Rebuilding From Now till 2030

What do you see before you at present?Let us start with what we see where we are now.

Like thousands, a month after , we still see lingering reminders of Odette's  fury: debris still all over, fallen trees, poles, wires, flattened communities, roofless houses, uncollected garbage, and more.

So, so many affected.

Thousands without even the most basic of needs: food, water, shelter, clothing. Hungry, thirsty, homeless, unemployed. Most likely, more hopeless since Odette.

There are also those still waiting for the light, literally. And for communication links. These two, electricity and internet connection are priorities especially for those with work from home,  students and households with migrants, locally and abroad.

When will telecommunication companies complete their restoration and repair? Clients are

frustrated , even angry, that despite no service and repair, from December 17 till now, many telecommunication companies have charged and sent them bills for payment!!!

There are the gripes and complaints but there are also the praise, gratitude and appreciation for life, for whatever blessings have been received so far.

What we see before us we have seen previously when typhoons and other calamities struck our own or other locations, and people and communities  throughout our country and the rest of the world!

The extent and type of damage and destruction, the number of people and communities affected, the speed/slowness/absence of responses- appropriate or not have varied throughout time.

At present, we are confronted with rebuilding beyond Odette.

Unlike previous emergencies, now we have to hurdle as well the urgency to contain Covid and its variants!

Then, there is the May elections to seriously pray for. Will genuine/honest/hardworking public servants win or will traditional politicians continue to govern sans inclusiveness, people's participation and public interests in their personal political agenda?

Will present and future elective officials preserve/promote/protect peace and our territorial resourrces and boundaries?

Then, there is the real threat of global warming which we all need to unite to avert from now till 2030! Otherwise, expect more super storms, more flooding, threatened food/water/resource production and supply,  and more grim scenarios.

Relief is not yet complete- with so many lessons to learn so more affected people and communities can be totally responded to in the most appropriate, sustainable, transparent and inclusive system as possible. Recovery and rebuilding, unfinished, ongoing, uncertain.

Overwheming multiple/simultaneous challenges needing appropriate/comprehensive response. The challenges of the past, before Odette, Covid, 2022 elections and global warming still unresolved, in process, or not?

With united/coordinated/committed faith/hope and action, however, what is before us

may be daunting but not impossible to resolve. We will rise, together, a step at a time.

Can you see how a rapid/thorough and systematic review of previous relief/recovery/reconstruction and rebuilding initiatives can effectively respond to present needs and also present better options for climate action/future disasters/emergencies?

Concretely, that review can check how people/age/gender/pwds-health-eco appropriate the relief goods and relief/recovery/reconstruction and rebuilding systems are, then proceed slowly but more effectively.

Before us are challenges but opportunities as well. Beyond the debris/damage/loss, all can rise and start anew!

So much more can be done together, with faith/hope/prayers, in a coordinated/systematic/transparent/committed manner.