President Duterte visited Ormoc City, one of the most affected by a series of earthquakes in the Visayas, and assured residents of Leyte that the government is there to help them get back on their feet, as he expressed satisfaction over government relief efforts, declaring: “Narito kami kasi tutulong kami sa inyo. Meron nang programa ang gobyerno kung paano ang gagawin sa mga tulong na dumating,” adding that the government would prioritize getting electricity back in the area.
Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez said they were told they would have electricity by August.
The mention of Ormoc rings familiar when thinking of disasters, as before the recent 6.5 magnitude earthquake and Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, the City faced a powerful storm that submerged parts of it in the morning of November 5, 1991 when Typhoon Uring (international name Thelma) bore down on Leyte, wreaking havoc, and burying the eastern and western plains of the Province into water, sediments, and debris. At least 4,000 people were killed in the flashfloods triggered by heavy rains. Some 3,000 people were injured, and about 2,500 were reported missing after the floods. In just over three hours of flooding, waters rose an average of three to five feet; at the peak of the flooding, waters rose by seven feet in 15 minutes, according to a 1992 report by the Manila Observatory’s Environmental Research Division.
Illegal logging and deforestation were to blame for the landslides; the geographic conditions in the area were also considered.
Does this sound familiar? Have you seen this phenomenon in your locality? Think Climate Change.
In 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country, left a trail of devastation along Eastern Visayas, killing more than 6,000 people.
In Ormoc, power and communication lines were cut off, and roads were left impassable, leaving the City isolated.
To date, authorities have moved to bring back normalcy in Ormoc City and other Leyte areas hit by the quake, as residents grapple with the lack of electricity, and relief assistance hampered by heavy rains, aftershocks, and resulting landslides.
Many have responded with the needed relief assistance including civic groups, private individuals, schools, in addition to government assistance.
Now is the time for our local leaders and citizens alike, to think hard about the vulnerability of our lowlands, in view of the degradation of our forests, the riverbanks, and other areas due to unregulated quarrying and mining activities.
We need to take Climate Change issues seriously. We need to take care of mother earth; it’s the only planet we’ve got.
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
