As The Prophet, said, “Suffering is in the grand scheme of things. It is meant to teach a lesson. Sometimes it takes a lot of repeating until the lesson is learned. Both good and bad people reap the benefits of the sunshine. Both good and bad people receive rain for their crops. Chaos and disaster befalls both the good and the bad. The difference in the aftermath of tragedy is the lesson learned or not learned.”
Now that finally, relief efforts in places devastated by typhoon Yolanda seems to be moving , it’s time to use lessons learned to improve our capability to cope with natural disasters.
Rep. Ashley Acedillo of the Magdalo group, posted this in his Facebook page last week:
“In the short term, we’re trying to coordinate both concrete actions in our own capacity to respond as well as steer national decision-making in the right direction as to the proper response. After that, and once the emergency has passed, our Oversight Committee on Disaster and Risk Reduction plans to convene immediately and assess government response in a no-holds barred session.
“Finally, long term, we need to pass a law to make permanent a Cabinet-level department solely dedicated to disaster and crisis management – and not a Council like the one we have now supervising similar ad hoc disaster response offices – which are clearly ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of being in a country third-most prone to calamities compared to the rest of the world.”
Acedillo said Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, he and with another Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano agreed to push for a dedicated disaster management agency.
In fact they had filed last July House Bill 00969, establishing the Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
Trillanes also filed a similar bill in the Senate (SB 819).
EMA would replace the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council . Trillanes said EMA would be a better set-up for a crisis/disaster situation than the NDRRMC, which is a council in nature. It would also be the disbursing agency of the calamity funds so it would have its own resources as opposed to getting a small share from the defense budget.”
Some of the powers and functions of EMA as stated in the bill:
1. Formulate policies on emergency and disaster response and management and develop a comprehensive national Emergency and Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Plan.
2. Advise the President on the status of emergency and disaster response, recovery. Mitigation, risk reduction, prevention and preparedness efforts being undertaken by concerned government and private entities.
3. Recommend to the President the declaration of State of Calamity in areas extensively damaged and submit proposals to establish normalcy in the affected areas.
4. Ensure that all emergency and disaster preparedness and mitigation activities such as training, public information and other programs/projects requiring regional and international support shall be carried out in accordance with duly established national policies.
5. Foster and facilitate the participation of non-government agencies in measures taken by the government for emergency and disaster-related concerns.
After Yolanda, this should be a priority bill.
NDRRMC or ERA or whatever organization is set up does not matter much if their heads are not smart enough to not only manage emergencies but also prevent disasters. A smart leader, knowing a monster typhoon and storm surge are on the way (1) would not have pre-positioned relief resources (food, manpower, equipment) inside the projected disaster areas where they can be easily damaged/destroyed, (2) would have pre-positioned these resources near (not inside) the disaster areas from where they can be easily deployed, (3) would have already, a day before the monster storm hits, put the military on standby for rescue efforts, and (4) would have taken charge of the forced evacuation of communities at risk due to the projected record-breaking winds and storm surge, among other things.
Yes, hindsight is 20/20 but the U.S. has done these preventive measures (so there are existing models our leaders could have learned from). The U.S. government actually declares states of emergencies even before a powerful storm hits. Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay (I am not a supporter nor even from Albay), has said that he ordered thousands of sacks of rice and dozens of trucks 3 days before Yolanda hit. So it’s not an acceptable excuse when our leaders say that the relief is slow because they were taken by surprise by the effects of Yolanda. The whole world knew what was coming; all that Yolanda did was projected by PAGASA; at least 1 province was able to prepare for Yolanda’s effects to her neighbors. It seems the relief was slow because our leaders, not the organization, are the wrong ones for disaster situations.
Idea is good but the government is just too big too much bureacazy… Now another cabinet secretary… Another bossing na naman! Bili na lang ninyo ng portable water filtration system, energy bars, can goods, build warehouses, bulldozer, trucks, and a decent evacuation center with toilets with running water, generator, medicine at iba pang emergency supplies. Sa daan daan milyon budget probably it’s better to just spend it sa mga emergency supplies mentioned above and let the LGU continue too manage it. Yung iba matitipid ibayad sa mga volunteers!
Can you guys instead find a way by law to be able to fire erring government employees without too much judicial interference? Seems like anyone who wants to clean house from the many government agencies… No one seems to be able to fire them.. Mga tauhang extortionists, smuggler, dilehensyador, magnanakaw, incompetent, etc… Tapos halos yearly ang salary increase nila bukod sa dilehensya! Grrr
Medyo off topic, gusto ko lang i-share ang generosity ng ibang bansa, especially NZ. http://www.tv3.co.nz/CAMPBELL-LIVE-Friday-November-22-2013/tabid/3692/articleID/96562/MCat/2908/Default.aspx
#3 Unfortunately, they’re protected by Civil Service Law. If it’s a political appointee, then they can be replaced anytime.
The long existing problem is the padrino system. The way it is right now, our government officials’ brains were already programmed to be that.
Then the Civil Service Law should be redrawn. It seems that it protects the criminals and incompetent to continue on with their nefarious activities with their political sponsors! Fix fix fix not add to another bureaucratic maze. Let’s keep our congress working! Help our government achieve good governance!!
