The Great Flood in Manila: Things to Learn

Fr. Joriz Calsa, SDB

The great flood which placed Metro Manila into headline should remind us of a lot of
things in mind. Let me help ourselves be reminded by it (these are just random thoughts
which I jotted down far from my beloved country. My hands are itching to help (hands
on) but hopefully my thoughts can help some realize more tragedies that are just waiting
to happen):

I. For the government (national and local)

1. How many typhoons and tragedies have we experienced? Countless. Yet, in moments
like these, the only thing the government can do is to provide gymnasiums and
classrooms as temporary shelters. But have they not procured trucks to transport? Rubber
boats? Tents? Portalets (just imagine a big gym with thousands of evacuees and having
one or two comfort rooms)? Public address system in shelters? Automatic deployment of
medical staff? And how many amphibian trucks we have in the navy, although we know
we needed it being visited regularly by twenty typhoons a year (2 or 3)? And by the way,
a good judge has taught a practical lesson for people in rescue operation – Jet Ski is not
only for leisure but also for saving lives.

(If all those decorative posts the government bought for the ASEAN which costs 300,00 a
piece [at least that’s the amount I recalled published in the newspaper] were used to buy
these things, I guess we have a lot of things to be of use for emergency cases. And the
saddest thing is, no one has yet been legally punished.)

2. It is time to invest on procuring/ buying these necessary things. Mother Nature has
taught us, that starting with Ondoy we better be prepared. Though the government cannot
stop Global Warming they can always save the lives of their fellow Filipino by really
putting a system that works like when there’s typhoon system “A” should be
implemented. When there’s earthquake system “B”, etc. (Like where to place people,
where to call, general info on what to do, street markers for emergency, etc). Aside from
that, let the government improve its drainage/canal system or place permanent pumps to
places that are always flooded; actually, even in ordinary rains, there are flooded streets
in Manila. That is why let us not be surprised by what we saw happened over the past
weekend.

3. It is also high time to train people working in the department of NDCC, the police,
military and whatever group is involved to manage the mass of people is such a scenario.
Filipinos have a strong Bayanihan spirit, but in moments of danger we tend to go to the
extreme of kanya-kanya (of course we cannot blame the mass of people because of the
survival mode that they are in.).

II. For the Church (all organized religion and sect)

4. People are gathering to your churches or worship hall every week, and they do listen to
your blessed preaching (hopefully). Scriptures or any Holy Book is not just about living
spiritual lives, but a life in the spirit which calls us for action. The call of Mother
Nature is to take care of our surrounding. Global warming can be associated with care of
the environment and the churches in the Philippines have a great deal of educating their
flocks every week. This is not just to make an activity such as tree planting while people
don’t know how to dispose of their garbage. This is not just an activity of clean and green
for a day and the day after we continue to abuse by wasting lots of water, excess use of
plastic and paper, and many others. The education that I am referring here is a system of
life, that is, we need to do it day by day, 24/7.

5. Filipinos should instill a “clean living” in all aspect of the word; clean in body and
spirit, clean in the surroundings, clean relationships, clean political actions, clean/clear
consciences.

6. Look at all the garbage that went back to our streets. Those were not wastes coming
from Mother Nature but from supposed to be organized and civilized people. We cause
these tragedies to happen in the strictest sense possible.

7. Look at all the relief goods that were distributed, does it really need a printed name
on it coming from so and so, and from big organizations such as so and so? Simple
people may not see it but is that a clean practice? Nakayanan pang mamolitko ng iba,
mag promote ng kanilang programa, or to advertise their good deed.

III. A Challenge for the Youth

8. Young people who have experienced this great flood should, as they go back to school
and universities, be helped to do analysis or help make projects that can be of great use
for the country and not for foreign clients. Example in engineering classes let them
think of how to fortify sea or river walls that do not easily collapse. Or students’ project
designs that can truly be environmentally safe and can be benefitted by the country. For
computer enthusiasts, to help design weather programs that can be linked with other first
world technology. We don’t need to launch a separate satellite but I guess can link with
existing ones.

9. I guess we have all it takes to have a safe place to live yet we are not utilizing the
resources that are at hand in our fullest capacity. After the flood, money and goods and
good hearts are pouring in to help the unfortunate and this is a good sign of hope. Yet I
guess we can still be more organized, more prepared and especially for the government,
more honest in helping the country.