Home > Op-ed | To bottom

When shall we prepare?

Typhoon Florita hit Northern Luzon on Wednesday. While PAGASA’s typhoon signal was below number 3, Florita’s strong winds and torrential rains wrought destruction throughout its path especially in Baguio claiming property and life that our local government had to declare the city a “calamity area”. Not so long ago around this same time, Baguio was also a calamity area as one of the strongest earthquakes in history hit and has claimed or maimed at least one member of almost every Baguio family.

Specialists and scientists have made studies that have made some scientific conclusions and established facts and data on the geological and environmental nature of Baguio City and of its general vicinity. The region where Baguio is, is considered a disaster prone area. Some areas are identified as being along fault lines. Its mountainous nature makes it prone for various types of natural disaster, especially landslides.

Surely from these experiences and facts of nature there must have been a lot of lessons drawn that would continue to save and preserve lives and keep Baguio people safe and secure in their City. Have these lessons been translated into government services, rules and policies that will keep us (the city populace) secure, productive and confident in our City and its leadership?

The wrath of not so strong typhoon uncovered un-readiness of government to deal with calamities. In the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) drill last month showed that the city government is not yet capable or prepared for another disaster the magnitude of the 1990 earthquake. The government agencies responsible have not done their homework.

Formulate and institute policies like appropriate zoning and environment friendly programs. Along with this, consistently combat and stop corruption and patronage politics in government from reducing these programs to mere dreams.

The Cordillera region, where Baguio is, all its provinces considered by the DENR-MGB as among the 10 most landslide prone areas, along with Southern Leyte, Nueva Vizcaya, Marinduque, Cebu and Catanduanes.

Excessive logging causes the destruction of the natural vegetation that hold (and refurbish) the soil of the mountains and prevent sudden or massive ground slips. Massive extractive diggings and ground movements like that of bulk or open-pit mining destroys the foundations of the mountains. So does over-building structures on top the fragile and porous limestone foundations under the City can cause cave-ins.

While there will always be natural calamities, disasters can be prevented, mitigated or well-managed if the whole community, both populace and government, are prepared. Shouldn’t our local officials take lead as is expected of them? #

Post your comments, reactions to this article

Home > Op-ed | Back to top