Talk wastes time
Our weather bureau reported last Wednesday that it spotted a Low Pressure Area east of Mindanao and well within the Philippine Area of Responsibility. The LPA was moving westward and was forecast to hit Davao Province. The weather disturbance would carry scattered thunderstorms not only over Mindanao but also over most of Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) and Region 7 (Central Visayas), but it was expected to dissipate upon landfall (I’m not saying that it was Quiboloy, friend of President Rodrigo Duterte, and religious pastor-turned-anointed-son-of-God, who ordered the LPA’s dissipation). The PAGASA forecast was quite accurate because, true enough, Cebu Province was drenched last Thursday as rain poured from the dawn hours until evening.
While the rain wasn’t that heavy, Metropolitan Cebu saw flashfloods in many areas. Even some areas spared from previous inundations, got their share of murky waters. Some homes were waterlogged. Low-lying schools had their chairs, tables and educational materials soaked by floodwaters. In fact, local television featured an alarming rise of waters in Mananga, Talisay, prompting barangay officials to post men to guard threatened houses. There were other scenes too pitiful to describe. But I have only attempted to write few lamentable details here to achieve some purpose.
My purpose? Just few days before PAGASA sighted the LPA, weathermen underscored the observable fact that in the last quarter of 2019 we experienced fewer rainy days. We weren’t getting our usual volume of rainfall. The undulating waters of our rivers slowed to minor ripples. Some patches of our agricultural fields began to parch as heat soared. Concerned citizens joined the call of experts to conserve water. As weather specialists forecast the coming of a longer dry season, we got worried by the shallowing of the dams in Jaclupan and Buhisan. Then came the rains last Thursday.
Nature is kind to us. The sudden rain that resulted in flashfloods is nature’s way of telling us we aren’t prepared for strong, perhaps, catastrophic amounts of rain. It’s true that PAG-ASA last Wednesday told us to expect rains but since the LPA which trough covered our city was in faraway Mindanao and that it was expected to dissipate upon landfall, our weathermen didn’t warn us we could expect floods. I am taking the alert quite differently as I like to believe that our leaders, those who have the power to move proverbial mountains, have seen how the day-long rain skewed our community.
According to PAG-ASA officials, their weather models indicate that summer will start sometime in March and the hottest will happen in April. Our elected government leaders then have about two months to undertake projects to anticipate the arrival of heavy rains. This is a very short period of time. Let them not talk about politics. Rather they have to undertake projects within this window of time to clear our rivers of anything and everything impeding the water flow. More than collecting garbage --my goodness-- there are houses built on the riverbanks, well within the legal easements. To help prevent floods, government has to remove these structures. Our leaders are aware that our riverbeds have, over the years, been heavily silted. They have few months to remove these alluvial deposits.
In fine, I am talking of the need for our leaders to possess more of political will than booming rhetoric. Propaganda is unnecessary. They cannot even make priorities. All kindred projects are equally urgent. Talk wastes time. In any case, action is the clarion call of present days. Not a day should be wasted. As shown by Thursday’s flashfloods, more serious damage can occur from rains heavier and stronger than last Thursday’s scattered thunderstorms. That warning signal the other day is dangerous to ignore. Certainly our leaders can take a cue.
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