One year after Ondoy, have we really learned our lessons?

Almost a year has passed since the tragic and traumatic events of September 26, 2009 - the day Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) ravaged Luzon and brought devastating effects to the lives of millions of Filipinos. With the images of a year before, have we really learned our lesson in disaster preparedness?

I was listening to RockEd Radio last night, and the discussion revolved around Ondoy. A lot of listeners joined in on the conversation, and, surprisingly, many have declared that Filipinos seemed not to learn from Ondoy. Here are some points raised during the 2-hour radio program:

• Filipinos are still undisciplined with regards to their trash. Also last night, GMA-7 news program 24 Oras aired a report stating that almost 200 Pinoys were apprehended by MMDA "Environmental Police" for littering the streets with candy wrappers, cigarette butts, and even their own spits! Flashback to the images of last year's deluge - the raging floodwaters were full of trash! When trash accumulates, it has the "power" to clog drainage channels, thus can result in floods when strong rains pour down.
• Filipinos still take storm warnings for granted. Despite the fact that weather bureau, PAGASA, is ill-equipped, its meteorologists have not failed to give us warnings on what to do when a storm comes. The following lines are always broadcast on TV and radio: "We advise our fellow citizens to start stocking up on goods." "People living in coastal areas should be vigilant on sudden storm surges; we advise them to seek higher ground." "The waters are already dangerous, especially for small watercraft." However such warnings are taken for granted by many. "Malayo pa naman ang bagyo." and other excuses are commonplace. Then when the storm hits, they blame everything on PAGASA. The failure to make a proactive action and instead rely on reactive measures oftentimes yields undesirable results.
• There is minimal action (at best) with regards to the woes of the nation's chief weather bureau. Since time immemorial, PAGASA has been asking for a modernization on their equipment, but until now everything is either just vocal or in paper. At best, minimal action has been undertaken - such as the installation of several Doppler radars, of which only one is fully operational.
• The important science of meteorology is largely ignored. The Philippines is part of the Pacific typhoon belt, and annual typhoons are a fact of life. The science that understands such weather disturbances is meteorology, and it is sad to note that this science is not promoted in the country.
• We Filipinos still has a lot to learn in taking care of the environment. As pointed out in the first bullet, littering is very much commonplace. Also, logging (mostly illegal) 'flourishes' in the mountains, leading to the destruction of our forests and watersheds. Pollution is all over the place. In this time and age, we should all do our part to minimize the effects of climate change.

While it is true that Ondoy brought out the best in each Filipino, it also brought out the worst in us. But it is not yet late. Though damage to property and infrastructure may be inevitable during a strong typhoon, loss of lives are preventable, or at least can be minimized. If we act now, who knows? Maybe the next storm that will ravage the Filipinos may result to 'zero-casualty'.

Start to be proactive.

Only me. Geo.