New year! It’s the time in our lives when we somehow begin again. 

Begin to make new things to uplift our lives. New projects to venture. New learnings to take. New partnerships to foster. 

Though our holidays were challenged by typhoon and quake, I always admire the resiliency of the Filipinos to stand up and survive. They even flash you with a big smile while they are in the middle of a waist-deep floodwater. 

Others can even afford to laugh while retelling their experiences during the typhoon which turns a disastrous event into one hell of an adventure.

Amid the smiles and laughter, we are still faced with the reality that lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and livelihoods were ruined.

So, we begin 2020 with a mission to rehabilitate and recover.

I don’t want to call it “unfortunate”, but our country’s geographic location makes the Philippines one of the most exposed country in the world to tropical storms.

Approximately 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility every year. Ten of which will be typhoons and four to five will landfall and devastate the country. 

Contemplating about these facts only means one thing, storm or typhoon is a constant part in our lives and that we have to learn to live with it.

Since it is part of our lives, policymakers, planners and implementers, both the national and local level, must ensure to integrate the disaster risks reduction (DRR) measures in formulating policies, local plans, programs and projects.

Yes, there are existing national laws and local policies on DRR. National, Regional and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils are also established. And yet, we remain to be less prepared or unprepared every time there is a disaster.

Is the lack of preparedness on the side of the government or on the side of the citizens?

As the cliché goes, “it takes two to tango”.

I believe, the government, as mandated, have done their part of providing the necessary measures to prepare us in times of calamities. 

Compared to two or three decades ago, under different administrations, the government in general, have gone a long way in shaping up and improving their performance in terms of putting in place appropriate programs and projects to lessen our vulnerabilities to disasters and of providing necessary assistance in the aftermath of calamities.

So, how about us, the citizens? What have we done to reduce the risks and to lessen the cost of lives in times of calamities?

Generally, the behavior of the people is to complain and blame the government in times of calamities. Everything is government’s fault.

But hey, have anyone of us even reflected that, we contribute too to the success and failures in preparing ourselves to face calamities.

People oftentimes fail to listen to the instructions of the government to evacuate their homes despite that their area is identified to be disaster prone. Some even have the attitude of totally disregarding government’s instructions and warnings. 

There are those who continue to violate rules and illegally cut trees that leave our green lush forested mountains into barren chocolate landscape.

Along with Filipinos resiliency, we have the perennial bad behavior of stubbornness to follow rules and lack of discipline. 

To face the battle against natural calamities, we need both the government and the people to work together to ensure that no lives will be lost and that damages to our homes and livelihoods will be reduced.

I believe the key to have a better and stronger 2020 and beyond is to strengthen the people in each barangay by instilling again the values on discipline and cooperation. Empower and mobilize them to be responsible and better citizens by implementing values transformation programs in the barangay level.

Remember that in every “right” that we enjoy in this democratic country, there is an equal responsibility that we need to do as citizens to ensure that we were able to protect, preserve and save our country for our future generations.#