Pep Talk
Set aside politics, help people
September 29, 2009
We must set aside politics and cooperate with each other to help the victims of typhoon Ondoy, one of the most destructive natural disasters to hit our country.
It took Ondoy to expose the government’s failure to anticipate the worst through disaster risk reduction. Even our response is too weak.
Early action should have happened long before Ondoy made a landfall.
Clearly, a pro-active approach, that is adapting to climate change and further actions on disaster risk reduction, is what we need, and not just a reactionary one.
Understanding that what compounded the effects of the heavy downpour is poor drainage system and garbage problem. We must order massive cleaning of esteros and all waterways to reduce our vulnerability to flooding. We must implement the solid waste management law. We must dredge rivers that have become oversilted because of soil erosion brought about by logging.
Let us not place our people, mostly the poor and vulnerable, their homes and industries in high-risk areas, as identified in geo-hazard maps. Plant trees everywhere. Let us not cut down forests and expose our people to risks of landslides.
Community discipline must be instilled. The public must be educated on the impact of climate change, of simple and doable actions such as proper waste disposal and waste segregation.
Many of our actions have been inappropriate and are doomed to failure because they are founded on the traditional notion that economic activities alone matter for development.
We need to rethink our development metivities alone matter for development.
We need to rethink our development measures. We must pursue growth and prosperity by raising the living standards of the people without endangering our environment…There is no more opportune time to take action, on the climate crisis, than now.
