Evacuees and refugees

Once again, we are witnessing how the local and the national governments are responding to volcanic eruptions and evacuees.

After several past volcanic eruptions, government should already by now be proactively prepared/ready to manage evacuees most especially.

However, like their reactive response to typhoons, it is frustrating once again to see how unprepared government is managing the present simultaneous eruptions of Mayon and Taal.

While we commend the early evacuation of the residents within the six-kilometer danger zone and the distribution of food and other relief goods, we question whether government is ready to manage the evacuees’ needs should Mayon Volcano take longer time to erupt.

Already, evacuees have expressed the lack of water in the evacuation area. One who has to travel hours from their present evacuation site to get to her school said she has difficulty getting to school on time because she has to fetch water from the well to be used for bathing.

If water is not readily available in evacuation centers, then what else are not available now/sustainably to respond to the other needs of the evacuees?

The statements of Marcos Jr. himself called attention to what government has not prepared for earlier.

At Guinobatan Community College evacuation center, Marcos Jr. said “concerned government agencies must prepare to cover 90 days of relief assistance, or the estimated maximum period of unrest of the volcano, to take load off local government units.”

Given the experiences of past eruptions, local and national government should by now have enough ready short-and-long-term supply of relief assistance. No need for any reminder about this given priority.

Again, there was no need also for Marcos Jr. to emphasize the obvious: “The government is ready to provide cash assistance.”

If government properly learned from past eruption experiences, of course, cash should not just be ready to be provided. Marcos Jr. should have said instead that sufficient cash is already available now and until the emergency is over.

The dictator’s son also said that government should not only provide cash but mental health support as well.

Again, any disaster relief program should already, by now, have existing mechanisms and personnel to address the physical, mental, and psychological needs of evacuees (sensitive to age-gender groups, and the PWDs) and the educational needs of students among the evacuees.

Economic safety nets should also, by now, be available to cushion the impact of loss of farm produce, livelihood, and businesses.

For eruptions and other disasters such as typhoons, storm surges, earthquakes, there should be evacuation centers ready with basic and sustainable amenities/services provided for sufficiently, for short-long term exigencies.

Sadly, politicians do not prioritize well-equipped evacuation centers as much as reclamation and road-bridge-market-airport projects.

Why not?

Oh, politicians can have millions and more reasons they can cite for prioritizing other more expensive infrastructures rather than evacuation centers. When will they ever learn to prioritize people, to be proactive, not reactive in their responses to disasters and emergencies?

Or will they ever learn at all?

When will the Filipino people also learn/unite to demand good, transparent, effective governance from public officials? Or again, will we ever learn at all?

This is a question for the global community as well. When will governments prioritize the needs of the needy evacuees and refugees?

Last June 14, at least 79 migrants drowned when their overloaded boat capsized and sank near Greece. Rescue continues to search for the missing among the estimated 400 to 750 people on board the vessel.

With their basic needs not provided for by their governments, many risk their lives and board overcrowded and small boats they hope will bring them to distant shores and allow them to live in better humane conditions.

Many refugees, sadly, never reached or were refused entry at their destination.