I had to attend this large conference to get as many stories as I could because I anticipate that I wouldn’t be able to gather news by next week due to the super typhoon.

I think I have three or four stories with me now. It will be just a matter of whether or not I will have internet and enough battery power to allow me to write and submit stories.

After Uwan/Fungwong does its business in almost the entire Philippine archipelago, it will then wreak havoc in Taiwan. The center is expected to fall on Isabella-Aurora by Sunday evening to Monday morning and cross to Taiwan on Tuesday. Given its sheer size, we can say the entire Luzon will be ravaged over the weekend.

Learning from our experience with Typhoon Kristine last year, I am more prepared now. After I had dinner outside of the hotel, I went straight to Landmark Makati to buy a wash basin for my kitchen sink and a pail with lid to store clean water for washing dishes once we lose power. It’s more hygienic this way instead of disinfecting my wash basin and buckets that had been hanging around my utility/laundry area downstairs for two years. My laundry area is exposed to the elements so—you get my drift. Even though we have a water tank that could provide us with potable water for 3 days without replenishment, my house will still be waterless because I need power to boost water pressure so it will reach my second-floor dwelling.

Tomorrow I will drive to a nearby town to buy a skinny but tall water drum to put in my bathroom so we can have water to flush our toilet for number 1. We can bathe and do number 2 in my mom’s house because her 2 downstairs bathrooms don’t need high water pressure. Plus the toilets are connected to her rain water reservoir so there’s plenty of water for flushing. My sisters’ second-floor bathroom hasa a water drum that would last them a few days.

I also stocked up on candles and lighters. My only problem now is that my freezer is full. If I won’t have power for a week, my meats will get spoiled. Good thing I have a Styrofoam cooler but it is a question of whether I can buy tube ice for it.

My Bluetti battery pack could power my modem, a USB lamp, and my DC-power Acerpure air circulator. It can also charge our laptops and phones. It will last us a few days without solar charging. But assuming that the sun will start shining on Tuesday, hopefully we can juice up everyday so we can have emergency power indefinitely.

I just hope that my roof will not be torn off and the glass window panes will not be hit by flying GI sheets and whatnot.