“Pagmata na, Cebu”

There is a call going viral urging that we stop using the slogan “Bangon, Cebu”. Instead, we should say “Pagmata na, Cebu.” This makes sense.

Cebuanos have always been resilient. There is no question about it. One calamity after the other has not diminished their faith and resolve to rise from the ruins. That is nothing new.

What would truly surprise us is if corrupt politicians, DPWH officials, and contractors were to show even a small degree of remorse. But that’s wishful thinking, like boxing with the wind, or asking a lion in the jungle not to eat you alive. It is through corruption that these people thrive. Therefore, it is unwise to expect them to change.

The solution is in our hands. We have to shift from “Bangon, Cebu” --because we have always survived-- to “Pagmata na, Cebu!” because our ultimate enemy is indifference.

Let us stop being abstract. Let us name names. Go to your congressmen and tell them that enough is enough. We have to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Let us also stop attributing our misery to God. Typhoons happen, but flooding is a man-made calamity if it is the result of man’s neglect or abuse. Nature is not fighting back it is simply returning the favor. The universe is neutral. What we give to it, it gives back to us.

Every time a calamity occurs, we say it’s God’s way of showing his wrath. We have said this time and again, from the Ormoc flooding tragedy to Yolanda in Tacloban. So, when are we going to learn?

I visited some flood-hit areas. It is heartbreaking to see traces of corruption everywhere. In one area, the ripraps were left unfinished, allowing water to enter communities unforgivingly. To make things worse, the structures that were competed are weak or substandard.

Some victims said, “Di ko katoo sir, walay g’yuy baha dinhi dapita sukad sa una. Karon na g’yud ni ingon-ani kadakong baha nga naa nay flood-control projects dinhi.” Well, nature does not make an announcement on billboards. Sometimes, it strikes without warning.

Many noticed that the wind was not as strong as during the previous super typhoons. Likewise, the rain was not particularly heavy in the flood-hit areas. The problem is that the areas have no proper drainage system, or the existing flood control projects did not work. It does not take a genius to see that all these are attributable to human greed.

The saddest part is not that calamities destroy properties. It is that they claim lives, most of the time innocent ones. And the culprits? Well, they live in well-gated communities, away from flooding. No matter how heavy the rain is or how strong the wind blows, none of which is of consequence to them. They live in complete peace inside their mansions, built on the money of the people.

They may distribute relief goods after the tragedy, all for show, and to shield themselves from public scorn, but they will quickly return to their old and familiar sickness, which is their insatiable itch to steal and steal and steal.

So, this call, “Pagmata na, Cebu” is most appropriate. This is what we should have done a long time ago. It is pointless to romanticize our resilience without holding accountable those who have contributed so much to the people’s misery --people who are mostly poor and defenseless.