Typhoon "Morakot" was our wakeup call!

It seems that the political casualty wrought by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” is our dear friend, Sen. Loren Legarda who issued a statement that virtually leads us to believe that she has already abandoned her plans to run for President in the 2010 elections. Sen. Loren has proven herself as a true public servant in giving more attention to her humanitarian work than her political ambitions.

This leaves the National People’s Coalition (NPC) Party with no other choice but to the pick on Sen. Chiz Escudero, who will be turning 40 years old on Oct.10 to wage a political battle between the warring Cojuangcos - Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Defense Sec. Gilbert C. Teodoro Jr.

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I flew to Manila last Monday morning. The weather was sunny and when the PAL Airbus was on its final approach, we passed over the worst hit flooded areas of Cainta and Marikina. From my window seat, I saw several houses and streets that were still underwater and understandably so because this is just a couple of kilometers away from the Laguna de Bay. With the record-breaking rains that Tropical Storm “Ondoy” brought down last Saturday, where do you think the water would go, but seek its own level. Marikina and Cainta are situated lower than Quezon City, hence they ended up waterlogged!

Indeed, Tropical Storm “Ondoy” has become Metro Manila’s “Katrina” the Hurricane that flooded New Orleans. A year after Katrina hit New Orleans, I brought my daughter Katrina to New Orleans for a visit. Parts of this great American city was still underwater as the levies were still being repaired. Now what can we expect from a 3rd world country like us? Already fingerpointing has begun and those badly hit by the storm are blaming everyone or anyone, including the government for this disaster!

But if you ask those people who bought or build their homes in Cainta and Marikina, they never thought that the Marikina River would overflow by that much. Even the real estate developers never foresaw this. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando took the blame for the massive flooding in Marikina for not doing much for flood control yet he said that he isn’t resigning from his post.

This brings us to ask that proverbial question: Who was really at fault that Ondoy could bring so much damage to the National Capital Region? Well, it is easy to blame God. But in truth, we Filipinos are just too nonchalant on the events happening around us to give a damn. In truth, Filipinos are just too focused on watching Kris Aquino on tv talking about showbiz and listening to the rantings of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson attacking former Pres. Joseph “Erap” Estrada in his speech wrapped in parliamentary immunity rather than sound the alarm that a typhoon that struck Taiwan only last August might happen to us!

Filipinos didn’t notice Typhoon “Morakot” because it was one rare typhoon that hit Taiwan that wasn’t exported from the Philippines. On Aug.8, 2009 Typhoon “Morakot” struck Taiwan and dumped a year’s worth of rain in just three days! In comparison, T.C. “Ondoy” dumped only a month’s rain in just six hours. CNN covered this typhoon. I won’t forget the image of that six-storey hotel in Chilpen, Taitung County that collapsed into the river as its foundation was eroded by the raging waters.

Taiwan’s government is rich compared to the Philippines, but even they failed to predict the magnitude of the torrential rains that Typhoon “Morakot” dropped into this island nation. That storm displaced a million people and killed hundreds in a landslide that struck the town of Siaolin. Now it has caused a political storm because of the ineptitude of the government as the Taiwanese people accused the government of not being prepared.

Now Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has apologized for the sluggish response to that disaster. If you grab a copy of Time Magazine’s Aug.31 issue you will read that the enraged Taiwanese people from Cishan bore placards with a slogan, “We’d rather have a corrupt President than an inept one!” They were of course referring to former Taiwan Pres. Chen Shui-bian who has been jailed due to corruption charges whom the people felt was better in handling the affairs of the government than the present one.

Taking the cue from the Taiwanese people, this should be a stark reminder to Filipinos who will be electing a new President in the 2010 Presidential elections, that we should choose a competent President, rather than one who is inept! Now who among the Presidentiables are honest, but inept?

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