TYPHOONS regularly hit the Philippines. But we have gotten used to that. So much so that we thought Yolanda would just be like past typhoons. Today, we still collectively recall the destruction and the crises Yolanda caused.
Government has not really gotten its act together. P-Noy appointed Ping Lacson as rehab czar but did not empower his office to whip everybody in line. In fairness to Secretary Mar Roxas, government response in subsequent typhoons was way better than the crisis right after the shock of Yolanda. But with 2016 as election year and Roxas as the administration standard-bearer, critics have been successful in putting the spotlight on Nov. 8, 2013.
At the local level, the spotlight is on Mayor Mike Rama who got himself entangled in the controversial P20,000 calamity aid/Christmas bonus last December 2013. The mayor cannot anymore defend himself by saying no City Hall money went to Rama compound.
The mayor told a press conference he used his P20,000 calamity aid to pay his electric bills.
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Two previous typhoons immediately came to mind when I thought about people marking the anniversary of Yolanda.
The avocado tree that I used to climb when I spent childhood summer vacations at my grandparent’s place fell down at the height of typhoon Nitang. The huge, old tree dropped on the old house at what used to be Tailorville on top of a hill behind the Apo Cement Corp. The incident during the later dictatorship years prompted my late Lolo Marcus and Lola Tinay to transfer to a house and lot in Cogon-Pardo, Cebu City. I cried when I lost that happy childhood sanctuary.
But there’s another thing about typhoon Nitang. I was holed up inside an apartment across the urban poor community called BRUPA in Sambag 2 and watched how the strong winds pulled out roofs and toyed with these that morning. But what amazed me was the scene immediately when the winds slowed down a bit. People spontaneously emerged to repair the roofs. Typhoon NItang failed to dampen the spirits of Cebuanos.
Of course, who can forget typhoon Ruping? Early that morning, I found several media men covering the typhoon at the Dunkin Donuts at Fuente Osmeña. That’s where I met fellow Newstime Daily staffers Jethro Dionisio and Merpu Roa and we decided to be the first journalists to take photos of what we later knew as Sanko Elegance, the Japanese ship that damaged the Mactan-Mandaue bridge.
The destruction wrought by Ruping was worse. But Cebuanos united and stood. I was not exactly a supporter of then governor Lito Osmeña and mayor Tommy Osmeña. But they became the rallying figures of Cebu rising to overcome adversity and getting ahead.
Cebu did not lament the lack of aid from Manila like our present local leaders who immediately cry politics. In the Ruping aftermath, Cebu moved on our own initiative.
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Cebu is special, said Liberal Party vice presidential bet Leni Robreo during her visit last week. Cebu was the last place her late husband Jesse visited before his untimely death.
Last Thursday, Leni was invited to speak in two forums at the University of San Carlos (USC). The first was a civil society dialogue at the USC Law AVR and a lecture on Legal Advocacy at the USC quadrangle. She later met a group of bloggers and journalists.
Asked about the laglag bala issue, Leni said the suspension of airport personnel is a step towards winning public trust.
Having spent most of her professional life with NGOs, I was not surprised that Leni talked about empowerment programs she helped institutionalize in Naga City. These are programs that contrast with the patronage kind pursued by traditional politicians. Thus, there are no issues about demolitions without relocation in Naga because the urban poor are empowered to plan housing projects with government. As much as possible, housing projects are onsite developments.
I can’t help but reflect on the spate of demolitions here in Cebu City. I was wrong in believing the “tul-iron ang hiwi” promise in 2013.
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Are the corruption cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against both administration and opposition officials political? Opposition spokesmen are quick to dismiss the cases as an LP strategy. But why are major LP candidates also charged?
(@anol_cebu in Twitter)