handsome young man who rescued my daughter Diandra during Typhoon Ondoy! Thanks Migo, we love you!
Another bit of serendipity led me to find two trustworthy and good-spirited carpenters to fix my doors, walls and restore my wooden furniture. Zusie, my darling make-up artist at Channel 9 is married to an elderly gentleman who is retired from carpentry but who occasionally takes on jobs. So I have contracted his services and he is now in my garage, together with his kumpare making a lot of noise – racket that is comforting to my soul which has been grieved by all the warped wood in the house.
Mang Rogelio and his kumpare Mang Nestor working on one of our doors...
The flood debris and trash on the streets of Marikina was one major irritation for us. It took the volunteer street teams of Counselor Sam Ferriol 2 weeks to clean up our baranggay – unfortunately, our street was the last on their list. We were griping to the max about this saying nasty things but we repented the moment we saw the Sam Ferriol Volunteer Teams tackling our street. We were surprised to see that they not only gathered the debris, they also spent time cleaning the streets of smelly river mud. THAT’s what took them so long! So, to make up for our all our misguided complaining, we bought them bottles of iced tea and sincerely thanked them for their hard labor.
The Sam Ferriol Team of Volunteer Street Cleaners with their iced teas!
Then yesterday, Byron, one of our dear Edge Radio volunteers (who fixed all our electric outlets) brought another bit of glorious serendipity! He gave me the name of a piano restorer whom he had met while helping clean at a Pastor’s house in Makati. The piano restorer was able to bring back to life the Pastor’s flooded piano! That gives me hope that our drowned Baldwin might see another day on it’s legs. My husband Ron has contacted the piano guy and he is coming over tonight to give our piano a look-over.
UPDATE (written a few hours after I wrote the paragraph above) The piano restorer just informed me that he can bring our Baldwin back to life!!! It’s going to take about 4 months and cost us two legs (you can play the piano without them!) and though it’s way pricey for us, we’re going to do it. Click here to see how decrepit our piano looks like. You can’t blame us for having little faith that it could ever be saved 
.
Stitching together our broken Marikina house won’t be as terrible as I thought it would be. Although things won’t ever be the same again, I think I will love this house and it’s scarred contents even more because of the deep satisfaction (and thrill!) of seeing what I thought was dead, live again.
by Joyce Burton Titular, the blogging beauty queen
Ron with a box of groceries and stuff from our daughter's classmate Charly M!!! Thanks much Charly, hugs to make your EYES pop!!!
Hugs to you all!!! Saw Owie at the Operation Blessing HQ…had to fly in to Manila just to help and be part of the restoration…couldnt stand being just a spectator. Blessings to you and to restoring your home.
GREG!!! Thanks so much for coming back to Manila to help out in relief ops. It was a nightmare for the citizenry here. Yes, we need prayers for the house and a word of blessing upon it
Thanks for this posting, Joyce. This is indeed a very positive experience after a devastating weekend. And we now know who to call when we need your new-found friends.
Hi there…
Can i get the number of the bed/ sofa cleaners? My parents, who are in Quezon City, could probably use some help cleaning our furniture! Thanks!
Hello Maria! Will be emailing you the cleaner’s numbers in a bit… they saved me a lot of money!
BTW., I would very much appreciate it if you could send the details to me via email: tinybaday@yahoo.com.au.
[...] Read more from the original source: Cleaners Successfully Restore my Typhoon Ondoy-Flooded Beds and Sofa! [...]
hi! what an informative article! thank you so much for sharing. may i have the number of the cleaners please? i have a handful of friends and relatives who live in ondoy-torn areas and i’m excited to refer the cleaners to them. thanks!
Will be emailing you in a bit. I hope things were’nt too bad for your friends and relatives. This was one CRAZY storm!!! And it sure revealed how messed up our government is when it comes to city planning… grrrrrr!!!
I am glad that the piano could be restored. =)
thank God, you & your fam are safe from the calamaties that happened in the past weeks
I truly believe everything happens for a reason 
anyways lovin’ your blog. Hope you’d let me add you on my blogroll
God bless & keep up the amazing bloggin’
Hi there, can i also get the contact numbers of the sofa cleaner?
Thanks!
Hi!
Somebody posted your article on Facebook. Please share with us the name and contact details of your Cleaners. This will send a big smile to a lot of our friends and loved ones.
Thanks!
Beautyqueen,
You are one of the unsung heroes of Ondoy’s wrath. People like you and others should be commended instead of being criticized. You helped and volunteered even though Ondoy’s wrath came to your home. It is your right to tell your story online. People who criticize you should look at themselves first before commenting anything which does not even compare to what has happened to most of our kababayans.
As I write, fifty eight (58) people have already lost their lives in Provident Village, Marikina where we have lived for ten years, in the worst rainfall to hit Metro Manila in forty two (42) years. The Ateneoville near the Tumana river where many Ateneo faculty and staff work suffered the same misfortune as many places in Marikina, Cainta, Pasig, Laguna and Central Luzon.
We have lost practically everything in our house, save for my old laptop and my son’s schoolbag, which his yaya had enough presence of mind to save. We were devastated by the loss, but thankful to be alive. As Tintin and I begin to pick up the pieces, we remember the countless blessings that have always come our way, and continue to pray for those who have lost their lives and the grieving loved ones they have left behind. The small village church we have been building for more than a year now—yet unfinished and bare—stands in apparent solidarity with the suffering of our small community.
