THE precious Prius had been scheduled to take me to my roots—with myself behind the wheel, of course, of this wondrous ride. The day before, Poet Dante Velasco had wished me well with a heartwarming shot of, “Happy trip, aro.”

It didn’t materialize.

Ondoy butted in.

Ondoy who?

The killer typhoon that devastated almost 80 percent of Metro Manila and its outlying provinces on September 26.

Not wanting to disappoint myself—I just don’t give up that easily when it comes to renewing ties with my haunts in Pangasinan—I reset the trip.

But, alas, Pepeng mimicked Ondoy—almost, that is.

Like Ondoy, Pepeng also proved to be a KJ—to say it mildly.

The week after Ondoy’s venomous visit, Pepeng peppered us with more lashing rains that triggered more home-wrecking floods after aborting—thank God—its deadly design to become a heartless super-typhoon. Instead, Pepeng elected to redirect its still-havoc-laden anger on our poor brothers in the Cagayan Valley, toppling trees and electric posts, ripping away bridges and roads, crops and roofs of even newly built homes, and even threatening to burst dams.

Both conspired to inflict harm and misery to our already suffering nation, one week apart of each other, affecting almost three million Filipinos from Bicolandia to the metropolis, all the way to Cagayan Valley and Ilocandia.

When they were done, almost 400 perished, thousands were rendered homeless and P8.3 billion in destruction to property and farm produce stared us brazenly in the face.

Mother Nature, when provoked, is, indeed, like a woman spurned. Its fury practically spares no one. Rich or poor, young or old, everybody’s vulnerable when nature spews its wrath.

Amid that backdrop of wailing and pain, will I have the heart to go proceed and visit my hometown?

And so, it came to pass that the precious Prius and myself had been grounded.

But not for long, though.

The morning after Ondoy, I tapped the precious Prius on the back and fired the question, “Are you ready for something different?”

With the missus in tow, I drove Prius into the heart of wasteland in that typhoon-torn corner of San Mateo, Rizal, bordering Marikina City. Our final destination was SSS Village in Marikina.  (Was I glad to learn later that, thank God, Elijah Sue Marcial of Toyota Motors Philippines and her family survived the calamity in their abode, submerged in flood in Concepcion.  “Some furniture, appliances, got wet beyond recognition,” said Elijah-won. “But OK lang. We are fine—and that’s what mattered in the end.”)

In minutes, we were right there, where, only the day before, an ill-fated family on board a makeshift boat made of plastic bottles, bric-a-brac and styro-foam, tossed by raging waters up and about like a worthless piece of paper, mercifully slammed into the San Mateo Bridge, almost each and everyone disappearing underneath.  It was as gory a sight that one can ever imagine, captured on camera and replayed and replayed on national TV.

It tugged at the heart.

In that same spot the next morning, there was not dirt, only grime, garbage, a virtual sea of humanity all over.

Young and old, many bare from chest up, wandered aimlessly at the now-infamous bridge. 

Barefooted, feet and legs and thighs caked in mud.

They were the battered poor just the day before, their homes on the river banks swallowed by water that seethes at least 15 times a year due to typhoons.  

This day close to noon, some were building fire on the fringes of the concrete bridge, with kettles and pots they may have woefully salvaged from Ondoy’s fury, the utensils sitting on stones as porridge in them simmered in the orange heat beneath.

It began with the missus handing out pan de sal at kids tapping at the car window. One after the other, a piece of precious bread went from one hand to another.

“If you have coins, please?” the others said.

Some jangled in the pocket.

So, pan de sal and coins—this time, they tangoed.

As precious Prius trudged on meter by meter, there was confusion, chaos, all over, people milling around without purpose, rendering the road virtually impassable.

Chancing upon about three families huddled together in a distance, the missus alighted and waded through human traffic to get to them, braving mud, dirt, raking rains and, yes, a possible mob amid a virtual bed of nothingness.

She made it! And gave those huddled all the bread, canned goods and other food stuff she had with her.

All the while that she was at it, motorcycles and an assortment of vehicles honked endlessly, irritatingly, at me.

I couldn’t care less. I kept my patience waiting for the missus to be back—in one whole piece.

Finally, she was back.

“Bravo! Our own little way to pitch in whatever we got,” she said, sighing a bit but flashing at once that smile of fulfillment that is so uplifting to the spirit.

