May the Naga landslide be the last

A tragedy of unimaginable horror just unfolded before our eyes. On the very day I wrote in this column suggesting to our leaders to prepare for environmental cataclysms, an estimated 80 hectares of earth moved and buried victims in numbers still to be determined. The massive landslide that happened in Naga City should shake enough our leaders out of their complacency and they should rush to craft relevant action plans.

I am no expert on environmental issues because the only thing I do near to helping Mother Earth is to plant trees in my Barangay Paril lot. But experts I consulted before planting trees, among them Raul Pasoc of the DENR, told me some trees have roots that grow to the bowels of the earth. The direction of their growth is opposite to the upward growth of their trunk. When I saw the terrifying footage of the landslide I remembered this little learning. (By the way, I would like to thank the guy who had the mental alertness to record the scene). What if the mountains were not bald and trees with deep roots were grown? Could the tragedy have been avoided?

I like to think our officials will be more prepared in the future than just searching for those whose ineptness led to tragedy. To me, preventing coming environmental catastrophes is a call more important than hanging officials guilty of some maladministration. It is a fruitful idea to find ways to avoid future landslides than blame irresponsible officers. Addressing the selfish acts of corporations ravaging our lands in search of minerals is the needed initial step. Government leaders should be firm in enforcing relevant laws to temper corporate greed.

Amidst the collective sorrow we have as we mourn those buried by the avalanche, let our responsible leaders rise from our grief and take a bold positive stride. Now is a good time for officials of Naga, Cebu Province, Cemex, and the power company in Colon, Naga City, to sit down and draw plans to resettle many families.

There are those affected by the landslide, their neighbors who were luckily spared from falling boulders, the hundreds of employees of the power company, and other government workers without homes left. Officials from the city and the province can influence the leaders of these private companies to relocate people at the Balili property. Not only they can end the controversy, they can give a tidy end to all accusations of corruption.

Let me go back to the video footage. The baldness of the mountain stood out. This could be a factor in the landslide. The cracks reportedly observed few days before the incident could not have occurred had there been vegetation. Thus, it may not be entirely a bad idea to consider greening the area. If my friends are right, I suggest planting Mabolo trees there. The lesson I learned is that the roots of Mabolo trees do not grow along the surface. Rather they plunge directly down through the soil.

In my simple mind, there are at least two items our leaders have to be busy about. Resettling a good part of our population being the first and the second is reforestation. These are not very difficult to do but they require relentlessness. I submit that when they put their hearts and minds to these concerns, the death of the victims will have served a purpose.