Philippines, Pearl of the Orient Seaby | 02-12-2013 08:29 |
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  The second semester of the academic year 2013-2014 here in the Philippines has just started. With all the calamities that had struck the country, we remain hopeful that everything will be better. In Cebu for example, we experienced the earthquake that left many of Bohol's tourist attractions in ruins. That was the strongest earthquake I ever experienced. Some buildings here in Cebu City felt the wrath and collapsed. Classes were suspended for two weeks since school buildings were checked for occupancy fitness. Safety was and is always the priority.
After the mighty earthquake came one of the strongest cyclones in recorded history. Haiyan (or more popularly known as Yolanda here in the Philippines) flattened Eastern Visayas. Northern Cebu was badly hit. No words can best describe its devastation. You have seen it on television and heard it in radios. Victims had no food, water and shelter. Almost all the houses were gone in Tacloban. My friend in the area texted that their family was safe but their house had no more roof. Many of the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Eastern Visayas had minimal preparation for the storm surge and as a consequence, many of the LGUs were wiped out. Relief operations of the LGUs became dysfunctional and/or non-existent. As the national government started to take control of the relief operation, international sympathy and support was also gaining momentum. Tons of foods, clothes and other goods piled in the relief operation centers for repacking. These calamities taught us lessons and realization. First, we should not underestimate natural phenomenon such as storms. Better be overprepared than underprepared. Second, corruption should not be tolerated in any form especially in building classrooms and other multi-storey structures as strong earthquakes never give warning. Third, mangroves are not only environmental investments but also disaster prevention investments. Residents of General MacArthur, a small Philippine community survived Haiyan/Yolanda thanks to the mangroves that served as natural barrier of the storm surge. (read here) In these dark times, the Filipino resiliency is proving to be stronger than any earthquake and any typhoon. Many have died and many are grieving for the death of their loved ones. But our spirit remains hopeful. We stand firm and we continue to look forward for tomorrow. We will surely rise up from nothing. Hundreds of thousands may no longer have houses and roofs but we know that we still have a home we call as Philippines, Pearl of the Orient Sea. Mabuhay. |