Who was that jackass BS who said there was panic buying in the supermarkets and groceries in the aftermath of Ondoy?

Hey, you dumb jerk, many people were scooping up all the noodles and canned goods not for themselves but for distribution/donation to our less fortunate brothers and sisters struck hardest by Ondoy!

Oh, well, modesty aside, the missus and I, on board precious Prius, were among the “panic buyers.”

And it didn’t matter that among the food stuffs that we had bought and intended for the missus’ sister and our own daughter, who were both marooned with their families in Concepcion, Marikina, at the height of Ondoy, were all dumped into the laps of those hapless victims at San Mateo Bridge.

My sister-in-law understood it pretty well.

Our own daughter understood it pretty well.

That added to the sense of self-gratification the missus and I had felt all the while that we were doing our own bit of “bayanijuan.”

Helping can hoist one’s spirit, especially when kin and kith understood.

Pretty well.

AND what is this car called Prius again?

Prius is Toyota’s gift to humankind for its “greenness” as it is the first vehicle ever to be powered by an engine, electric motor and a battery, and the least amount of gasoline fuel.

Prius is a worthy name because it means “to precede” in Latin—very apt, indeed, as Toyota’s invention is the global pioneer in hybrid technology and many are following its lead.

The Prius makes use of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), which is celebrated as a breakthrough in vehicle technology, being able to run on its gasoline engine, electric motor or both, as directed by the intelligent energy-management system.

It takes pride in having one of the world’s highest fuel efficiency, having achieved a consumption record of 38km/l, while providing power similar to a larger 2.4-liter engine. Aside from high fuel efficiency, the flexibility of the hybrid system delivers cleaner emissions and cabin quietness but also provides powerful acceleration when needed.

Since its debut in 1997, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle was sold in over 40 countries and regions around the world. Its cumulative sales exceeded 1.25 million units as of March 31 this year. The 2009 Prius has been launched in over 80 countries.

WHEN starting off, the Prius runs solely on electric power. As it speeds up, both the electric motor and the engine drive the wheels to achieve smooth acceleration. An intelligent management system controls both the motor and the engine for high performance. The vehicle can also run solely on the electric motor at slow cruising speeds.

Another energy-maximizing feature of the Prius is its regenerative braking. This allows the motor-generator to recharge itself by converting kinetic energy into stored electric energy, which would be used later on, as the vehicle starts to move again.

Furthermore, the engine shuts down when the vehicle comes to rest. The system conserves fuel and minimizes CO2 emissions by limiting engine operation.

THE Prius does more than fulfill its responsibility to the environment with its world-leading performance.  Aside from its standard hybrid setting, the new Prius also comes with three alternative driving modes.

The Eco Mode helps drivers achieve their best mileage with emphasis on fuel efficiency. The Eco-Drive Monitor on the central instrument panel monitors driving manner and displays: 1) the Hybrid System Indicator, which shows status of accelerator operation and energy regeneration, 2) one-minute or five-minute fuel efficiency rates, 3) a fuel efficiency history that shows average and maximum consumption for the past five trips, and 4) real-time energy consumption.

The EV (Electric Vehicle) Drive Mode allows driving on battery power alone at low speeds, if conditions permit. This results in quiet, smooth and zero-emission operation.

The newly developed 1.8-liter gasoline engine reduces rpm and lowers fuel consumption at high speeds. The ample output and torque result in improved overall performance and economy.

In addition to this, the Prius employs Toyota’s first electric-powered water pump which contributes to the engine’s efficiency, requiring no belts under its hood for better fuel economy and less potential maintenance.

The high-output nickel-metal hydride hybrid battery features smaller cooling intake/exhaust ducts and fans which maximize energy storage capacity. Its size is also more compact and is strategically tucked in the rear area to increase cargo space, specifically 30 liters more than that of the second-generation Prius.

THE world’s first Touch Tracer Display allows the driver to view the toggling movement on the display screen as the steering wheel audio, air conditioning and display switches are depressed.

The Heads-Up Display (HUD) provides safety and convenience through reflecting the Hybrid System Indicator onto the windshield glass just in front of the driver’s line of sight, for minimal eye movement and better concentration on the road.

The Prius meets both the Euro 5 and the new 2015 Japanese fuel efficiency standards, the strictest standard for emissions in Japan. This could be attributed to the low emissions of the third-generation model, which was lowered by 75 percent.

Priced at P2.025 million, the third-generation Prius is a steal!