The Northeast Monsoon advisory this week from the Office of Civil Defense-Calabarzon caused the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) to alarm at least ten municipalities in Quezon on the possibilities of flash floods and landslides within the next three days.
Just a day after the advisory, Infanta, Real and Mauban towns were in the news due to landslides.
Often when there is a monsoon or typhoon, social media posts and media reports would be blaming heavy rain showers or the density of downpour. It’s so easy to blame nature!
As the earth ages as time goes on, problems on flooding keep getting worse. If it isn't just nature that needs to be blamed, it must be the ones called human beings.
They are the ones who keep changing the landscape and ecosystem. They are the ones who abuse the beautiful creation. They don’t just cut trees. They don’t plant trees that will cause a firm hold for for the soil. They produce tons of garbage everyday: individually and by groups. They don’t learn their lessons from past mistakes even if it had to cost lives of their fellowmen and family members.
In order to avoid the use of plastic, there are local lawmakers who even asked the local wet market vendors to wrap products like fish, meat, and sea shells with paper! Yet the town still suffers from flooding with just a few hours of continuous rain.
The problem doesn’t seem to be on the use of plastic but on discipline and proper care of surroundings and the environment.
How effective is the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or Republic Act 9003? How strict is the implementation of the law? With all the seminars and funding for information education campaign, it seems futile if we are to assess the number of years it has been in effect.
Green spaces are being replaced by buildings. Worst, constructions are sometimes sources of corruption. If there is a double standard going on and lack of political will to apprehend the offenders, there seems to be no hope for flooding and landslides to stop. It has been a network of old problems that continue to pile up instead of diminish through time. Even drainage is being overlooked in the so-called tourist destination municipalities.
When flood comes, we blame the rain. Just like we blame the mother who gave us life, we blame nature for our misfortunes. Are we not being ingrates on Mother Nature who has given us home to live in?