Ready For The Next Storm?

So far we can conclude that we have weathered the election storm with relatively minor collateral damage. In a country where election violence is not uncommon, this is a good thing. But no sooner as the election season clears, it is time to buckle up for the next storm season - literally.

In about four months it will be the anniversary of typhoon Ondoy, perhaps the most devastating storm that has hit Metro Manila in a century. This typhoon, internationally known as Ketsana, unleashed untold misery to Metro Manila, resulting in hundreds of deaths and billions of pesos in damages.

When the new typhoon season is at our doorstep, are we prepared for another Ondoy? Granted, a storm like that doesn't hit every year, but that does not justify inaction. It is safe to say that Manila's infrastructure was in a deplorable state long before Ondoy hit. Even mild typhoons caused knee high flooding in the city's lower lying regions. I remember reading an article in the New York Times outlining all the things wrong with Manila's beleaguered infrastructure. It listed things such as clogged drainage systems, the lack of a Doppler radar station to accurately measure precipitation of coming weather disturbances and, most importantly of all, the lack of political will to enforce rules and regulations undermining the city's defenses against flooding.

After the storm hit, many bright minds came together to draw on the lessons learnt from Ondoy, and came up with various measures to ensure better preparedness in case another severe storm strikes. Most importantly, they also noted that the excessive rainfall and resulting floods caused by Ondoy may no longer be a freak of nature, but instead become a regular occurrence as climate change continues.

So what has been done so far? We have had almost one year to prepare for the next typhoon season. Has the Doppler radar been installed? Have there been improvements made to urban planning? Have waterways been cleared out? Have trash collection efforts been scaled up? What about reforestation programs to counter land slides? Have environmental laws and ordinances been enforced?

All questions to which I was unable to find an answer. Maybe you know? If you do, please leave a comment!