State of calamity

The mad, howling winds last week were the worst I can remember in recent years. Ulysses was a dragon which spewed its fury on everyone in its path.

The morning after, as usual, was quiet. But the devastation, as always, was severe.

Truth is, the Philippines gets an average of 20 typhoons a year and, most of the time, nothing prepares us for the actual impact. Like a heartbreak, nothing ever prepares the mind and the body for the actual damage.

We can only take necessary precautions the best way we can. And yet – and yet – every typhoon season, our authorities end up as just post-disaster reactors. We still lack in massive evacuation efforts, warnings, and emergency preparedness.

The province of Cagayan, for instance, has turned into a vast ocean, practically wiped off the map, swamped by floodwaters as Magat Dam released so much water for the capacity of Rio Grande de Cagayan, the longest and largest river in the country. Clearly, the release of water from the dam was not coordinated well with the communities.

There are at least 20 deaths in Cagayan alone. I’m sure the death toll will rise as more information from the buried region comes in.

Here in Metro Manila, the same village in Marikina nearly wiped out by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 was again submerged in deep, murky waters brought about by heavy rainfall.

Lack of information

There were many factors at play as to why we are now in the middle of this chaos. The disappearance of ABS-CBN on air, for one, kept many residents in affected areas blindsided.

Forget about social media. While many of us were tuned in to our moving walls and timelines, the majority of this country’s population had no access to such platforms. Radio has always been the main source of information, and without ABS-CBN – whose massive infrastructure had provided a nationwide flow of critical information – many did not know what was to happen.

This is a very concrete result of ABS-CBN’s death on air. While there are other news outlets, they were not enough to fill the big void left by ABS-CBN.

Calamity

We are no doubt in a state of calamity, and while LGUs are doing their best to respond to the disasters, their resources are simply not enough. The national government must lead with more urgency. It should seek outside help to assist in massive rescue efforts.

Where’s China when we need help? We allowed them to build the P4.37-billion Chico River Irrigation Pump Project which encompasses the Cagayan Valley region.

Emergency preparedness

Moving forward, the government must step up emergency preparedness efforts, especially pre-disaster measures. Evacuation must be strictly enforced.

Climate emergency

For sure, typhoons and super typhoons will continue to come our way as climate change worsens. Expect tsunamis, too.

The government and the private sector should treat these calamities as part of a bigger climate emergency.

Isn’t it ironic that the most vulnerable sectors are the ones with the least carbon footprint?

The government needs to make big businesses accountable for their carbon emissions and put forward a stricter policy toward reducing such emissions.

Sustainability

Hans Sy, executive chairman of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., said in a recent speech that businesses must, indeed, carry the responsibility of safeguarding the surrounding environment.

“The earth we build on, the air we breathe, the energy and water we use, the very resources that keep us alive compel us to do better for the community and retain the confidence of our stakeholders,” Sy said.

He said his group allots 10 percent of its capital expenditure for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, as well as resource conservation.

SM has been promoting environment-friendly initiatives, he said.

“We implemented waste reduction through segregation and proper disposal among our tenants and, on the whole, in the communities where we are located,” Sy said.

Big businesses, indeed, must continue these measures to conserve resources and reduce carbon emissions.

It cannot be business as usual and the government must see to that. Every company raking in profits must be properly regulated so they do not do these at the expense of our already fragile environment.

But it’s not only businesses. All of us must act on this climate emergency.

I agree with President Duterte that we should treat this climate emergency with the same urgency as COVID-19.

Duterte said Ulysses is a “stark reminder” to urgently address climate change. He is on point and it is very much welcome, coming from the leader of the land. His pronouncement is admirable, and I hope it would be matched with actions.

But I don’t agree with his verbal meanderings and useless lamentations about wanting to swim with typhoon victims; whether it’s meant to entertain or he just does not know what else to say, it’s really useless. It’s no different from his empty promise to take a jet ski to the Spratly Islands to assert our sovereignty.

The last thing typhoon victims need now are empty, populist rhetorics. Those who are still alive need real help and they needed it yesterday.

Iris Gonzales’ email address is [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at eyesgonzales.com