WHY do moments of selflessness become massively evident only in times of disasters?
In the face of crisis and disasters, we see the Filipino bayanihan spirit very much alive. The 1976 Mindanao earthquake and the 1990 Luzon earthquake, the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, the landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon, Leyte in 2006, Super Typhoons Yolanda in 2013 and Odette in 2021, just to name a few, brought massive destruction and death, and yet, it is during these times of crisis that we see people establishing deep social connections to alleviate the plight of victims.
We need to examine ourselves if, indeed, the best way to bring out the best in ourselves is by trying to help others survive after each disaster; or would it not be more practical and reasonable to approach today’s risks with concrete measures that diminish our vulnerabilities?
American author Arnold Glasow once said, “One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.”
This month we mark the first year anniversary of Odette. Have we learned it’s lesson to manage the risks so that when natural hazards strike, these would not turn into disasters?
Disasters as an enemy are becoming more enigmatic and formidable. These disasters should make the government realize that it is no longer “business as usual.” The shift from reactive to proactive stance in dealing with natural hazards is a must.
Our action should enable us to revisit and rethink our current frameworks and strategies for socio-economic development. For through the centuries, our development approaches and practices have allowed disaster vulnerabilities to grow, to spread and to pervade until today.
Poverty, environmental degradation, rapid urbanization, and climate change, have all conspired to create enormous risks in our communities. They have constantly challenged our human capacity to cope. This must cease.
Resilience is said to be one of the remarkable strengths of our citizens, but what is our understanding of “resilience”? Is it limited to our ability to cope amid a devastating tragedy? Is it relevant only to the way we rebuild our communities after each disaster?
We have to make our communities safer, more resilient, and even more ready. The task of “building better” starts not after each disaster, but long before calamities strike.
We have laws to build resilience, such as the Climate Change Law of 2009, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, and the People’s Survival Fund Law of 2012, among others.
But these policies are mere ink on paper unless we turn them into actual programs and actions that will effectively reduce disaster risks.
Closest to the people, local government leaders have the privilege to translate national policies, plans and programs into concrete and visible actions for the people. But they need support from the national government.
Committing to make cities and municipalities disaster-resilient means increasing our investments in disaster risk reduction; conducting and sharing risk assessments; establishing multi-hazard early warning system and services, which should communicate to the general public risk and impact forecast of natural hazards; protecting our ecosystems; mangrove reforestation; building roadside ditches and seawalls; putting up rainwater harvesters, seedbanks, and rooftop gardens; using indigenous knowledge on disaster resilience; and undertaking regular drills for disaster preparedness.
Disaster risk reduction essentially means genuine development—development that is sustainable and economic growth that is resilient.
