A sad yearend lesson from ‘Sendong’

We’re ending the year on a sad note. The big catastrophe  brought about by Tropical Storm “Sendong” in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City made us realize that sad things in life can happen when we least expect them, and unless we learn from these sad and painful lessons, they are bound to happen again.

One would think that in general, each new year always ushers in a fresh hope for a better start, notwithstanding all the problems experienced during the past year. Every start of the year brings a fresh clean slate. Unfortunately, with the kind of blow caused by the CDO and Iligan tragedy, it can never be a clean slate. The destruction and loss of lives have been simply too much to wipe off the slate instantly with the burst of firecrackers heralding the new year.

So much rehabilitation of infrastructures, bodies and minds have to be done; and because of the magnitude of the work that requires urgent action, everyone has to be involved in the process. So far, the post-tragedy response of the government and nongovernmental groups, business community, medical and allied health professionals, pharmaceutical industry and practically everyone grateful to have been spared from such calamity, have been heartening. And these selfless and wholehearted acts of compassion are the silver lining to what is likely the country’s most tragic event in 2011.

Indelible scar

Lessons, too, have to be learned and relearned to make sure the tragedy does not happen again at the expense of thousands of lives who had to experience their end in a most horrible way; and thousands others who survived but whose loss of loved ones, homes and livelihood will forever leave an indelible scar not only on their bodies, but in their hearts and minds as well.

Just like in a medical audit discussing deaths of patients handled in the hospital, it always looks so easy pointing out on hindsight possible errors in judgment and decision-making, which could have contributed to the patient’s demise. But so long as the attending physicians exerted best efforts in anticipating medical problems and complications, and have promptly addressed them, they cannot be blamed for the patient’s fatal outcome.

In the CDO-Iligan case, cause-oriented groups are pointing an accusing finger on the government for not having taken action on the warning of such catastrophe at the start of P-Noy’s term. It was a tragedy that was predicted to happen with reasonable certainty—based on factual evidence—and the government’s response to the warning was more like the response of the village folks who thought that it was just a case of the little boy who cried wolf.

From the government’s perspective, they believed it was a problem that had no solution. For how can thousands of residents in areas defined as critically in danger can be convinced to uproot themselves, leave their dwellings and livelihood and relocate themselves to another government-designated area. The supplication for providential protection was believed to be sufficient to keep the problem at bay.

Lack of political will

Looking at it from another perspective, it was another case of lack of political will. If the danger to lives, limb and property were really deemed credible and imminent, the government could have shown a sense of urgency compelling people to relocate, even against their wishes. The government could have heeded the experts’ advice and spared no efforts to communicate this to those in critical areas.

The lessons from Sendong are too painful and reviewing them feels like rubbing salt on a sore wound. But this has to be done; and again, a strong political will is needed to make sure the painful lessons are learned and mastered, so that history will not repeat itself; as it has happened so many times in this country.

There will be more Ondoys, Sendongs and grimmer climate-related catastrophes coming. That, the experts tell us, they know for sure. Global warming is not fiction. It is as real as common colds, hepatitis and strokes. Something has to be done urgently. And the sooner the government and everyone realize this, the better it will be; so, many more thousands of lives could be spared.

Despite the sad yearend experience from Sendong, we wish everyone a most blessed and meaningful New Year. We’re still a blessed nation and there’s still too much to be grateful and optimistic for.