Severe Tropical Storms “Kristine” and “Leon” just wreaked havoc on the country the past week nationwide. Flashfloods and landslides in various regions destroyed many agricultural areas and infrastructures.
In Itbayat, Batanes, the façade of its historic Santa Mayan Church collapsed caused by the strong winds and heavy rains of super typhoon “Leon.” Overall losses have been estimated by the National Risk Reduction Management Council (NRRMC) to be more than P10 billion. More than 2 million families in 17 regions were adversely affected. 150 deaths have been recorded so far, as the Coast Guard, since October 27, were still searching in the high seas off Paluan town in Occidental Mindoro province, for a missing cargo ship (loaded with a number of carabaos) manned by a crew of 10 members and a captain. Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) was reported to have had the highest fatality at 72, followed by the Bicol region at 57.
Government Failed
For decades the Philippines have experienced severe storms year in year out. And these have caused varied sufferings, foremost of which were heavy losses in human lives.
Other problems usually follow suit like loss of homes, of jobs and livelihoods, business interruptions and closures, education disruptions, land and air traffic gridlocks, and in general, another painstaking review of economic strategies, if any, by government officials to get back on track, if ever, in its program, if it has one, of continuing progress for the country.
In other words, government administrations have somehow failed to be proactive in its preparations for expected disastrous effects of storms.
No Improvement
Particularly today, with the top leadership of President Bongbong Marcos and his VP Sara Duterte in-charge for the past more than two years, the people haven’t seen any improvement in its disaster management program, if it has one at all.
Actually, during the campaign period for the May 9, 2022 elections, the Uniteam tandem of candidates Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte did not mention any program for “Disaster Management,” as they cowardly avoided standing side by side to debate with other candidates for the top-two public positions of the government bureaucracy.
What the people know was that P255 billion was allotted and budgeted for various flood-control projects, an understandable obvious measure for an archipelagic country.
But what happened? How were those billions of pesos spent to come up with appropriate and effective engineering infrastructures or top-of-the-line technologies to stave off expected flash floods and landslides? Has the administration ably given the NDRRMC the ample support to do its job? When will the people enjoy honest-to-goodness professional "Disaster Management" in a year-long storm-belt country like the Philippines?
To Serve The Filipinos?
Admittedly, although serious questions have been incessantly raised by the TNT and other professional IT experts about the legitimacy of their election as president and vice-president, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte have the duty and obligation to set aright the country’s Disaster Management Program.
Of course, this means at the same time that they must also solve the other critical problems, such as giving justice to the families of Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s EJK victims in the thousands, including those killed or illegally arrested due to red-tagging; China’s incursions into our sovereign territories; and most especially, uplifting the standard of living of the millions of laborers, farmers, fisherfolks, IPs, and other marginalized Filipinos.
A longtime critical basic need wished for by the Filipino people is rice costing only P20 per kilogram.
Is the erstwhile Marcos-Duterte team up to its task and mandate to really serve the people? Soon?
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonColumn #ColumnbyBoniMacaranas #PoliticsIsLife