CEBU, Philippines - If local business stakeholders were to be asked, President Benigno Aquino III should have declared a state of national calamity in the country earlier and not three days after super typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines last Friday to avoid further damage and chaos.
Aquino signed Proclamation 628 declaring the state of national calamity and made the announcement last Monday night.
He said that the proclamation will control the prices of products and services and prevent hoarding and overpricing.
Tacloban City and the rest of Leyte and Samar were meanwhile placed under state of emergency.
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Philip Tan said that the national government ought to have done a concrete “preventive†action and not just implement a “reactive†strategy to assist the typhoon victims.
He said that the public sector could have anticipated the possible aftermath of the typhoon since the country has been warned days before the typhoon entered the Philippine area of responsibility.
He added that the government has to be more responsible especially during natural calamities, suggesting the administration to implement a strategy that businesses usually consider in times like Yolanda.
“We should have done that before, on that day itself the typhoon hit. That’s not how businesses do it. We cannot allow that. If you have prepared for the worst and nothing has happened then that is good. But if you have not prepared for the worst and that worst has happened, that is your loss,†Tan stated.
He cited that the incidents of looting following the devastation brought by Yolanda which are considered as “out of context†should have been overruled by the country’s laws.
“We have the result right now and this is what the government has to learn from. A leader can be tested during the worst times,†he continued.
Cebu Business Club president Dondi Joseph echoed the same sentiments, saying that the government could have deployed police forces and emergency medical teams to immediately respond to the needs of the possible victims the day before the typhoon made landfall to the worst-hit areas.
“We knew about the super typhoon Yolanda a week before. They should have anticipated that this could be a national calamity since this is not just as normal typhoon. We need not to wait for us to act,†Joseph said.
Amid the unpleasant reports of looting in Eastern Visayas, he cited the possibility that potential investors might be afraid to consider expanding their operations or venturing new businesses in the region.
He further suggested that government banks and financial institutions, whether commercial or non-commercial, could provide emergency loans to help small-scale businesses start over.
“After all, businesses will also suffer in the end along with the residents,†he said.
Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Lito Maderazo who is currently in Korea as of this writing, said that the government should learn from such experience and revisit its policy framework to eventually implement more efficient mitigation programs.
“This is not the time to finger point or name blame. Let us work together for the immediate relief of the affected areas,†he said in a text message.
The last time Aquino declared a state of national calamity was when typhoon Pablo battered the country last year. /JOB (FREEMAN)