Pagbabago

Our Greatest Hurdles Are Cultural

By DR. FLORANGEL ROSARIO BRAID

MANILA, Philippines — P-Noy summed up his assessment of the damage caused by the recent floods by asking the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and some experts to seek a permanent solution to flooding. The amount of Php 352 billion has been allotted for the building and rehabilitation of infrastructure and another Php 52 billion for the relocation of over 19,5000 families which we understand will be spread out for the next five years. International funding agencies have pledged financial or material resources during this period of reconstruction.

We hope that this time when we say, “Never again” like we did after Ondoy, we would match this phrase with concrete action. Our greatest hurdles in our efforts at rebuilding – whether during times of war or peace – are cultural in nature. The greatest enemy is within us – lack of determination, patience, tenacity in the pursuit of a goal. We do not have much trust in ourselves and in others. This makes it difficult for people to cooperate with one another, to sustain what they have started, and to abide with existing rules.

Thus laws and local ordinances are often violated. Many in the bureaucracy are “turf” conscious, and often do not see the importance of looking at a problem within a more comprehensive framework. Thus, solutions are often found to be piecemeal, sectoral, based on individual interests rather than that of the community.

Over the years, we have witnessed how this lack of trust has been carried out in government policies. We can understand the need to shift gears and to throw out projects tainted with corruption, but those that have worked for the common good should be retained. PNoy had done that with the conditional Cash Transfer program which he continued and even expanded.

The problem with having many talented experts is that for every problem, there are about a dozen or more solutions competing with one another. But unlike in the legislature where bills are eventually consolidated, project proposals in both the executive and the private sector are selected through bidding which eventually marginalizes those who had failed in the negotiation.

I was talking with some architects who agree with the current leadership’s notion that we now should have centralized evacuation centers, a massive relocation plan, a land use plan that integrates disaster preparedness, and local ordinances for more effective property development and waste management. The relocation centers must not merely provide housing but also have provisions for social (schools, churches, recreation centers), economic (work opportunities) for the resettled. They likewise support the Department of Public Works and Highways’ flood control master plan which according to DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson has integrated valuable lessons from the past.

I have read project documents from both international and local development agencies and individual experts (architects and urban planners) on the rehabilitation of Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay – proposals that had been prepared as early as the 70’s. Because of the enormous resource requirements and the fact that as a people, we are more inclined to respond to “crisis” rather than “preventive” or “preparedness” measures, these projects did not merit serious consideration.

Well, we are now reaping the outcome of benign neglect and the absence of anticipatory planning.

NDRRMC estimates that rains from Habagat had already affected close to 600,000 families or more than 2.6 million individuals in 156 towns and 34 cities in 16 provinces in 6 regions. A total of 821 evacuation centers serve some 77,000 families.

Climate change specialists say that it would get worse before it gets any better. That means we have to brace ourselves up for the next 12 typhoons which are expected to come before the end of the year.