Philippines - Tropical depressions

TWO Septembers ago, two typhoons that hit Luzon within two weeks so devastated large parts of Luzon that their ripple effects on the economy and people’s lives were expected to be felt until this year.

The official death toll from Ondoy and Pepeng hit 956 persons, with 84 missing and over 700 hurt. About 9.3 million persons lost their homes, household valuables or livelihoods. Families lost an estimated P50.3 billion in income because of the back-to-back disasters. Overall, the damage was equal to about three percent of our gross domestic product that year.

Photos of the storm surge that sent waves crashing over Roxas Blvd. in Manila yesterday brought back the haunting images in Ondoy and Pepeng’s wake.

It will take days to measure the toll exacted by Pedring, which hit many of the same areas in the two previous storms’ paths. But many lessons learned after Ondoy and Pepeng remain useful—especially as some of them apparently have not made the leap from page to street.

The finance department commissioned in 2009 a post-disaster needs assessment, and the report that resulted from it outlined several recommendations. Of course, our priority now should be to see how we can assist in the relief and rehabilitation efforts after Pedring. But soon after, we need to take a good look at how well-prepared our communities are to weather similar disasters.

One of the most urgent errands is also the most politically difficult: relocating informal settlements from the most vulnerable areas, like floodplains and riverbanks.

“The needs for financing are large, but the cost of doing nothing would be larger still,” the assessment report said. The more frequently floods hit areas like Metro Manila or Metro Cebu, the greater the strain our limited drainage systems must bear.

Siltation, poor collection of garbage, and lack of regular maintenance create a vicious cycle, until floods become a given every time it rains.

No one wishes for calamities to hit us regularly, yet, as communities, we must prepare as if they will.

The most important response to calamities isn’t the release of calamity funds. It’s in everyday prevention. “Preventing such impacts in the future requires attention to the governance of Filipino development in areas such as land use planning, housing, water management, environment protection, and disaster risk mitigation,” the assessment said.

Let’s count ourselves blessed to have been spared by Pedring’s gusts and surges. But more than that, let’s do what we can to make sure its lessons are learned, before it is too late.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper

Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.