By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

SURPRISINGLY, the rain didn’t flood EDSA. We drove to the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) to accompany my niece Ashang for an important appointment, anticipating a little flooding, having watched videos on TikTok and FB, but the heavy rain seemed to be absorbed by the pavement as quickly as it fell. This is not the case in some parts of Metro Manila where streets became swimming pools for kids, to which the President conceded it was difficult to address and we can only hope that the water will eventually find itself reunited with the sea. This, despite Manila having spent billions of dollars on flood mitigation projects.

Pangasinan was hardly hit like the Baywalk in Lingayen, where the sea literally came to shore and reclaimed coastal space. Journalist Cesar Ramirez drove along the stretch in his motor bike, determined to share with the public the status of the province devastated by tropical storm Kristine. Other netizens posted a similar occurrence at Tondaligan Blue Beach (Bonuan Blue Beach) in Dagupan City. Albay province was in a declared a state of calamity. Damage to crops were reported in Naga City and nearby provinces. Kristine devastated crop, property and lives, as the Senate dealt with typhoon Quiboloy who based on testimonies, preyedand destroyed the lives of children and women members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC or KJC), a religious organization he founded in 1985. During the face-off with his accusers presented at the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros, Quiboloy portrayed a meek countenance, in contrast to his usual flamboyance and arrogance as the “Appointed Son of God” and the “Owner of the Universe”.

Typhoons in our lives do not happen by accident. Kristine buried some parts of Pangasinan under water. Journalist Yolanda Sotelo, in her timeline dated 24 October lamented: “If I remember my flood history right, it rained for almost two weeks in November in 1972 (that’s kagagawan ni typhoon Yoling! ) before Luzon went under water.  Uy, bata pa ako noon, and I remember we enjoyed wading in the flood kasi malinis (a questionable assumption siyempre) at malinaw. Why now, just a day of rain and an entire region is heavily flooded, even up to roof of most houses?” My quick reply: Two of the reasons: the natural flow of rivers have been blocked/taken over by commercial activities and the trees have been felled.”

Those are just two of the apparent reasons why we are in this calamitous situation. The underlying reason is that the citizenry did not care as much for the well-being of the web of life, not only here in the Philippines, but throughout most of the world, except for countries like Bhutan, where the barometer for progress is the Gross Happiness Index (GHI). Bhutan is conscious of preserving its environment, physically and spiritually, building inner fortitude to withstand the onslaught of climate change, or spiritual corruption. This kind of fortitude entails determination, dedication and patriotism from the citizenry especially among a country’s leaders. How do we breed such leaders if the dominant paradigm glorify power and corruption?

It appears that nature forces the realignment of things, coming in abruptly, imposing its own will, notwithstanding the greed and the sophistication of the human mind. It may be a long process before realignment occurs, but it is inevitable, considering that the carrying capacity of the environment is close to its critical point, and may spare no one, including humans.

 

One, once again

forced by heavy rain, the waters flow
settle in the mouth of the rivers
where the tide reunites with the stream
eventually becoming
one with the sea
the sea, settles its rage
having claimed its own
once again

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