Who would have thought that learning ABC is not as easy as A-P-P-L-E, B-O-Y, C-A-R and so on. Have you experienced the turmoil of “Pepeng”? Who would ever forget the sight that Filipinos witnessed upon seeing the aftermath of “Ondoy”? Did you feel fear and/or hope upon hearing President Aquino’s statement on preparations for super typhoon “Megi”? They say that we don’t wake up until we get slapped in the face. Well, with typhoons visiting our country one-by-one, we, as a nation, get slapped in the face. We should stay awake and on guard whenever a typhoon is coming. These were the thoughts that were running in my mind -- as I watched the midnight news-- when my niece exclaimed, “Tita, Disney Channel na lang panoorin natin. Pauulit ulit lang naman yung palabas. Laging flood. Laging madaming tao.”
What was seen on screen at that time is the effect of typhoon “Egay” in Cotabato City and the spread of diseases in the evacuation areas due to lack of medical personnel. Typhoons and climate change – it’s almost impossible to pick up a magazine, a newspaper, or any print media without seeing at least one article on that topic. That remark from my niece made me ask myself, are we really prepared when disaster strikes? Have we learned the lessons of the typhoons that continuously and repeatedly enter the country?
Upon hearing the news, I identified the different gaps and the lessons learned from typhoons. One may agree that indeed, there is still a delay on the response operations and relief assistance of our local government units. There is also a delay on warnings and announcements such as suspension of classes or advisory about some flooded areas. There is a lack of awareness and advocacy and lack in action plans. In what typhoon alphabet will this problem be solved? I think only time can tell.
On the other hand, these are not the root problems. I think what should be resolved first is the problem with us individuals. Why? Because we tend to depend on the national government. We point our fingers to the authorities whenever we experience the typhoon’s wrath. I realized that during natural disasters, especially typhoons, we must instill in our minds that ‘we are on our own’. We are given the information and updates. That is why preparation and action must start from us. Then we can extend our help to our communities. Eventually, the problems during typhoon will not be such a major issue anymore. And one must never forget, natural disasters are mostly an effect of man’s destructive impacts. If you know what I mean.
Now, let’s learn our ABC’s. Typhoons 2011 – A-Ameng, B-Bebeng, C-Chedeng, D-Dodong, E-Egay. Are you prepared for F?
One thing I learned from the area I’m working with – “When you hear the thunder, it’s too late to build an ark”.
