The problems created by the recent typhoon in Pampanga are enormous but there is no reason to give up.
Governor Lilia G. Pineda declared this in a meeting today (Oct. 6) with members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) and representatives of the National DRRMC and Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), a group of international organizations assisting people and places under difficult circumstances.
There are six towns in Pampanga – Candaba, San Luis, Macabebe, Masantol, San Simon, Apalit – which are still submerged under floodwaters affecting 47,000 families and the Governor wants immediate action to be done towards the resolution of the problems in these areas.
She told the international organizations’ representatives “we need your help and we are thankful that you are here with us”.
She also reiterated to the local agency-members of the PDRRMC that they draw up respective plans on how they can specifically help ease and eventually solve the problems relative to the flood victims’ situation.
Some of the affected individuals and families have refused to leave their residences, thus, further endangering their lives and causing more problems for the government.
To this, the governor said, “kahit matigas ang paninindigan nilang di iwanan ang mga lugar nila, kailangan pa rin natin silang unawain at tulungan”.
The representatives of the various agencies and organizations committed their specific resources and agreed that a personal assessment of the situation was needed for the plans to be properly formulated.
After the meeting, the group made a visit to the flooded towns of San Simon, San Luis, and Masantol, using their rubber boat while the Governor lent the province’s two rubber boats for easier access to the areas.
From there, specific interventions shall be made corresponding to the problem of floods in these towns and other areas in Pampanga.
The governor emphasizes the urgent need to find and effect long-term solutions to the problem because “hindi puedeng pagbibigay na lang ng relief tuwing may kalamidad; dapat matigil o mabawasan man lang ang pagbabaha upang hindi na magbuwis ng buhay, masira ang ari-arian ng ating mga kababayan”.
She also said that “if we can find long-term solutions to the problem, it will also result to less expense on the part of government; money that we could use for other essential needs of the people”.
The PDRRMC member-agencies also reported on the efforts they have contributed to the relief operations such as the 3,000 food packs and related services from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); recommendations from the Office for Civil Defense coursed through the DSWD and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) based on the validated reports submitted by the DSWD and the provincial government.
The HCT, on the other hand, is composed of various international organizations responding to the needs of disaster-stricken people and places. Among these organizations are the International Organization for Migration which provides logistics, evacuation centers, and transport; World Food Program (WFP) which has been bringing energy biscuits and other basic supplies to typhoon-ravaged areas; MERLIN which takes care of mobilization and transportation, too; World Health Organization (WHO) which addresses health-related needs of victims; United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
Elijah Zuñiga of ADRA expressed the importance of focusing on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) such as desilting rivers and deepening waterways at this point, instead of being stymied year after year on relief operations.
“Due to climate change, the earth’s condition has deteriorated and disasters such as typhoons, floods and their aftermath have been worsening, posing more danger to life and property and more problems for governments to solve.”
To counter this, he said that government officials’ strong political will is essential to carry out the necessary steps. Among the officials he said he had encountered from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, Pampanga’s lady governor stands out as the most committed to pursuing this direction.
Zuñiga observed that while Governor Pineda has ensured the conduct of relief operations for the victims, “she also appears determined to go to the root of the problem and find a long-term solution so that her province and people would not be so endangered, instead of spending more and more money for relief efforts which are at best palliatives to the problem at hand”.
This observation validates the governor’s earlier statement that “we should act on all fronts and not give up on our cabalens who stubbornly refuse to heed the call of the authorities for their own safety”. (Pampanga PIO)
