The lingering impact of Frank

In Western Visayas typhoon Frank’s devastating visit left its indelible imprint. Both good and bad. And the unprecedented win of Manny Pacquiao over David Diaz, the Mexican pugilist, provided the only relief from the enduring somber atmosphere with so many dead typhoon victims still being fished out of the seas.

Time stood still for Negrenses last Sunday. Most of them had congregated around radios or at sites where the televised bout was on. And they cheered and shouted as the Filipino boxer pummeled the Mexican virtually into a pulp until he fell down on his face in the ninth round.

But, as I had said, that was a temporary relief. In Cadiz City, grief abounded. Thirty one more bodies of fishing boat crew men were found with 87 still missing according to Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, chair of the Task Force Management, headed Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco.

As of Sunday, 28 bodies of Cadiz fishermen had been retrieved from the sea with three more expected Sunday night. The trio were Edgardo Escario, Ponciano Bachoco, and Danimale Baulita, all crew of the M/V Sweet Angel.

The 17 bodies that arrived Saturday in Cadiz could not be identified and had to be buried in the Caduhaan cemetery because they were badly decomposed and smelling.

One body, however, was being claimed by two families so Vice Mayor Samson Mirhan told them to file their respective claims before the police or the court to settle the issue.

On the eve of President Arroyo’s flying visit over the devastated Panay provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan and Antique, chair of the Regional Development Council Sally Zaldivar-Perez presided a meeting to assess the impact of Frank’s visit to the region.

She must had given the orders for the evacuation of Barangay Zabladan in Simbalom town ordered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional office.

The warning was issued to avoid the risk of a massive landslide after a three-kilometer crack was discovered along the Panay mountain ranges along the Iloilo-Antique border.

The 30-foot deep crack in the barangay could give way if there is further soil or rock erosion by rains or an earthquake, according to Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi.

Sibalom is a town eight kilometers north of the capital town of San Jose. And the barangay is another three-hour walk from the town proper. It was a population of 2,000 residents with 200 living in the risk area.

Leo Juguan, Mines and Geosciences Bureau regional manager, believe that the heavy rains of Frank could have caused the crack because the rock  formations in the area are unstable.

The main problem confronting the government is the destruction of some 12,000 hectares of rice lands in Panay. Damage was estimated at about half a billion pesos to the commercial fishing industry of the region, particularly Cadiz City. This will definitely deposited supply of the region according to Raul Banias, presidential advisers to Western Visayas.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap Friday told Iloilo mediamen that there is no shortage of food with the NFA and commercial rice sector having enough of the cereals in their possession.

Yap also said the government will not hesitate to invoke the provisions of Republic Act 7581 on the filing of cases of profiteering against retailers who arbitrarily raises commodity prices. This authorizes government to seize food products under summary proceedings.

Meanwhile there also the enabling gesture by Negrenses who reached out to Iloilo and Panay flood victims with piles of assistance. Bacolod radio stations grew receiving donations in kind and in cash. The Bacolod Filipino-Chinese community had also sent initial support of foodstuff and other essential commodities through its Iloilo counterparts.

The Bacolod Diocese also sent aid to the Jaor Archdiocese through its social outreach service. Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra appealed to Negrense Christians to extend a helping hand to Panay victims of Frank despite their own concern about the flood victims of Bacolod and the missing crew members of commercial fishing vessels in Cadiz and Escalante as well as Silay cities.

Word war over Kanlaon buffer zone

Green Alert Negros blasted Provincial Environment and Management Officer chief Edwin Abanil for denouncing their shocking interruption of the closing rites of the Provincial Environmental Week that was presided by Gov. Isidro Zayco and Vice Governor  Emilio Yulo.

Abanil had to ask security men to remove the protestors who barged into the celebration with black shirts and with streamers asking that the government stop PNOC-EDC from introducing into the Mt. Kanlaon National Park buffer zone which had earlier-been authorized by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Abanil called the Green Alert tactic as a sign a “sin of desperation.”

Green Alert had been caught several times by local media as having aired on substantial charges against PNOC-EDC and the government. Last July 7 they charged that EDC security men had fired at them on their way down from Mt. Kanlaon which they had entered without the DENR permission. Anyway, to be sure about their claims, several mediamen were invited by PNOC-EDC to interview the EDC guards and to visit the site where they were allegedly  ambushed.

After questioning the security guards, and military men in the area, the mediamen discovered that the group had gone down through Wasay three hours away and that nothing of the sort had occurred.

Later, they also issued a release that EDC had already started to cut down trees inside the buffer zone. A team of TV and printed mediamen climbed the site which had several of them give up because of the rough terrain. It proved embarrassing for Green Alert to have been disputed in their allegations by video clips and the photo as well as testimonies of mediamen.

Abanil and other provincial officials scored the Green Alert for bum steers and rather questionable methods of airing their protests.

So, the campaign goes on. And the latest was their forum shopping asking for a congressional investigation into what is authorized by a law passed by Congress itself.

“Cest la vie.”