Time to assess everything

Slowly, the cities, towns and barangays are getting back on their feet. As relief goods become more available, they realize that they do have to rebuild their lives, no matter how hard they were hit by the storm. That's the unparalleled Filipino spirit that the whole world is witnessing, and admiring. A testament to Filipino resilience. So as things creep their way into a semblance of normalcy, perhaps the government should take the time to assess what went wrong, and what to do to prevent future miscues from happening again. The government has admitted shortcomings, while some sectors and individuals would prefer to crucify those who tried their best despite limited resources.

It all comes down to having the right equipment. No one will argue that relief goods did move a lot faster when the Americans came with their equipment. The value and importance of helicopters, particularly heavy-lift ones, cannot be overstated. Helicopters are the best aircraft to move into inaccessible places. A few days after the typhoon, that was most of the Visayas was, inaccessible. Helicopters do not need a runway to take off and land, just a small clearing would do. A friend informed me that the US does sell its Chinooks, Seahawks, Sea Knights, Sea Stallions and Jolly Green Giants to other countries. The government might want to consider acquiring a few of these, specifically for search and rescue. Goods to Tacloban may have been ferried much earlier. Most of the helicopters in our current inventory are for personnel, not cargo.  

The Philippine Air Force currently has three C-130s. Their value became evident once a runway was available. Their payload is enormous, and they travel fast. We could use three or four more of these, if possible. We also need more ferries or ships that can carry large vehicle like trucks. The long line at Matnog justifies this. With more ferries and ships, goods can be delivered to islands faster.

A day or two after the typhoon, all communication in the islands were lost. Nothing could come in, nothing could go out. Power was out, and the lines were all down. This is definitely one of the reasons why coordination of relief efforts could not be properly done, because there was no communication. Which is why we need satellite phones in every municipality. If communication lines are down, at least they have a sat phone. For as long as the phone's battery has a charge. Which is why a generator set is also very handy. No need to explain that.

Hopefully, a typhoon that of Yolanda's scale will not hit the country in the near future, in this lifetime. Nonetheless, we should be better prepared. Forced evacuation of residents living by the sea must be dome without fail. Drills must be performed, and warnings stressed.

Otherwise, we might as well be doomed to make the same mistakes, again.