EDITORIAL - Warnings ignored

As early as four years ago, a detailed report was presented to local executives in Mindanao and warnings issued on the possibility of catastrophic flashfloods and landslides in the areas now suffering from the devastation arising from tropical storm “Sendong.” Perhaps those who were given the briefing flunked their science classes. Or else they fully understood the briefing but thought that relocating their constituents to safer areas was a politically bad idea.

Since the freak flood that killed thousands of residents in Ormoc City in Leyte two decades ago, many warnings have also been issued about the dangers posed by denuded watersheds. Yet the warnings have been largely ignored, by both the public and the local government officials who are supposed to discourage human settlement in areas identified in geohazard maps as danger zones.

Campaigns against illegal logging have also been half-hearted. Environment advocates have pointed out that often, public officials tasked to protect forests are themselves engaged in illegal logging or protecting those involved in the activity. In some areas, local communities refuse to cooperate in the campaign because they derive their livelihood from the forest. Training these communities in sustainable agro-forestry could turn them into stakeholders in protecting their principal source of livelihood. But such training programs are rare.

And so, over the weekend, the warnings came true, and nature unleashed its fury in Mindanao. The flashfloods spawned by Sendong came rampaging down the denuded mountains. Logs that had floated downstream and dammed up the water were washed away by the powerful flood, smashing everything in their path.

An investigation is underway to see if anyone can be held to account for the grievous death toll and destruction of property. The probe is obviously too late for the fatalities in Mindanao, now numbering more than a thousand, but perhaps pinpointing responsibility will lead to better preparedness, especially in areas identified as risk zones for natural disasters. Next time a warning is given, there could be a better chance that it will be heeded.