EDITORIAL - Displaced

Mario was no super typhoon like Yolanda, but floods spawned by the tropical storm shut down Metro Manila yesterday. A lightning bolt knocked out the radar at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, forcing the cancellation of several international and domestic flights.

Around the world, natural calamities displace more people than armed conflicts, according to a report supported by the United Nations. Released last Wednesday, the report prepared by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Center said developing countries bear the brunt of displacement, with Asia the worst affected in recent years.

Yolanda placed the Philippines at the top of the world’s worst hit list last year, accounting for the 4.1 million of the 19 million people displaced by disasters in Asia. The UN welcomed the release of the report, saying it highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness, including efficient early warning systems and evacuation programs.

Yesterday’s floods showed that despite experiencing frequent disasters, the Philippines can still do a lot more in improving preparedness. As in previous sustained heavy rains, the communities around the Marikina River and Laguna de Bay were the worst hit by flooding. The tarmac of the NAIA, the nation’s principal gateway, was again flooded.

The nation need not be helpless in facing torrential flooding. There are innovations in structural engineering and architecture as well as technological advances in flood control that the Philippines can consider. Several European countries such as the Netherlands and Germany, where President Aquino is currently a guest, are leading in this field.

There’s money for flood control: a tax is collected specifically for this purpose from every moviegoer. That money must be utilized for modern and improved systems of flood control. There are other funds allocated annually to national agencies and local government units for disaster prevention and mitigation. There’s a wide room for more efficient utilization of these funds. It will mean less damage to property and crops. More importantly, it will mean fewer fatalities and displaced people.