Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Limlingan: Frank's fury By DP Limlingan The Advocate
FAILING to prepare means preparing to fail. So goes the cliché' that I see most applicable to typhoon-prone tropical countries like the Philippines. What is worth observing is the fact that many people seemed to have acquired one of the powers of a chameleon and that is the adeptness of adapting to one's environment.
The past weekend was literally clouded by dark nimbus clouds packed with torrential rains and characterized by strong winds.
Typhoon "Frank" was on its way. Friday was the departure of the President of the Republic for the United States and prior to her boarding at the airport, she strongly reminded government officials in National Government agencies to be prepared for the worst that "Frank" might bring.
Unfortunately, MV Princess of the Stars likewise departed Manila with the hope of reaching its destination at Cebu Island in tiptop shape carrying less than a thousand passengers and tons of cargo.
Well aware of the rough seas, it went its way negotiating the waters between the islands of the south and the Visayas. As usual, it was overloaded with passengers not listed in the manifesto.
While in transit, the cargo on the belly of the ill-fated ferry seemed to have lost its grip and most of the pack went on the starboard side that eventually caused it to tilt on its side. The captain in a judgment call decisively steered his ship to run ashore but the "unfamiliar terrain" of shallow rocks and corals bored a hole on its hull causing the vessel to instantaneously sunk.
As seen on the news, the Cebu-bound ship was in an upside down position. It's the third in the Sulpicio Lines fleet to have grabbed national headlines in a maritime disaster. PGMA was one of those in quandary as to how could the sunken ship have been cleared to travel amidst the onset of a weather disturbance.
Among other provinces in the Visayas, Iloilo seemed to have been heavily battered by strong winds and heavy rains. In the region, Southern Aurora, Bulacan, Zambales including our province Pampanga, were the worst hit areas by "Frank".
Perennial flash floods to low-lying areas were observed. Clogged esteros and canals were noticed.
For a country lying in the Pacific region, typhoons seemed to be regular and ordinary occurrences except for varying number of fatalities and amount of damages to infras and agriculture. We look as if we have adapted to the natural phenomena like disturbances in our weather system. We were used to pronouncements of typhoon signals from Pagasa as we hear weather bulletins in radios as ordinary as they sound.
Inundations are a regular sight in Metro Manila and in some provinces. Not to be excluded is our province, which is frequently visited by floods.
In the province, "Frank" brought much wind than rains. It is more "windy" rather than "rainy". More savage than a hungry chainsaw, its blazing wind ripped off many of the branches of the acacia trees along the MacArthur Highway. A vehicle was made a casualty when a considerable big size branch fell off, shattering its glass windshield. Its passengers were fortunate not to have suffered any injury.
Some of these acacias, with a number aged around fifty years old, were uprooted. Perhaps planted on loose soil, they lost grip to the land and fell in the middle of the highway causing no damage except minor traffic jams.
These killer acacia trees regularly gain notoriety during periods of inclement weather or even during ordinary but windy days. A couple of deaths and injuries were reported some years ago brought about by fallen branches or uprooted trees.
Trees are one of the protectors of the environment and environmentalists are the protectors of these trees. While they form part of the ecological system that helps nurture Mother Nature, there are instances when trees such as those along the stretch of MacArthur highway are considered nuisances.
"I think I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree". Poet Joyce Kilmer, Senator Loren Legarda and colleague Rox Pena must be the first three to oppose should the said trees be cut to give way to a road-widening project and to minimize vehicular accidents along the busy thoroughfare connecting the City of San Fernando and Angeles City.
In the Provincial Board, a resolution still has to be debated and enacted on the issue whether the said acacia trees will be cut or not to supposedly give way to the government's road widening project. A case of development versus environment.
On Friday, according to weather authorities, another typhoon is expected. Still yet to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, it is projected to be heading the path of Northern Luzon and the bad news is, whether we are prepared or not, it is coming.
A friend from Zambales jokingly told me that some residents in their locality put up signs of "do not enter", as if to prevent the devastation of another typhoon after "Cosme" and "Frank".
No matter how many and how fierce weather disturbances that we may encounter, we are as always, resilient to cope up with any devastation. After a fall comes the rising up of our living. After the rain comes a rainbow.
*****
HAPPY reading to NBI man Christopher "Sir Cris" Pelayo and businessman Tomas "James" Garcia. The two have been avid readers of this column.
