EDITORIAL - Ready for the monsoons?

Even as the scorching heat and extreme humidity persist, the weather bureau has declared the onset of the monsoon season.

Those in charge of disaster responses should make sure they are not distracted from their tasks by the ongoing political circus and the economic difficulties arising from the Middle East conflict. There are waterways to be dredged and drains to be cleaned, and evacuation protocols to be fine-tuned.

El Niño tends to enhance prevailing weather conditions. Climate scientists have warned of a possible super El Niño later in the year. Even without El Niño, however, extreme rainfall, cataclysmic flooding and powerful storm surges have become increasingly regular occurrences in the country even in areas where such natural calamities used to be rare.

Fully aware of the disaster risks, authorities should also be fully prepared.

In several areas, however, disaster preparedness has been compromised by the flood control corruption scandal. Many flood control projects, declared completed, have been found to be either non-existent or are just now being belatedly started. Others are undergoing major engineering corrections due to flawed design that experts have warned could actually exacerbate flooding.

Many public works and other state-funded construction projects were suspended for several months as corruption investigations got underway and government personnel became wary of affixing their signatures to any transaction in their agencies. The public works sector is just starting to emerge from this paralysis.

As in the past, the rainy season is starting alongside the school opening. The Brigada Eskwela gets underway this coming week. Keeping school premises clean must also include preventive measures against mosquitoes that cause dengue and other potentially fatal diseases. Schools must be provided with sufficient ventilation and running water for proper hygiene.

Part of disaster preparedness is the provision of decent evacuation centers. The Department of Education has long complained about the use of public school facilities – not just gymnasiums but even classrooms – as evacuation centers. Such facilities are typically also inadequate for the needs of evacuees, lacking clean water and washrooms.

With the country visited annually by so many natural disasters – typhoons, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – decent evacuation centers should have been set up a long time ago.

Yesterday, Tropical Storm Domeng entered the Philippine area of responsibility, and was forecast to intensify into a typhoon. Sufficient warnings have been issued for the monsoon season, and there is no excuse for lack of preparedness.