While we were preoccupied with speculating on the fortunes of the political personalities who filed their certificates of candidacy this week, a typhoon brewed over the Pacific. Typhoon “Lando,” with international name Koppu, threatens Northern and Central Luzon and even the island’s southern provinces as it is expected to make landfall this weekend over either Isabela or Aurora.
The weather bureau has warned local government units and residents of vulnerable areas that the slow-moving typhoon may bring life-threatening storm surges, flash floods and landslides from heavy rainfall.
The Office of Civil Defense in the affected regions claims the local units as well as the military and police are already on red alert to ensure zero casualties from the typhoon, even as no preemptive evacuation has yet been carried out as of press time.
Reducing and managing disaster risk should be made an election issue, both for national and local candidates. This is not about gathering rice, noodles and canned goods for distribution to hapless residents in evacuation centers. Not, too, about providing them temporary shelters in the event their homes get damaged by the storm or other disasters.
Too often, the temptation to play the role of magnanimous benefactor is difficult to resist. As is the invitation to use power to make political enemies suffer more than they already have.
Beneficiaries are forced to look upon their officials as saviors without whom they would not survive or recover. As a way of expressing their gratitude, they vote for these officials in the next elections or accept who it is these politicians say should succeed them.
National and local candidates should take the lead in ensuring that their constituents become better armed to protect themselves, their families and their property in the event of disaster. This includes anticipating and mitigating disaster risk by identifying the potential threats.
Building resilience also means taking steps to prepare for a disaster even before anything comes up in the horizon. It means establishing processes and protocols that only need to be followed when disaster strikes.
Finally, it refers to giving residents the means not only to recover, but to build their lives back such that they become stronger and more able than they were before.
As we watch with trepidation how Lando develops in the next few hours, we should also be reminded of the great role that these candidates now vying for our attention play. While governance is a dance between the governors and the governed, it is the leaders who determine whether the people would need help all the time, or are enabled to help themselves.