“Back to zero po kami.”
A flood-hit pottery business in Santo Tomas, Pampanga is hoping the public will help it get back on its feet by including the shop in their next trips.
Pampanga Pottery on Saturday, August 29, lamented how floodwaters from the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) affected its business, from its products to its equipment.
“BACK TO ZERO PO KAMI. Hindi po kami humihingi ng ayuda, pero makikiusap po ako na sana ‘pag humupa na ang baha at magagawi kayo ng Pampanga. Isama niyo po kami sa listahan ng papasyalan niyo,” it said in a Facebook post.
“Ta-trabahuin po namin, magsisipag at pagsusumikapang bumangon para sa aming pamilya at sa pamilya na umaasa sa aming maliit na negosyo,” the pottery business added.
“Sa mga nanggaling na po dito, kung pwede po mag-tag ng kaibigan para makapasyal dito sa amin, malaking tulong na po ‘yun sa amin. Napanghihinaan na po kami ng loob pero sisikapin po namin magpakatatag para makabangon,” it further said.
It also included pictures of its flooded shop in its post.
“Sana panaginip na lang ‘to lahat,” the business said in another post, sharing more images of the damage.
In another post, the shop referred to how the flood can be controlled through flood control projects, a topic that has sparked controversy since last year after some politicians and contractors were allegedly found to be involved in corruption related to its funds.
“Paanong hindi ka iiyak? We pour our hearts and resources in building these to promote and protect our Pottery Industry. Tapos lalamunin lang ng tubig na pwede naman sanang gawan ng paraan pero…” it said on August 29.
The Pampanga Pottery also runs an agritourism park which celebrates pottery as both a heritage and art.
The public can witness such craftsmanship by visiting its studio, where skilled workers transform local clay into handcrafted terracotta pots, plates, vases, and more.
Santo Tomas, where the business is, is known as the “Pottery Capital of the Philippines.”
Based on its posts, the Pampanga Pottery, meanwhile, has been inundated by floods for most of August, following persistent rains brought by the habagat, which was constantly being enhanced by tropical cyclones or Low Pressure Areas.
On August 12, Pampanga was placed under a “state of calamity” due to severe flooding and its adverse effects on local communities and the agricultural sector.
Apart from floods, millions in crop losses and livestock damage were also reported.
Authorities said that the flooding and landslides from the enhanced habagat have left more than 30 people dead this month, mostly in Luzon.
