On July 27, 2022, northern Luzon was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, damages of which was estimated to have reached 1.88 billion pesos. Leaving eleven people dead and nearly six hundred injured, the same earthquake left Bantayan Tower ruined, and many other facilities such as hospitals and schools destroyed. Only one year after, typhoon Egay wreaked havoc and left structures and lives unimaginably devastated. The irreversible impacts of Climate Change compels us to constantly re-assess and evaluate the readiness of local governments as well as the inter-agency response strategies of the national government in times of disasters and emergencies.
The damages caused by recent Typhoon Egay and the anticipated blows of Typhoon Falcon expose once more the vulnerability of poor local communities. From typhoon Egay alone, as of this writing, at least thirty people are dead, and estimated damage to infrastructure has already risen to 1.2 Billion pesos. The effects of the intensified habagat due to Egay’s pull in some parts of the country also caused damages to lives, crops and properties.
The importance of disaster preparedness is, sadly, always best understood after countless lives have already been taken and communities already irreparably damaged. While some will argue that disasters and calamities cannot be predicted, this is precisely the point in being prepared. If human science and technology fail to determine exactly when and where catastrophes will strike, the best way to be halfway toward safety is to be informed and prepared.
Preparedness for any calamity requires not only the availability of facilities, equipment, and personnel for response and rescue operations and the provision of supplies for evacuation and relief. Preparedness requires as well a one-step ahead, inter-agency approach which will entail collaborative planning, capacity building, and perhaps resource and information sharing among agencies involved in disaster risk reduction and management. The reality is that catastrophes are beyond our limited human capacity for prediction and control. What is well within our purview is risk reduction. After all, reduction in risk is always parallel to reduction in loss. Planning and policy formulation in disaster management should thus take a closer, deeper look into risk reduction strategies, recalibrating and re-inventing if needed, and engaging all stakeholders in the work of ensuring public safety.
The physical and psychosocial recovery and rehabilitation will definitely be a shared struggle among those who lost their homes, or perhaps even loved ones. The tragic loss of life and resources has deeply wounded the people’s mind and spirit, leaving them scarred for life and haunted by the horrors of these utterly unfortunate events. Apart from our humble offerings of material aid, may we also remember to pray for faith, hope and strength for those who weathered the storm and are trying to rise up again. (Sponsored Content)