The victims or their recovered bodies (or whatever were left of them) would somehow get buried. Those who got missing or never retrieved would be remembered through wakes and prayers. Their families or relatives would grieve and, if fortunate enough, receive relief goods from government agencies and private entities. And, of course, not to be outdone would be the politicians who had the gall to have their names tagged on these “dole-outs” as if it was not the taxpayers’ money they were using - or abusing.

        And after the relief-goods giving, then what?

        “Life must move on”? Just like that?

        How about doing something to ensure more effective ways to detect or cushion the impact of forthcoming disasters? How about seeing to it that the laws such as those against illegal logging or indiscriminate deforestation or even irresponsible garbage disposal are enforced to the letter, regardless of whoever gets hurt? How about dwelling not only on the rehabilitation side of each tragedy but on the accountability issue as well? And, if found guilty of violating environmental laws or committing acts of negligence and incompetence, some heads will have to roll figuratively, if not literally?

        Barely a month ago (Nov. 30, 2006), Typhoon Reming struck and caused untold havoc in the Bicol region, particularly Albay province, where thousands of people were reported to have been killed or buried under tons of mud and rocks believed to have been stored midway down the slopes of Mayon Volcano during its previous “eruptions” (sometime in July this year?). Had it not occurred to people with foresight, if not seismologic mind, that winds and rains unleashed by any “super” typhoon, not to mention some ill-effects of deforestation in that area, could have easily sent those volcanic “excrements” further sliding down the slopes of the volcano, burying villages found across their paths? What had the PHILVOCS or other such government agencies done to keep the “danger zones” off limit to people prior to the landfall of Typhoon Reming? What else have our so-called leaders done apart from press releasing the “release” of billions of calamity funds or their distributing relief goods to beneficiaries, legitimate or otherwise?

        After the misfortune, what?

        Aren’t we going to learn the excruciating lessons of disasters? Or, just would we let “bygones be bygone” and bury along with the victims’ still unrecovered bodies any possibility of official negligence and ineptitude? And “move on”, we should?

        Our country, particularly the Bicol Region, is known to have quite a number of volcanoes, active or dormant, and a series of typhoon “visitors” that can anytime spell disasters of unimaginable proportion. (The Bicol Mail, in its Dec. 21 issue, reported that Mt. Bulusan of Sorsogon, some kilometers away from Mayon Volcano, began to show signs of what could be another eruption. Mt. Asog , located between Iriga City and Buhi, got rumored to have “stirred” from its long dormancy. What next? Would, God forbid, Mt. Isarog possibly “wake up” violently someday? Really who knows? Mt. Pinatubo , dormant for more or less 460 years, erupted catastrophically in June 1991! Remember?) This fact could not have sounded alarming if only we could rely much on the technical resources, capabilities and preparedness of government agencies tasked with dealing with any weather and geological upheavals. The problem is: “lack of funds”. (Reports had it that the government “needs about P5 billion to fully upgrade the monitoring system of the PAGASA, PHILVOCS and NAMRIA”. As if “lack of funds” isn’t a problem enough, “PHILVOCS loses equipment to robbers”, BM, Dec. 21).

        But, why wouldn’t or couldn’t our government allocate sufficient funds and provide modern equipment direly needed by the said government agencies, if only to keep to the minimum the number of casualties and extent of damages during any disaster? And why would or how come their equipment get wasted or lost to “robbers”, big or small-time? Something has to be done here – and fast! Unless our government opts to continue giving priority to less essential programs, like keeping the outrageous pork barrel and perks for public officials and reneging on its mandate to curb extravagance and corruption in high or low places.

        Granting we “lack” resources to pin down more accurately and reliably an impending catastrophe, which indeed can be unpredictable sometimes, how could we then feel safe and secure in our own abode?

        Not that we want to lose faith in what science and man can do in dealing with the schemes of nature. Neither do we want to lay the blame on anybody. That won’t be humane or useful, would it? We only have the right to seek or long for security and peace.

        But then, where in this country can security and peace prevail? In the fertile and productive land near a volcano? Beside a denuded hill or clogged creek? And why would scores of people want to live (and die) in disaster-prone areas?

        “The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind”, as the song goes. In fact, more than that. The answer is being blown down right under our very noses or right in front of our callous faces, with or without any tragedy. And that, my friend, is poverty!

        But nobody seems to have really given a damn to address this long, long known malady. What makes things even worse is that those in power continue to shove our people’s growing misery and hopelessness under the rubbles of official greed, corruption, neglect and treachery.

         And that, my friend, could be more tragic than any tragedy!

MANUEL A. COLLAO
via e-mail