Mayhem due to hare- brained snow idea

BAGUIO CITY -- Upon hearing the news of snow on Session Road, I decided to go and see it with my eldest son. I dreamed the two of us, hand in hand, skipping down Session road with the snow gently falling on our hair and then we would stick out our tongues and catch the snowflakes or try to make snow angels.

Then I would take as much pictures as I can and upload them in Facebook and ten years later, my son would brag to his friends that he was one of those who witnessed the first snowfall in Session road.

Nothing prepared me for what actually happened on the evening of Dec. 4, 2010. We got to Session Road at about 5 p.m. and saw half of the road closed to vehicles. My son and I with my sister-in-law leisurely walked until we reached SM to buy toys for my son. When we got out of SM, it was already dark about 6 p.m.

We enjoyed the lantern parade. Since the announcements said that the snow would be in front of Porta Vaga, we tried to find a spot where we can stay and watch. By that time, the crowd was slowly building up.

We stood alongside other spectators in front of KFC where we had space just enough for us to stand. I was starting to get worried for my son as it was starting to get so warm. A crowd of people started pushing their way downward. I noticed something wrong when the same people would come back in a while, this time pushing upward.

Then someone said that the stage set up before KFC in front of Porta Vaga had blocked the sidewalk that’s why people couldn’t pass. I and my sister-in-law started telling the people that there was no way down. We said it in Ilocano, Tagalog and Kankana-ey. Those who heard us slowly turned around but after a while, there was another set of people pushing.

I was thinking, why would these people not tell those they see trying to go down that there is no way? Why were there no signs from the organizers advising people not to go down Session Road because its closed and whatever they were thinking trying to close down even the sidewalk?

Weren’t they familiar with the saying, “Dimo ma-aladan ti tao?” A big neon sign was available between Chowking and Porta Vaga, why did the organizers not use that to tell people that no matter how hard they pushed, there was no way down Session Road that night? Or whatever happened to good old megaphones?

Then suddenly I heard a woman screaming, “Pasensiya na po, excuse me po, may pasyente po ako sa loob!” She was referring to KFC and then she started calling out a name. I had goose bumps when I heard another woman from the crowd comment, “O ospital na pala ang KFC!” She even added, “Bakit hindi na lang sila mag text.”

Really, are we that indifferent nowadays? It was obviously between life and death! It was relieving when the rescue workers in orange suits were able to bring the patient out of KFC and into safety, I hope. But that was just the start.

Since the people who knew there’s no way down did not try to tell the others, and there were no organizers to create proper zoning of people, the crowd pushing their way down started again. Ot was getting warmer and since more people were pushing, I got scared. I tried to keep my body in between the pushing crowd and my son, since my son has asthma, I feared that the stagnant warm air would trigger an attack, I prayed hard that it would not and I started feeling guilty for putting my son through the ordeal.

They continued pushing, me and my sister continued telling them there was no way, I was worried. Then my son wanted to use the CR. We inched our way inside KFC, but the crowd intensified and we were trapped inside. I noticed about three more people that were taken out of the fast-food chain in stretchers.

It was a relief to be inside the building but as I observed the crowd outside was getting worse. I saw a man holding a sleeping baby up so that the baby will not be crushed by the crowd. What really struck my jumpy heart was when I heard a baby crying and the KFC security guard screaming “Ano ba! Yung bata po, naano yung bata!”

I started texting Kuya Joseph of Philippine Information Agency, “If you know someone who can help...” Kuya Joseph eventually forwarded my text to the Philippine National Police hotline. After about 30 minutes, police officers came and the situation slowly went under control and we were able to go home safe and sound.

I practically owe my life to them that evening because with all the anger escalating in the crowd because they were not trying to think and understand what’s going on, there could have been a stampede.

For me, that was a man-made hell, the so-called snow fell for ten minutes and it looked like crushed Styrofoam.

Now let’s go back to how it was a hare brained idea. I dismissed little voices inside of me saying I should not teach my children to dream of snowfall and not accept their natural habitat.

I remember when I was also a child so engrossed with fairy tales that I told my mom that I wished there would be snow in our place. She replied with the heavy Ibaloi accent, “Wey, no man ice i emin adi mesharal e esek tayo, enshi malay kenen!” Remember the frost that devastated vegetable farmers about three years ago.

After the ordeal, I learned a very important lesson. If there will be snow along Session road and I mean real snow, all the beggars will die and more problems will haunt the city’s drainage system.

So can’t we just accept and be happy and grateful with the natural climate of Baguio City? Can’t we just do our best not to pollute it so that it will stay the way it is? Can’t we just teach our children to love and accept the way things are in their birthplace and get rid of colonial mentality? These are my personal opinions and do not represent the institution I serve.

Jennyline Lamsis Sabado-Tabangcura