A Year After Ondoy: Is the Country Prepared?

Tomorrow (September 25) the nation will look back to the calamity that the struck exactly a year ago. This calamity is caused by Typhoon Ondoy that woke up the Filipino people, especially those living in the havens of gated subdivisions, that they are not safe from the wrath of Mother Nature.

Typhoon Ondoy caused heavy damage in Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces. Flash floods destroyed properties that are estimated to cost millions of pesos, killed many people, and disrupted the normal life of Filipinos for weeks. The calamity is also the time when many became heroes. From those who saved countless of drowning people up to those who give their time and donations for those who were badly hit by the calamity. It is also the time when the government realized that it is totally ill prepared for large-scale calamities.

Now people are still reeling from the effects of Typhoon Ondoy. Real properties in Provident Villege in Marikina City is ignored by buyers even if it being sold at very low prices. The fear of flash floods is still in the mind of the people that many of them developed phobias whenever it rain heavily.

In the news, people and city governments are showing there rubber boats and rescue equipments. Citizens of Barangay Nangka in Marikina City, for instance showcased their rubber boats and improvised flotation devices. Marikina City government also showed their rescue equipments on TV and said that the city is well-prepared for another Ondoy-like calamity.

Preparing rubber boats and other equipments for search and rescue operations is commendable but it is not enough measure to lessen the effect of flash floods. Rubber boats and search and rescue equipments can only be used during the calamity.

What is lacking is the activities that will prevent flash floods and Metro Manila and the nearby provinces. The national and local governments are not undertaking serious methods to clear the drainage systems and to dredge the waterways. The dredging of Pasig River was just a “ningas cogon” activity and was stopped after the Aquino Administration took over. Comprehensive land use and development plans are also being ignored by local officials because they do not have much political will to do so.

A year after Ondoy struck the country, it could still be said that the Filipino people are still ill-prepared and the government will still be caught useless if another flash flood occurs. Real preparedness is needed and no amount of rubber boats could satisfy that necessity.

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This is an opinion piece regarding the country’s preparedness for great calamities such as flash flood. What do you think? Is the country still unprepared for major calamities or you disagree with my views. Let’s talk about it by leaving a comment.