SIX YEARS ago before super typhoon “Yolanda” made landfall, many local governments prepared for its coming, enforcing evacuation of many families in barangays located along the coast or are prone to floods and landslides. Despite this, thousands still died.
Recently we have typhoon “Ursula.” It was devastating, too. We must build back better and more resilient communities. We must prevent disasters and be prepared in the coming of the next natural hazards. We must also ensure effective early warning systems that will facilitate early actions.
Yes, local governments of areas hit by “Ursula” are facing the greater challenge of building back better communities. This disaster should serve as another lesson to us especially as we rebuild. Affected citizens in many areas need food, clothing, shelter and medicines, but we must now also start addressing the need to rehabilitate affected communities.
Certainly, it will not be enough to build people’s lives and communities to where they were before the disaster — we need to rebuild communities with the confidence that we are not rebuilding the risks again. We need to ensure that reconstruction of homes and infrastructure will be in safer ground following sound construction standards. We need to soon restart and create livelihoods, and restore normalcy in people’s lives with a stronger sense of hope and confidence for the future.
Aside from post-disaster damage and loss assessment, there should be a social needs assessment so that there is equal attention to the social needs of affected communities, including for alternative employment and livelihood opportunities.
“Ursula” and “Yolanda” and other devastating typhoons also tell us about the urgent need to save and care for our environment. It may be a great challenge to relocate all families living in coastal barangays to ensure that they are safe from storm surges during typhoons, but we must act to reduce the risks they face. Aside from early evacuation before typhoons make landfall, coastal barangays must strengthen their natural protection from storm surges through mangrove reforestation and rehabilitation of coastal wetlands, among other initiatives. Furthermore, existing programs like the National Greening Program and the Integrated Coastal Management Program must be implemented at full speed and parallel efforts from the private sector will be most helpful.
We must free our nation from the exhausting and costly cycle of rebuilding our communities every single time natural hazards occur. We must rebuild communities that are better, stronger and more resilient.
