Dealing with natural disasters

By Herbert Vego

“THANK God, it’s over,” I told myself on Saturday morning as the sun was rising; and there was no indication that typhoon Kristine was “u-turning”.

But just as I was turning on the TV early yesterday morning (Sunday), the weatherman was talking about another typhoon, Leon, roaring closer to Eastern Luzon, and might also hit Eastern Visayas, Northern Luzon and Western Luzon, including Metro Manila. The rest of Visayas and Mindanao would expect periods of rain.

The forecaster went on to warn about the possibility of Kristine re-entering the Philippine area of responsibility, interacting with Leon on Tuesday.

“Lord,” I prayed in silence, “huwag po. Please stop it.”

The thought of All Saints Day falling on Friday disturbed me, knowing we have relatives coming home from various provinces.

Well, whether we like it or not, the weather will always be beyond our control. But it’s not something to grin and bear willingly. We hate to experience natural disasters – notably typhoons and earthquakes – because they are capable of killing people and destroying goals and material wealth that have taken us a lifetime to achieve.

Let us take comfort, however, in the truism that, no matter how pained and deprived we are, there is no sense in losing hope. As the saying goes, “Where there is life, there is hope.”

To quote an inspirational verse from the Bible, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12

The late Roy Leslie Bennett (16 February 1957 – 17 January 2018), the most famous member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe, is well-known for his words of wisdom in the book The Light in the Heart.

“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control,” he wrote, “shift your energy to what you can create.”

Rising up to the challenge of picking up the broken pieces is what we should aim for after each storm. As the song You’ll Never Walk Alone says, “At the end of a storm, there’s a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of a lark.”

Let us be reminded of the Filipino’s much-vaunted “bayanihan spirit” that has always helped pull us out of the wreckage.

May the scores of nations around the world once again respond with emergency assistance to the victims.  Canada is one of them.

To quote the previous governor-general of Canada, David Johnston, now 83, “It doesn’t matter if your gift is large or small. Or whether you make a cash donation or volunteer with an organization. Or help your neighbor to rebuild a fence. Whatever you give — time, talent or money — you are strengthening our culture of generosity and creating your very own giving moment.”

Sad to ask, whatever happened to the millions of dollars that foreign governments had donated for the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City? Why has the once rich Islamic city remained in shambles?

Could that be a reason why foreign aid has become scarce?

Anyway, may our grueling experiences in natural disasters not weaken, but strengthen, our resolve to rise again.

We have always known since grade school that our country is rich in natural resources which, when fully tapped, would be more than sufficient to solve the poverty problem.

I just remembered my friend Rod from a sleepy barangay in Cabatuan, Iloilo.  Once poor, he is now well-off as a planter/seller of dragon fruit.

Let us not rely on “promising” government officials.  We can do it on our own.

-oOo-

MORE POWER BEGS FOR UNDERSTANDING

MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), the distribution franchisee in Iloilo City, has become hard hit with its power lines disconnected by falling trees, “courtesy” of storm Kristine, rendering its linemen unable to cope with work pressure. But they did respond round-the-clock, braving strong winds and heavy rains to bring back power.

As posted on its Facebook page, MORE Power begged for customers’ understanding:

“These linemen are out in challenging conditions, equipped and mobilized, prioritizing safety as they assess damage and execute repairs. They are committed to restoring service to ensure our communities are safe and connected.”