TO a nation inured to natural disasters, situated as its islands are within the Pacific Rim of Fire and its accompanying risks thereof, it is still a shock that the Philippines has experienced another calamity, coming quick on the heels of two recent others.

There was Typhoon Sendong last Christmas that devastated Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and surrounding areas. This was followed in early January by the landslide in Compostela Valley after strong rains.

Now comes another, just on February 6, in the form of an earthquake in the Visayas region. The main 6.9-magnitude quake and its over 1,200 aftershocks left many dead and injured, families homeless, and others still buried in the mud.

The government responded quickly to the emergency. Among the frontline agencies that speedily mobilized was the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which obtained data about the quake from Phivolcs and other partner monitoring agencies to provide reports to agencies, including the Office of the President, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Coast Guard, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The AFP sent in search-and-rescue teams right away. The DPWH dispatched structural engineers to assess the damage to infrastructure and find out what needed to be done to make the necessary repairs, especially to La Libertad town in Negros Oriental, which was isolated immediately after the event because of damaged roads and bridges in the area.

The DWSD sent P12.42 million worth of assistance in the form of cash-for-work and food items; the Department of Health, P200,000; and the PCSO, an initial P100,000 upon the request of concerned local government units (LGUs) to buy medicines, medical supplies and potable water for the Guihulngan District Hospital, a government facility in one of the hardest-hit areas.

President Aquino himself spearheaded other initiatives, such as assessment and bringing of aid and relief goods by traveling to Dumaguete City on his 52nd birthday, February 8, accompanied by his sisters Ballsy Cruz and Pinky Abellada and members of his Cabinet.

The President allotted P3.3 million for cash-for-work in Guihulngan, P1.3 million for La Libertad, and P5.7 million for other LGUs in the affected areas, and ordered all concerned government agencies to speed up their delivery of relief and services to more than 12,000 affected families.

One problem pointed out by the President concerned communication—there was both too much of the wrong kind and too little of the right kind. He ordered the arrest of people involved in disseminating false reports about a coming huge tsunami, which caused many in the area to sleep outside their homes in fear of buildings collapsing around them while they slept.

While still in Dumaguete, the President also noted at a meeting of the NDRRMC regional office that the mass evacuation of certain towns in northern Negros Oriental need not have occurred if the public had been informed by the Department of Science and Technology about the “science behind earthquakes and tsunamis,” meaning the lack of the right information caused people to react in fear and panic. The President asked the LGUs to assist the DOST in disseminating the necessary information to the public.

Initial assessment figures have already come in regarding damage. Commercial damage has been placed at more than P655 million by Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, while on the agricultural front, the Department of Agriculture estimates P64 million worth of damage to irrigation facilities with 800 hectares of rice and 1,500 hectares of corn having been affected. The DA will provide seeds to farmers, having prepared the necessary numbers of rice, corn and vegetable seed packets for distribution after all damage reports are validated.

We appreciate how government agencies are responding faster than before to cases
of natural disaster, in tandem with private organizations. Far too often, in times like this, public criticism falls upon the government, failing to credit the hard-working and responsible government employees who are immediately out in the field performing their tasks of search-and-rescue, first aid and relief. These workers are the unsung heroes who deserve a nation’s thanks.

During times like these, we also appreciate the transparency and accountability policies of the government. Never before now have the people been given the accurate information that they need in order to have a view of the true picture and be then able to make the right decisions. The concerned government agencies are ready with the appropriate reports, which are also made available to the media, for dissemination to everyone.

There is still much work to be done to help the Visayas quake victims. With both government and private endeavors working hard, and with public support, recovery and rehabilitation are soon to come.

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