Making concrete changes for the future

It’s no doubt this last quarter of the year has been particularly rough for the Philippines. In between scandals, super typhoons, and just general unrest, it seems as if the citizens of our country have certainly had enough and are quite exhausted. I know I am. It just seems as if bad news just continue to give birth to more bad news. The headlines are full of stories about lost money, increases in oil and energy prices, an extremely slow pace of rehabilitating the typhoon stricken areas, a higher government that is slowly and continuously digging its own grave, and just tales of woe and sadness like the unfortunate and untimely demise of Hollywood actor Paul Walker.

I don’t dispute the bad news. In fact, I think it’s important to face problems head on so that we know what has to be done and strive to do it. It’s no longer the time to pretend that things are not bad. They are bad. It’s best we accept that and work on getting past it once and for all. I’ve read so many articles and posts on social networking sites saying: “now is not the time to lay blame,” and while to an extent there is truth in that statement, it is also not the time to forget those who have fault in what has happened. If we do that, we just end up right back where we started in the end — electing officials who may not be fit to lead.

It will all boil down to opinion and belief in the end, of course, but tragedy does shine either a harsh or bright light on those we have entrusted with our country and we come to see them for who they really are. Whether or not we like what we see is something that we have to come to on our own, but the important thing is not to forget all that we have seen once the moment has passed and we’ve moved on. If we do, we are just destined to keep repeating our mistakes over and over again.

So now — more than two weeks past Yolanda/Haiyan — what is the next step? I mentioned in my previous column that rebuilding was what we needed to focus on and I stand by that. But while the initial efforts should most definitely go towards feeding, clothing, and sheltering those who have lost everything, it has to go far beyond that if we are ever truly going to rise above the tragedy. While relief efforts must continue, major changes have to be made to ensure this does not happen again.

For me rebuilding the foundations in the literal sense is a process that should be thought out very carefully. It’s easy to rebuild a house, but it shouldn’t just be about rebuilding a structure, but building a structure that is stronger and one that can withstand the elements better. This means taking some time to figure out how best to truly rebuild those cities and towns devastated by the storm. Since we are back to square one in so many ways it would be pointless just to rebuild what once was in exactly the same way. Now is the time to make improvements.

I came across an article the other day that said that the Philippines was ranked second worst among ASEAN countries in a global study when it comes to infrastructure, placing far below other countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and even Cambodia. It’s not surprising considering the low investment into infrastructure in the country. The article further went on to share that only 11% of the total appropriated budget for infrastructure was actually spent and so many projects that were in the pipeline just did not happen. Again, not surprising. After all, how many times have we seen roads being built only to be dug up and rebuilt again? How many times do we have to re-asphalt our roads or to dig up ditches to fix pipes? It seems to happen on a regular basis and every time we go out we are always seeing some form of construction going on, which would be fine if it wasn’t going to only happen again in six months.

Investing in proper infrastructure is an important step to building a stronger country, both literally and figuratively. In the Philippines we already know that every year we are going to be hit by typhoons and monsoon rains. We know this is coming so it makes sense to invest in stronger infrastructure to help withstand the elements. It may be more costly initially but it will be worth it in the long run. Sometimes better infrastructure doesn’t even mean costlier, it may often mean just building smarter. Putting more thought into city planning, investing in foundations, and knowing how to strengthen structures.

And while building stronger and smarter is definitely a step in the right direction, the attack must be wholistic if we are truly going to see a change. I know it’s been debated on hotly over the past few years, but climate change is a serious issue and something that is not going to go away. We’ve all seen it with our own eyes. The changes in weather patterns, the freak storms. These are just the warning signs that unless we do something soon, Mother Nature is going to continue on the rampage.

This year alone we’ve seen unprecedented weather phenomena in the country including super typhoons, hailstorms, earthquakes, and more. And it’s not only happening in the Philippines. Storms, quakes, tornados, and even erupting volcanoes are happening all over the world. It sounds almost eerily like the apocalypse and if we aren’t more careful it could very well turn into that.

Climate change is serious and real and it’s important we also face this problem head on. It’s pointless to pretend it isn’t happening. Just this November, Naderev Saño, the chief representative of the Philippines at the Warsaw Climate Change Conference pleaded with the delegates to “stop the madness.” He was right to be so emphatic. As I mentioned above, climate change will only continue to contribute to more and more powerful storms compounded by the rise in sea level and it will only continue to get worse. The global community should see these natural calamities as concrete and immediate signs for action to address the growing climate change problem.

And while real changes have to happen on a global level it does not mean that we can’t do our part in it too. Even small changes can add up to something big if everyone takes action. We may not notice it but so many things we do in our every day lives are just continuing to add to the problem. Things like driving our cars everywhere alone, using electricity to light and power the home, throwing away garbage without recycling can all lead to greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce our emissions through simple actions like changing our light bulbs to energy reducing bulbs, powering down our electronics more, carpooling with friends and family (we all see how many cars are on the streets now with just one passenger each), use less water, and of course recycle. These all may sound like simple steps but they can go a long way, especially if everyone vows to do them. Imagine how much of a change we can make if we all do out part.