MOTHER NATURE RETURNS WITH VENGEANCE

“People pay for what they do, and still more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply: by the lives they lead.” This passage holds true when Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng recently devastated our country over the weekend by claiming at least 300 lives while dozens are still missing. It has also shattered the homes of hundreds of thousands of families in Luzon and destroyed millions worth of properties in the infrastructure and agriculture sectors, respectively.

But such a catastrophe doesn’t change the seemingly corrupt attitude of some of our kababayans who unscrupulously and selfishly took the event as opportunity to showcase their ill-motivated self-interests in the guise of politicking and finger-pointing as to who should be blame what. People who have been at the midst of danger and whose lives were hanging by a thread brought about by the raging Ondoy and Pepeng are not at all interested about who led the rescue and retrieval operations. All that mattered to them are selfless efforts in giving a hand in times where and when they need help the most.

Unscrupulous sectors of our country castigated the government of their “shortcomings” in disaster management which allegedly raised death tolls, destroyed millions worth of properties and left nearly half a of million families homeless. News bleaks here and there highlighted government’s insufficiencies on supplies and equipment to aid our helpless kababayans. And finger-pointing started to burgeon just as fast as the typhoons razed down our country in less than a day. Isn’t this lack of cooperation as well and trying to dignify their being unconcern?

NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

Militant groups which normally crowded some of the busy streets of metropolis Luzon lambasting the government and bringing issues about the “plight of the masses” magically disappeared when typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng visited the country. Some of the residents which these militant groups represent were dismayed about Bayan Muna and Karapatan’s noticeable absences during search and rescue operations conducted in areas heavily affected by Ondoy.

Instead of appearing during these trying times, Bayan Muna which has three solons in the lower house (with each of them receiving more than P40-million in their Priority Development Assistance annually) disappeared from the scene and left all the hard works to their so-called adversary- our country’s security forces whose personnel risked their own lives to ensure their fellows are saved from mother nature’s wrath. Their heroism was further proven by the death of seven (7) members of our country’s defense force.

The sincerity on leadership and responsibility of these sectoral groups over their so-called constituency remains dubious. Shouldn’t the sitting representatives of Bayan Muna feel a moral obligation to dignify their transparent allocations of people’s funds especially in these trying times? Or should its armed components in the countryside do its worth as “people’s army” by at least sharing even a small portion of their alleged 1-billion peso campaign funds or extorted wealth from multi-national companies?

Noticeably, most of those who ridicule the government failed to look at the other side of the coin. Haven’t they realized that it takes more than just a sworn duty to swim across raging floods and gamble one’s safety for another? Sadly, our men in uniform who have been on the ground were never valued so as our millions of government workers who spent sleepless nights extending their help to their fellow countrymen. We could have lacked costly rescue materials and equipment but we never fall short of individuals who are willing to risk their lives and give a hand.

MOVING ON.

Though easy as it may seem to be, moving on in life could be the hardest part especially when all of us grieve over our losses- the lives of our loved ones who were helplessly trapped within Mother Nature’s wrath.

The calamities that wrecked our country reminded us of our individual shortcomings and lack of respect to both Mother Nature and our children’s future. Nobody willed such a catastrophe, not even God. The most logical and sensible reason of such a scenario: it was simply the nature taking its course and we made it possible to happen. Had it not been of our complete disregard and disrespect to Mother Nature, all these things could’ve not transpired. We should not be making another mistake by paying no attention to those who courageously risked their lives amid these calamities.

Let us do our part as citizens of this struggling country. Let’s take full responsibility in taking good care of our environment and let’s act now!

For our true modern day heroes who extended selfless services to our kababayans at the expense of their lives, our prayers and life-long gratitude go out to all of you!