Disasters Big and Small

The Philippines, though well-blessed, is prone to disasters. At least 24 to 26 typhoons batter us each year. From time to time, earthquakes shake our grounds, sometimes toppling defective buildings and raising the tempers of our seas to tsunami proportions. Volcanoes also throw up hot lava, forcing farming folk and their families to evacuate to safer grounds.

All these natural disasters are beyond our control. But we can learn to cope with and prepare for them. The Tinggians of upper Abra during summer, for example, stock on food and other basic items, which they have to buy from the central capital of Bangued. So during the monsoon and typhoon season, the Tinggians won’t starve and are safe and sound in their upland homes. They don’t have to go to Bangued for their basic survival needs because it is too dangerous to cross the swollen and raging Abra River.

The same is true with the Ivatans of the Batanes group of islands in northern Philippines where they are often literally at the eyes of storms. They have built their homes in such a way that these could withstand the rage of typhoons and cyclones.

On earthquakes, we have a lot of coping and learning to do. We have yet to learn from the Japanese whose earthquake preparedness has become part of their everyday lives. The Japanese are also consciously and continuously upgrading their science and technology in finding ways to help detect when the earth’s tectonic plates shake.

Volcanic eruptions are also part of the natural calamities that we have to live with. When volcanoes throw tantrums, all we need are systematic rescue, relief and evacuation programs that can help lessen the suffering of our affected brothers and sisters.

Given the proper support and foresight from concerned agencies, not to mention the innovations and initiatives of our own people, natural disasters need not inflict too much pain and suffering.

BUT there’s something much worse than natural disasters. These are the ones people create either through their sins of omission or commission.

The oil spill off the shores of Guimaras is one example. The finger of blame now points to the captain of the oil tanker, whom his employer said made the wrong decision to proceed to Zamboanga despite a storm. There might be other people to blame for the disaster, which has threatened the livelihood and ecosystems of coastal folk in Western Visayas. Clearly, the adverse impact of the massive oil spill is much worse than natural disasters. Although nobody was reported killed so far, the immediate and long-term impact of the oil spill on the whole marine ecosystems in central Philippines has killed the sources of livelihood of the people there. When livelihood sources are killed, people starve to death.

Also more painful than natural disasters are the continuing political killings, which have left widows and orphans. We thought we have learned our lessons from the pains and abuses under the reign of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. But the disaster that was martial law is resurrecting into Marcosian proportions under a lady president whose heart, as a woman, should have love and compassion. As a woman president, she should be a mother to all peoples of all creeds and beliefs in this supposedly democratic country. In fact, at one point, Ms Arroyo’s spokespersons tried to project her image as Ina ng Bayan (Mother of the Nation). But we don’t see a loving and compassionate heart. What we see is an iron-fist, which is generally perceived as belonging only to stone-hearted male tyrants.

From a larger picture, the political killings are related to the continuing rebellion and its roots, which have yet to be uprooted. But political killings cannot uproot the roots of rebellion such as the centuries-old question why only a few hold the political and economic power in this country. Political killings only add gasoline to an already raging fire. Political killings only force many sons and daughters to go underground and take up arms.

Since they are mainly concerned about maintaining their political and economic power, the few elites of this country do everything at their disposal to maintain and hold on to that power. Rigging elections and bribery have become part of the rules of the power game. These, in turn, have led to still unresolved questions of legitimacy and to crisis in governance. This is the bigger disaster, much bigger than super typhoon Florita and the eruptions in Mount Mayon.