It is but natural and expected that persons grieve and weep if death and disaster happen to their kith and kin. This time however, it seems that the entire nation and even the global community are grieving and mourning for the people in the Visayas who bore the brunt and the wrath of “Yolanda†considered as the world’s strongest typhoon on record that made a landfall in that part of our country. Indeed people all over the country and in many other parts of the world expressed their sorrow and grief over the tragedy hitting our countrymen there even if they are not related or even known to them.
Personally I have also witnessed so many violent and devastating storms that have occurred in many parts of our country causing so much grief, pain and sufferings to our countrymen. But this is the first time in my life perhaps when I cannot help but shed tears every time those heart wrenching photos or videos and images of the tragic death and destruction caused by Typhoon “Yolanda†are aired and published in media.
The nation’s grief and sadness over the miserable situation of the people in the typhoon stricken area are further compounded by feelings of frustration and helplessness in coming to their aid after witnessing the delayed response of the national government to give them the much needed aid and relief within the earliest possible time. It is really so frustrating to see and learn that in the midst of this deadliest catastrophe to hit our country and people, our President was reported as still playing divisive politics and the blame-game to justify the national government’s apparently delayed and inadequate action in delivering the relief goods to the victims.
It appears that the national government’s initial and immediate response to the calamity is more in words than in real actions. It did not expect that the typhoon will be of such magnitude so it was initially caught unprepared and virtually “paralyzedâ€, as foreign correspondents observed. (In fact it was reported that before the typhoon hit the country P-Noy expected “zero†casualty). So, tons of foreign and local relief goods remain undelivered up to now while volunteers offering their humanitarian services are still unable to proceed to the typhoon stricken areas six days after it happened.
This actual situation is not merely according to the media but to the typhoon victims themselves. Many victims have not received any relief goods six days after the calamity causing extreme hunger and thirst among them forcing some of them to resort to extreme measures describe by media as “looting.†Under such circumstances, they deserve more understanding and compassion instead of being blamed and punished. In fact even our laws understand their situation and consider their actions to be justified, or they may be exempted from criminal liability because: (1) they are acting to avoid an existing evil or injury greater than the act done (Art 11, Section 4, Revised Penal Code); or (2) they are acting under an impulse of an uncontrollable fear of an equal or greater injury (idem, Article 12, Section 6). Certainly, extreme hunger and thirst constitute actual threat to life which is a greater injury than the loss of goods belonging to another.
Obviously our country and our people are continuously exposed to natural calamities like the last tropical cyclone considered the strongest typhoon in world’s history. It is just unfortunate that our land is geographically situated along the path of the wrath of natural disasters because we are within the “ring of fire,†where such deadly and destructive calamity is really bound to happen sometime.
And it is also unfortunate that up to now after being an independent Republic for 67 years we still have a government that plays non-stop politics of self service rather than real public service, a government where public office is considered a personal trust than a public trust and a government where corruption remains rampant.
These two unfortunate situations have really brought us countless trials, tribulations and sufferings which seem to be part and parcel of our national life although we are still hoping to be able to do something about the bad governance we continue to have. With what is happening to us, it is really understandable to ask why? Why us?
But looking at it on the brighter side, we are not really that unfortunate especially our geographical location exposing us to the cruel vicissitudes of nature. Indeed this worst situation, causing us untold problems, sufferings and trials have also made us one of the strongest and most resilient people on earth. In this connection and as I ponder on the recent deadliest typhoon to hit our country, I am reminded of a text message I recently received which says that: “The strongest people have the worst problems, worst trials, worst situations but it is not because God wants them to suffer but because God trusts them so much that He gave them something He knows they can overcome.†Indeed we are just like gold which can be purified only by placing it in a burning furnace.
At this stage, it may really be hard to tell our suffering countrymen in the Visayas to look at what happened to them on the positive side and be thankful for everything. It will really take time before they can move forward and see the positive side to their sad and bitter experiences. The rest of us however can just pray for them now so that eventually they may also realize that these sad events are God’s way of purifying them just like gold and are therefore experiences they have be thankful for anyway.
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Email: attyjosesison@gmail.com