I have been maintaining a largely light-hearted and positive attitude since the Saturday floods. I have been telling everyone who was calling and texting me that, “Napaka-biblical naman ng buhay namin—na bypass na ako, na kidney transplant pa, ngayon binaha pa. Nakakahalata na ako, Lord.”
I would not want to speculate on why we were spared that particular day (We were in the Ateneo Grade School with many Ateneo faculty and staff for the Family Day celebrating the feast of the guardian angels. I guess they were watching over us). I am just grateful that there are family and friends who make us feel important and loved. We are now staying with my in-laws whose place has always been our second home all these years. On our second night, as I sat down by the bed where my wife and son lay soundly asleep, I gently tapped on my wife’s shoulder and whispered to her as I quietly wept, “For richer, for poorer…”
“The Lord giveth.
The Lord taketh away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 1:21
Dr. Mike, what a story! Yes I agree that angels were watching over you. My hubby and I were also spared – we were in Tagaytagy when the flood happened and were dissuaded by our daughter to drive down. The house wasn’t spared though; at least that’s what I thought at the start. As the days went by I started to see the things that I thought were dead come back to life again. I am very sorry you lost so much but thankful that you and Tintin are alive and UPBEAT!!! I’ll be visiting your blog soon.
I kinda agree. It’s kinda misplaced although I’m sure you aren’t bragging.
You know we have so many churches here in Metro Manila. Do you have any idea how many of them are available for evacuees?
Sorry Tammy, it wasn’t misplaced because so many people were ready to dump their beds and sofas and I found a way for them to save their furniture. It is much more economical to get them cleaned. Helping out people whether they are rich or poor is not misplaced.
Anywhoo.. regarding your query, I don’t have an idea about how many churches are open to evacuees. I know that a lot of Catholic Churches opened their doors and a few Christian Churches too. Is there a reason for your question? Are you looking for a home for some people?
No problem joyce. Lets make it transparent. comments like that are inappropriate and should not be tolerated. Thanks and good night.
Found this website that helped me make important decisions regarding such comments!!! Click here to check it out : http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/attack-of-the-mean-commenter-blocking-commenters-and-comments-on-your-wordpress-blog/
Wow thanks joyce for sharing this. And thanks for deleting all those nasty comments. Have a nice day!
very nice and informative article Joyce. Love the fact that it started with your former yaya whose husband used to clean sofas and beds and from there gave you the electrician and the carpenters and the piano fixer ect…..
Hi Joyce, or JD (as from the good ol’ days)! Can you share to me the contacts for them reliable cleaners? I also do have to restore our piano & a bed. It’s really not that bad to salvage your material possessions. You worked hard for it with yer blood, sweat, tears & more. We don’t let an Ondoy just let it wash it all away from us. All the best for all your restoration tasks.
Hey Patrick! Yes, will email you in a bit…
Joyce,
We’ve met only once, but I know your heart is in the right place. You are doing a great service by telling people they do not have to replace all the stuff ruined by Ondoy.
FYI, I don’t often read blogs, but the link to this caught my attention. I have friends who cannot afford to replace their mattresses and sofas, and they would consider this info from Joyce heaven-sent.
Joyce, pls. share their names and contact numbers. Thanks!
Ces, sorry, have I replied? Can’t seem to remember if I emailed you. Anyway I will just post the info here -
CLEAN AND CLEAR Professional Cleaning Services
Speacialized Cleaning for Homes and Offices
Windows, Floors, General Cleaning, Detailing, Carpets, Upholstery
5 Mapang-akit St., Diliman, Quezon City 1102 Phils.
09155402982, 09198091274
hello tita joyce,
im glad that you’ve restored some of your furnitures! May God continue blessing your family!I’ll wait for my mom to come home and we’ll visit you. we’re also planning to give donations to victims of ondoy but i have no idea where we can help out. could you please suggest places? we’ll be doing this for my birthday. =)
=) Take care!
Jeng! Thanks again for helping us out during the typhoon… so many people came over to console us and to help clean up and to even give us gifts, just like you did! When is your bday again? I know some teams that are going out to bring relief goods to families in Malanday which is in Marikina. Or you can go to Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation and spend the day with the orphans there – but they go to school so dapat weekend. There is another orphanage in Project 4 run by a lady named Ruth Mejica. The orphans in both places range from age 4 to 18 but JLLC only has boys while I think Ruth’s has both girls and boys. Both orphanages got hit hard by Ondoy and Pepeng. If you have more questions just ask! BTW, did you eat all of the stinky cheese?
Heya! Please send me the numbers!!! Our house was flooded in too. We live in LA.. Lower Antipolo, Kingsville to be exact and our house is located at the lowest part of the subdvision… so everythign pretty much floated… my piano too was pretty much destroyed so please send me numbers of the cleaning peeps and the piano restorers! Thank you and God blessssss!
Kris
)
i stumbled into your blog. and i want to say thanks for mentioning and putting the photo of my fellow volunteers in street clearing operations. we really enjoyed serving our kababayans here in marikina.
and congratulations to your restored bed, piano and house. God bless!
[...] I got him some new curtains, a new mattress, had the Ondoy-ravaged bed repaired by a carpenter, shampooed the rug, cleaned up the room, made space for his luggage and [...]