The Compostela Valley landslide tragedy is our country’s opening salvo for year 2012.
Yes, it’s calamity time all over. Year after year this happens – victims crushed or smothered by landslides and mudslides, homes collapse and shredded into pieces, people trapped and suffocated in vehicles, families drowning and losing precious lives.
It’s no longer surprising that annually, we all run around wringing our hands and bewailing the “unpreparedness” of our authorities and the slow response or inadequacy of disaster relief and rescue services.
Apparently we are already deafened by the resounding tune of government officials in a defensive tone saying, “Who is to blame? Not me!”
When we accuse local government officials of not having the “political will” to prevent squatters from infesting ‘prohibited’ areas (like dumpsites, riverbanks, hillsides, etc.) and endangering themselves, the guilty officials tend to always point to the stupid Lina Law which decrees that, unless the government can provide an alternative housing site and living quarters for squatters, it cannot evict them!
How I wish our politicians could be more responsible about protecting the interests and rights of their constituents instead of sucking up to the so-called squatter vote. Now we can’t even save the squatters, who stubbornly cluster on the banks of treacherous rivers from being drowned or who live on hilltops from being washed away — otherwise suffering from their own folly.
Sure allow mining even if it is bad for our environment but make sure you protect the people. I thought mining would bring richness to our country. Why has it brought devastation and death? Why has it exploited only the poor workers? Why hasn’t it elevated their lives? Why did the workers family have to squat in an endangered area? Now for all you mining promoters and protectors – answer us! Sanamagan! Enough is enough!
After every tragedy, after our act of brotherhood and after having seen city officials rushing here and there in their water-proof jackets supervising the operations in the rescue sites to the evacuation centers – we shall later observe the natural movement of the families who return to live in the site again. And what’s sad is that the government allows the cycle to repeat itself.
Our poor can and must be helped but in honorable and decent ways. They must be given a good housing system that has an element of making them work and contribute to society. They must be especially helped through education and training to help them, help themselves.
With the recent catastrophes that plagued our nation and has caused senseless loss of lives, we as a people must begin moving toward a higher level of thinking. We must start ascending and stop descending. Our plight should be toward the “ascent of man.”
Our leaders should have the ability to take action. They must have enough knowledge to be able to contribute to the progress of the nation and not to its decline.
Our experiences of environmental tragedies and incidents with the mining transnational corporations belie all assurances of sustainable and responsible mining that the GMA administration used to claim. Increasing number of mining affected communities are subjected to human rights violations and economic deprivations. Today, the saga goes on. We see no relief in sight. As a matter of fact, residents of areas affected by landslides and heavy flooding have been crying out for help (saklolo!) about mining as one of the causes of why people continue to suffer and have remained poor all these years. And yet, they have chosen not to leave the areas. Yes, they are obviously illiterate so stakeholders must protect them and treat them like people not like animals.
The mining industry may be serving the interest of the country’s economy but it is not the solution to poverty. As I have said many times in the past, mining profits accumulate primarily to mining corporations, most of which are based outside the country; some go to the government, a good chunk goes to the government officials protecting the industry in the area and only trickles are allocated to the poor. Since our people are not literate enough to protect their land, the ‘gangsters’ of the mining town takes control of the conditions just like pirates protecting their “gold” with guns and goons.
Illiteracy in the Philippines has come to a height. This has also contributed to the unresolved problem of poverty. People easily get persuaded with talks of easy money, not realizing what it will cause them in the end. Look at the drug mules to China and the victims of human trafficking. They never learn their lesson.
Many of our countrymen are illiterate. It is a sad fact but it is true. And it is a scary situation because for as long as people are not aware and do not understand what is going on around them, they will continue to be fooled.
We have had many “environmental awareness” campaigns (including the “no to mining”, “ no to illegal logging”, save the forest, save our biodiversity, save the earth, save the planet) but all these continue to be ignored not only by ruthless solons and government officials but also by the people themselves. Today we are weeping…tomorrow we’ll forget!
Let us stop blaming climate change. We should realize and humbly accept that the major contributing factor to all our tragedies is the inefficiency of government to protect the people, the inefficiency of government to respond to disasters and the corruption of government to allow industries to destroy our environment.
Bluntly put, the government has just been unable to serve and protect the people. I continue to pray, however, that our consciousness as a nation be awakened. We should be ready to make the necessary changes so that the right quality of life as citizens of this nation can descend upon the Filipinos.
Meantime, we must educate the people because this is the only way they can have a fighting chance to have a better life.