Yolanda's fury

We hope that when you read this, the strongest typhoon for 2013 is out of the Philippines and has dissipated or weakened so as not to pose any harm to people and communities elsewhere. We pray no lives were lost and that our people were spared the fury of typhoon Yolanda.

When we wrote this yesterday morning, at about 10, we learned that the strong rains and winds had started to hit Cebu City. Earlier, dyAB reported damage to homes, roads in various parts of Cebu, including Daanbantayan and Camp 5 in Talisay and Minglanilla. Thousands of evacuees moved from their homes prone to floods and landslides. Electric poles down, power out and no water supply were also being experienced and reported.

We pray that today, Saturday, this violent typhoon will have passed and with the minimum of loss of lives and less harm and damage to communities and properties. We pray that all of you have been spared and protected from that monster typhoon.

Time to pick up the pieces once again. Time to clean up. Time to start all over again. We particularly hope those in quake-hit Bohol were also spared the wrath of this typhoon.

Disasters, like the recent killer earthquake and this violent typhoon, draw out the positive in our people to shine and stand out.

Certain communities resorted to bayanihan to help reinforce and protect neighbors' houses against the strong rains and winds. Those with more sturdy homes opened their doors to evacuees, others shared their resources with the needy.

Hopefully, the early alerts issued through various media and through various levels of local government were effectively disseminated and responded to. Hopefully, the disaster management and communication networks mitigated the loss, harm and damage to people and structures and other resources. Hopefully, these recent disasters showed us all our strengths as well as weaknesses to be overcome and to prepare for in the future.

Communication is very vital. We have to devise and prepare for emergency situations when power is cut, lines are down, roads are impassable, basic supplies cannot be transported and so on and medical aid so urgently needed.

This time, we need to include alternative disaster management schemes and teams for different types of disasters and emergency scenarios.

Proactive, preventive, and protective measures and teams should already be in place that will effectively cover all the possible conceivable challenges and problems that need to be covered before, during, and after disasters and emergencies.

Monitoring and assessment also need to be regularly done to ensure the continuing effectiveness of the disaster management and communication schemes and networks.

Still so much to be done, so much resources needed and so much more collaboration and partnerships to forge to ensure the safety and protection of our people, our communities, our environment from here on, from now on.

And of course, continuing prayers that God will heal our land and allow us to stand up and start anew.

Should Typhoon Yolanda change her mind and tarry a while in our country, please continue to be safe everyone, and always, always, stay in full faith for God is in full control all the time. We pray, though, that today, the sun is out for you all and smiles in your faces back, driving all the fears and stress away.

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