THE aftermath of the super Typhoon Ompong should not be taken lightly. With its packed winds of 170 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 260 kph, it left most of Luzon particularly the northern parts heavily devastated by the strong airstreams, landslides, and flooding.
Based on initial reports, an estimated number of 100 small-scale miners in Itogon, Benguet were buried in their bunkhouses while Ompong hit hard during the weekend. What is even more saddening to know is that some of the victims are the rescuers who responded to the vicinity. Authorities also reported that a total of 42 landslides occurred in the Cordillera region alone.
While most of us stayed indoors during the onslaught of Ompong, social media did not leave us unaware of the damages. Seeing posts and status updates of what is happening in all parts of the country in real time must have also left us in deep realization that nature once again sends out its calls and that we need to heed to these now.
Surely, it is my first time seeing Baguio City flooded. My common sense struck up and left me wondering why an elevated or mountainous are like Baguio City will be flooded growing up in Pampanga which is easily flooded during these times of the year. Compared with a low lying area such as our province or coastal areas like Aurora, it is very unlikely for such a place far above the ground to suffer from high floods when Ompong swept the country over the weekend.
A 2012 Facebook post by Andy Zapanta, which shows him tied to a tree along Session Road in Baguio, is making rounds this week. In the repost, he explains his protest against the construction of a mall in exchange of 182 pine trees which were sacrificed. With the tragic incidents of landslides and flooding caused by Ompong, his vindication for what he was fighting for and ignored by most people in Baguio City is clearly implied.
Having a few relatives now residing in Baguio City, it felt like a pressing concern for us to call on the authorities to do something about what is happening in the mountainous regions in the north. We can appreciate the gesture of PDU30 for considering the revocation or repeal of the Philippine Mining Act as one of the big steps to prevent similar natural disasters from happening again.
Local government officials and environmentalists can push for stricter construction policies in Baguio City and limit the development of highlands to preserve more forest areas. Advocacies to plant and replace trees as a deterrent for landslides and floods should be escalated and continued. This speaks of a “now or never” moment for Baguio City and the Cordillera Administrative Region. Something needs to be done now. And all I can say is that, Andy Zapanta is definitely right all along.
And lastly, I do hope students will stop praying for no classes when typhoons are set to enter our country.