Naulinigan kong nagbibiruan na naman ang magwishart — sina Popsy at Mumsy — kaninang hapon. Sabi ni Popsy, “Nakakahiya naman kay Jenny,” may kasama pang tawa. (Oops, Jenny nga pala ako sa amin. Hehe.)
Kaya napababa ako sa kusina.
Dugtong pa ni Popsy, “Minsan nga lang mauwi e tortang talong ang iluluto mo.”
Ay naku, eto talagang tatay ko. Isasangkalang pa ko. Peborit ko kaya yun! Lalu na kung sasamahan ng pininong sibuyas at bawang na may paminta!
Kaya ang ending, tortang talong ang ulam namin kaninang hapunan. With matching swak na swak na bulanglang na patola na konting araw na lang e pwede nang ibilad para maging loofah. I didn’t mind though. Sarap kaya nung sabaw. Perfecto!
At habang nasa hapag, tulad ng maraming pagsasalo sa tuwing mauuwi ako, hindi mawawala ang “dessert” na pagpapalitan ng kuru-kuro. Napapanahon ang topic. At hindi ako ang nagsimula — Ondoy-Pepeng tandem, si Gibo, at ang NDCC.
Buti na lang, medyo nahagip ng pagbabasa ko ang PD 1566 kaya nabigyan ko sila ng background tungkol sa NDCC na pinamumunuan ni Gibo. Dahil sa nakakaantok na hanging habagat, at oras na ‘yon ng “May Bukas Pa” na sinusubaybayan pala ni Popsy, hindi ko na nakuhang kondenahin ang implementasyon ng PD1566.
Ni hindi ko na nga nai-share na ang PD1566 and nagpasinaya para maitatag ang NDCC noong June 11, 1978.
NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT! 31 years ago! And look at them now?
I am boiling all over again… stop me!!! Pero masisisi nyo ba ako? PD1566’s opening clauses say:
“WHEREAS, the Filipino has always endured the hardship of a hostile environment;
WHEREAS, he has continually sought survival against typhoons, floods, earthquakes, epidemics, fires and other major calamities;
WHEREAS, the technological advances of the modern world have ushered in more lethal weaponry, environmental pollution, huge aerial and maritime disasters, and flash holocausts;
WHEREAS, there is an urgent need to direct, control, and coordinate the entire manpower material, monetary and spiritual resources of the entire Filipino nation in meeting major disasters that come our way;
WHEREAS, there is a need for a revitalized system to enhance the survival capability and economic stability of our country supported by LOI 453 against all types of disasters whether natural or man-made;
WHEREAS, there is a cogent requirement for pre-disaster planning, community disaster preparedness and positive, precise disaster control action for rescue evacuation, relief and rehabilitation to insure the survival of every Filipino in the New Society;
NOW, THEREFORE…”
And so the NDCC was born. It is now 31 years old. One salient point has been made, THIRTY ONE YEARS AGO — it is already known that we are prone to natural disasters. Our geographic location has made it that. Something must be done to prepare us, and thus enjoin the members of the NDCC, among others, DPWH, DILG, DENR, etc. to help in any way they can for disaster reduction and preparation.
Has the law appropriated enough calamity funds… sheeeeet. The calamity fund was used up. Want to guess who did?
What are they DOING?! What have they been planning to do for the past 31 years? Have we been prepared and equipped to handle calamities? Have we learned enough so that the next time a disaster hits, the damages, at least, could be reduced?
Seemingly NOT. Laguna Lake can’t breathe. Sewers and drainage can only bleed. Solid foundations slide. Huge scale loss, both lives and properties.
And here comes disaster. We all know what happened. Should we say, it was unexpected?
31 years of PD1566, 31 years of preparation for disasters. Unimaginable? Could we have lessen the effects of what we have supposed to have prepared for? What could have been done? Who should have done it? To each his own? Running a list would be like writing a story longer than Harry Potter’s.
And what are WE doing? Tiny itsy scale. Taking a blind eye that our one little act of non-chalance will not amount to anything. One little candy wrapper thrown in an open manhole. But was there just one candy wrapper blocking the drainage? One little shanty built along the danger zone in Laguna Lake. But there isn’t just one. Do I need to add one little garbage bag thrown into the Pasig River?
How are we doing? Have we become so apathetic and half-hearted to not realize that our lives have devaluated with the dollar? I bet my balls, I mean, my eye BALLS, that PD1566 is not the only law that would call for “ensuring the protection of life and property”.
We all have a hand on this. No matter the scale.
But now, after the storm, I see three sets of hands:
Those up high, and closed to a fist;
Those reaching out, and have just calmed their fears; and,
Those stretching out, palms open, still eager to get the goodies.
Damn! Galit nga ako. Napaingles na naman.
