Yolanda Timeout (Part 2)

Talk about perfect timing. Just when we all thought we were fine after Linog 7.2, in comes Yolanda slowly but surely to knock us off our feet again. 

We were all like boxers going up against a Manny Pacquiao. Linog 7.2 was a wicked right uppercut that we never saw and expected. Our scouting reports indicate that Pacquiao rarely uses the uppercut to knock people down but today he did. The irony of it all is that these unexpected punches are those that cause a lot of damage and are tough to recover from. Remember Pacquiao receiving that right straight from Marquez? Ouch! But we did recover, didn’t we? Lessons learned? Expect the unexpected. Then after getting up (albeit groggy) from that uppercut, Pacquiao (now named Yolanda), attempts to finish us off with his vaunted left straight. But this time, we all knew that the Pacman’s left was his best punch. We knew it was coming, and we also knew how this was to be set up. But even if we did know this, we still got hit. The difference here was that we were prepared for this. Lesson learned? Expect the expected. But prepare for it so it doesn’t knock you out for good.

And like the true warriors that we are, we will get up again in the same way that Rocky, the Iron Man and more recently Thor got up to overcome their foes. Down we went, but even greater we will rise from this temporary setback. The biggest aid to recovery was that most of Cebu was prepared for that left straight named Yolanda. We saw it coming as early as Monday of the previous week and everyone knew that Friday was D-day. And so most Cebuanos dug deep and prepared themselves. Some moved to safer places; others fortified and strengthened their houses/foxholes. Many loaded up on water and fuel for their generators. Billboard tarps were taken down. Loose branches and leaves were cut down. And grocery shopping was rushed in advance. There were reports that flashlights and batteries were all sold out. Shelves of canned goods and noodles also ran dry. Rescue teams, paramedics and VECO personnel were on standby. Good sign that people were prepared for battle. The opponent was scouted. Preparations were made. It was time for battle.

And so now we start the recovery period. We give thanks for everything and yes, even thanks for the fact that that Yolanda was sent our way. We also help out the lesser fortunate through another united movement like Bangon SugBohol or any other private endeavor. Initial reports indicate that the biggest damages are up north (our favorite places) in Bantayan, Malapascua, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Camotes and Bogo. Let us not also forget that East Visayas surely bore the brunt of  Yolanda as well. I also pray that those in Bohol were also spared and that no further damage was done to the already “damaged” places like sinkholes, bridges, roads and buildings.

 But getting up to recover must also include the way we prepare and “scout” even better for this kind of fights. It should be a never ending battle. I recall that our political leaders always set a target of zero deaths for the likes of  Yolanda and they go all out to take steps to meet this. So far, I think the death toll has dropped a lot through the years of our many typhoons. Now is time to up the ante. Isn’t it ironical that each time a typhoon hits us, we hear of the same kind of damages: power lines are down, water is cut off, advertising signage toppled, weak trees are uprooted and rivers swell to unusual levels. Can we now look into how all this can be minimized? While it may be impossible to completely rule out power lines going down, isn’t there a way to somehow work with finding ways of improving their “toughness?” Can’t small groups unite to set up alternative and temporary sources of power? I’m no technical expert, but we do know that for every big (or even small) typhoon, the same things happen, don’t they?

Linog 7.2? Check. Yolanda? Check? Bangon Cebu. Bangon Bohol. Bangon Visayas!

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Timeout: Let’s all continue praying for the recovery of all earthquake-hit areas and Yolanda victims. >>> You can reach me at [email protected].