IT BEGAN with frustration.

On Saturday afternoon, businessman Ernel Dylim got a call from a friend telling him that their mutual friend was already on the roof of their house. ?They were soaking wet, dead tired and hungry,? Dylim. ?At about midnight, she and her family had not been rescued yet.?

Realizing he couldn?t leave it up to government to save his friend and knowing that there were others like her who were trapped, Ernel called the members of his group, Jetski.com.ph.

?I asked if they were willing to help rescue people who were trapped in their houses. They all agreed.?

They decided to assemble, but Mitch, one of their members, had already started rescuing people in his village. The group soon decided it was smarter to cover different areas and save more people.

On Sunday, Ernel drove to Ortigas Extension with a friend and found out that the water was still neck-deep. He tried to look for the person in charge of the disaster and rescue operations. ?We were being pointed from one official to another?PNP, Navy, Army . . . ?

When he finally met the person in charge, they weren?t allowed to use their Jet Skis. ?They said our skis would be damaged and that it would be dangerous for us because the people would be panicking to be saved. But we insisted. We are experienced riders and we didn?t care if our skis would be damaged. It was, after all, a very good cause.?

But they still weren?t allowed. ?We were very disappointed. Why won?t the government allow us to help when they know they don?t have the equipment to rescue thousands of people stranded in their homes with no water and no food to eat??

That afternoon, Roland, another Jetski.com.ph member, said he knew where they could launch their skis without being stopped by authorities. ?By 6 p.m., we were on the water. Eight Jet Skis with two people on each Jet Ski.?

They didn?t just save people; they also brought relief goods to those who badly needed food and water.

They were able to rescue 17 children and a 9-month-old baby in Magallanes Village in Makati City and Loyola Grand Villas in Katipunan, Quezon City, as well as in areas in Cainta and Marikina.