The damage is still visible. The challenge now is not just how to rebuild, but how to rebuild better.
Earthquakes precede human civilization. Along with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes define the land mass in the watery planet of Earth. It defined the Philippine archipelago.
Advances in science which result in better understanding of the dynamics of the planet, developments in engineering and monitoring minute movements of the Earth’s crust have given us better chances of adapting to nature which can be life nurturing but could also be life threatening.
The knowledge has to be put to good use in making life safer and help us adapt better to natural realities in our planet.
While no technology is avilable to predict an earthquake, we are not helpless.
What stands in the way of being more prepared for disaster is the complicated power relations among people, communities and social structures like the government.
Victims of calamities are pushed to the edge of life and death dee to ignorance, complacency or lack of resources for emergency response.
However, it’s not just a question of logistics but of lack of foresight or caring for humanity beyond narrow self-interest.
To overcome this constraint, events like the October 15 earthquake should be made a lesson for empowerment.
People should be equipped with the right information. They deserve full transparency in all aspects of public infrastructure projects and full compliance of land use and zoning regulations, and the building code.
It’s comforting to to Malacañang say that billions of pesos wil be made available for earthquake rehabilitation.
The last we heard, the national government still has P20 billion in savings to bankroll earthquake and typhoon rebuilding in Luzon and the man-made conflict zone in Zamboanga City.
An accounting of how this will be spent should be made. How many houses, hospitals, roads, bridges, and schools have been rebuilt before?
Thee’s a hard lesson in the pork barrel and Malampaya fund scam. Government officials may be predisposed to dip their fingers in the cookie jar, but it’s up to vigilant citizens to make sure the sweets don’t end up in the bathtubs of Janet Napoles clones.
Unless we safeguard government resources, we have less assurance that victims of calamities like the Oct. 15 earthquake and disasters yet to come can resume lives in communities that are rebuilt for the better.