Agreed, olan #6.
Why not study Netherlands superdike structures that prevent super surge to enter towns? Mas kailangan ng Pinas yan kasi we are 7,000+ islands.
Calling Sen. Sonny and Cong. Ashley, baka pwede ipaaral nyo ang suggestion ko sa inyong staff. Thanks.
Looking back. Delivery of relief after 5 days or more is unacceptable. Relief packs needing thousands of volunteers cause deaths and even more sufferings! The methods applied is not working or efficient enough to meet the peoples needs. This system cause pnoy so much embarrassment!! Dinky means well but it shows incompetence on her part and the DSWD. She needs to go!
Ay naku, kung nagtayo na lang ng kainan ang DSWD na ala halfway house e di sana nakakakain pa ng maayos ang mga biktima. Siguro naman hindi mauubusan ng volunteers na magluto ng lugaw kahit sa loob lang ng two weeks habang nangangapa pa ang mga biktima.
Natuliro sila kasi walang vision kahit isa man lang sa kanila. Hanggang kuyakoy lang, hay!
Ang death toll ng Yolanda 5,000 na. Libo-libo pa ang missing. Aabot nga sa 10,000 ang patay. Bah, tama ang tantya ng police chief na tinanggal ni Noynoy dahil sa ayaw niya marinig ang totoo.
Ngayon, kung umabot nga sa more or less 10,000, buti na humingi ng Ay Em Sori si Noynoyan sa pulis sabay promote. Kasi kung hindi sa numero nya ay hindi ganyan katindi ang suportang natatanggap ng Pinas.
If I can recall, when Hurricane Hazel left devastation in the Province of Ontarion in l954 and caused many casualties in the city of Toronto alone, after the cleanup and recovery, the authorities, local and provincial and federal, called an INQUIRY to conduct the investigation to find the Answers what caused the Floodings, landslides and just about the all that went wrong…and Answers were found…the Conservation Authority was Created, Wetlands are protected, reconstructions of Storm Sewers were done, buildings of Dams to hold the Rain water were completed, reinforcement of river banks were also been taken, Tree planting is still going on…and the preparedness is taken very seriously with Regular Drills.
# 7. superdike?
breakwater nga hindi sila makapag-construct, eh. sayang lang ang pera kung pagpapagawa ng superdike ang iniisip na solusyon.
huwag kalimutan ang mga superdike sa pampanga na ang purpose ay pigilan ang lahar mula noong pumutok ang mt. pinatubo. daming salaping inubos subalit puro substandard ang materyales na ginamit. ganu’n din sa bulacan. hindi pa nangangalahati ang dike na ginagawa ay bungi bungi na ang agad.
problema kasi sa mga contractors natin at mga kinauukulang ahensiya ng gobyerno AY mas iniisip nila ang tongpats at pagkita ng pera KAHIT malagay sa panganib ang karaniwang mamamayan. hangga’t hindi nababago ang ganitong ugali MALABONG maging ligtas ang taong bayan sa panganib na dala ng bagyo at kauring kalamidad.
Agree, before we even think of building Superdick, let’s improve the current ones that easily collapse when there’s flood.
Ang superdikes na yan ay mga bundok na humaharang sa tubig dagat, hindi superdikes na gaya ng sa Pinas na palpak. Kung kayang magtibag ng bundok, siguro naman ay kayang magtayo rin.
#13, sinadya mo ba na ma wrong spelling. kasi vulgar ang dating.
#14. okey nga ‘yan superdike. matibay na proteksiyon, pananggalang sa tsunami o storm surge gayundin sa bugso ng hanging dala ng bagyo pero ang lagay ba naman gagastusan namin ‘yan nang hindi kami kikita?
alalahanin tinanggal na ang pork barrel dahil labag sa saligang batas ‘yun kaya kailangang meron pagkakitaan para sa kapritso ng aming mga tsitsing sa pagliliwaliw sa ibang bansa. eh, ‘yung pang-casino ko pa?
tsismoso kasi ‘yang butch abad na ‘yan, eh. kesyo may DAF pang nalalaman. hayun, naglabasan tuloy ang mga tinatago.
problema pa rin kahit meron superdike na haharang sa storm surge at tsunami, ang matinding pinanggalingan ng tubig baha ay mula sa kalbong ulo ni noynoy, este panot na mga bundok dahil sa illegal logging na pinasimunuan ni tandang juan mula noong bata pa ang kalaro niyang si matusalem.
aminin natin na ang lahat ng delubyong ating dinadanas ngayon ay bunga ng walang habas na pagkasira ng kalikasan unang una ang illegal logging at irresponsible wide scale mining at tinatampukan din ng kawalang disiplinang pagtatapon kahit saan ng mga basura lalo ‘yung mga illegal settlers na sumasakop sa mga ilog, sapa at estero.
tigilan na sana ‘yang katigasan ng mga ulo at isipin na sa pag-aalburoto ng kalikasan ay nakakaramay ang mga walang hinahangad kundi mapanatiling ligtas ang kapaligiran hindi lang para sa mga nabubuhay sa kasalukuyan kundi para na rin sa susunod na salinlahi.