Weather forecasters were again placed in the spotlight last week for their not-so-accurate predictions.
Days predicted to be rainy turned out to be simply cloudy days with some light showers.
Acting on the Pag-asa prediction, classes were suspended but the forecasted rains shied away.
Although we’d rather have Pag-asa err that way than to predict a sunny day that would turn out to be a stormy one.
We’re just glad that the overflowing rivers last week did not take with it any human life, even as it stripped some bridges of their foundations. Had the floods lasted a few hours longer, several of those bridges would have again been washed away.
We’re putting so many government resources, not just in Dumaguete but in Negros Oriental, toward ensuring that the public would be safe when the rivers would overflow. And whenever the rivers do overflow, moving the people to safer ground posts another challenge as everyone wants to actually go near the river to see the torrential flood pass by.
Of course, we know this is easier said than done especially that elected local executives only have three-year terms, but for a start, perhaps government can discourage people from living along the riverbanks; unless they can prove they won’t require government assistance when it rains.
If government is able to convince residents to abandon their homes to make way for roads, or to expand the port area, surely, government can do the same for riverbank settlements.
If no one lives in the danger zone, our government wouldn’t have to worry too much whenever the rains come.
And it can put more resources in areas that also matter in our lives like education, health, and livelihood. Even with erroneous weather forecasts.
