“Perhaps the reason why the Philippines is a laggard in Asia is that we have too much politics and elections every three years”
Once again, with the successive earthquakes at Sarangani and nearby areas in Southern Mindanao, including Davao City, at a magnitude of 7.2 and in Eastern Samar with a magnitude of 5.2, I am reminded of my long advocacy for the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), to replace the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), an ad hoc body under the Civil Defense Office, which goes into action only when disaster or calamity occurs.
For a country like the Philippines, prone to disasters and calamities, not only to earthquakes, but to floods, storm surges, volcanic eruptions and landslides, it’s unfortunate that we don’t have a DDR, a permanent body dedicated to and focused on preparedness, and, more important, on aid and relief of victims.
Knowing the Philippines is within the “Ring of Fire,” with so many active volcanoes and earthquake faults, it’s sad to note we do not have a DDR.
For this reason I must commend Senator Bong Go for pushing hard for the creation of a DDR.
And once again, Go is calling for the creation of a DDR following the two successive earthquakes.
The casualties and damage to infrastructure may not be as big as when calamities and disasters hit highly urbanized regions and cities, but just the same, each life is precious. .
Can you imagine if the “Big One,” an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 (I hope and pray it will not happen) were to hit Metro Manila?
It would be cataclysmic.
As they say, the collapse of buildings could result in the immediate death of 34,000 and, following successive fires, 29,000.
No one can predict earthquakes but, Santa Banana, there’s no substitute for preparedness.
This is where the need for a DDR is urgent and imperative, aware of the frequency of floods and earthquakes!
As for Metro Manila and the National Capital Region, don’t forget that the area lies at the West Valley Fault.
The need for a DDR cannot be overemphasized, as it can focus and dedicate itself in strategizing preparedness, especially on the recurrence of floods and storm surges and in particular, landslides.
I am not talking of loss of lives, but of infrastructure, livelihood and the need for aid.
Often they come late and worse, communication lines and power lines are cut off after a calamity or disaster.
It is here where we need a permanent body focused and dedicated to studies on preparedness.
Why Vietnam is ahead
A friend who just arrived from Vietnam showed me photos of Ho Chi Minh City with all its skyscrapers and modern centers.
“Emil,” my friend said, Vietnam is now way ahead of the Philippines in development.
I was in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the 60s, and it was still suffering from the effects of war.
My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Continental, a landmark hotel built in 1880, where we slept on an antique bed, and took a shower in an antique bathtub,
Santa Banana, the only modern thing at that time was a floating hotel.
Saigon was a shopper’s paradise for antiquities.
Would you believe you couldn’t cross the street until there was a red sign because of the sheer number of motorcycles on the streets. It was said that at the time, there were more motorcycles than people in Vietnam.
When I asked my friend why Vietnam is so way ahead of the Philippines, he smiled and said: “The Vietnamese are just pretending to be communists.
“But frankly, the reason why Vietnam is way ahead of the Philippines is that they don’t have politics since they have no elections, and the ruling party is just one.
“Another reason is that its economy is open, having no restrictions.”
I said to myself, perhaps the reason why the Philippines is a laggard in Asia is that we have too much politics and elections every three years.