We ain’t seen nothing yet

By Ermin F. Garcia Jr.

Typhoons come and go in Pangasinan. They have come with such regularity  that most of us have stopped being too overly concerned with each storm alert raised.

“So how will this next typhoon hurt me?” is how we meet news of a storm headed in our direction. But I guess that attitude is now tempered by ‘Cosme’ who showed us that we ain’t seen nothing yet, and what nature’s wrath is all about.

Metro Manilans learned their lesson some two years ago about need for preparation and taking a storm alert seriously. Typhoon Milenyo lashed at the metro with more than 150 kph wind and I recall how Metro Manilans looked so helplessly when they were suddenly homeless, thrown into pitch darkness for two nights while some areas were waterless fordays. You can be sure lessons were learned.

Last week we underestimated Cosme’s fury and we ended up losing lives and valued properties, not to mention precious investments. We didn’t care enough.

Next time you hear or read a storm alert, there’s everything to gain by making the whole family keep track of the predicted time, strength and path of the storm until it exits the region.

The lives and properties you save may be yours!

***

RP IS OVERCROWDED WITH INT’L AIRPORTS. Last week, I read a commentary published in the Phil. Daily Inquirer titled “Surplus of airports amid food deficit’.

I thought it was a timely piece and a “must-read” for our elected officials who insist on hosting an airport in their respective turfs. (To read the full article, go to Inquirer.net and Google ‘Ernesto M. Pernia’ on ‘Search Inquirer’).

The article sought answers to questions why President Arroyo prioritized the construction of another international airport in Panglao Island in Bohol.

Here are some salient points raised in that column for us in Pangasinan to ponder:

1. The country has nine under-utilized international airports ( Laoag, Clark, Subic, NAIA, Iloilo, Mactan, Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, and planned upgrading Cagayan de Oro’s domestic airport). 

2.   Philippines already has more international airports than Thailand and Malaysia in spite of the fact that we have much lower tourist arrivals compared to them.

3.   Philippines with its 9 international airports has the smallest land area among the four countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and RP), the least number of tourists, a GDP per capita just slightly above Indonesia’s which is the lowest, and the highest poverty incidence (percent of population below the official poverty line).

4.  An additional international airport will be superfluous, a misallocation of and a sheer waste of scarce investible funds in a poor country.  Why not improve on other basic infrastructure and social services that otherwise “remain inadequate while one of three Filipinos exists in deep and grinding poverty!”

5. There exists “increasing supply-demand imbalances and ecological instability, highlighted by the global food crisis, inexorable rise in oil prices and climate change” that would certainly adversely affect international travel and tourism.

***

I can only add one argument to Mr. Pernia’s.

No airline has come forward to say the Pangasinan route would be profitable and is prepared to commit itself to will fly to and fro Pangasinan once an international airport is built.

Until the facts change, this obsession over an international airport should remain a worthwhile dream while we keep those lands intended for the airports as rice fields.

(Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/punchline/
For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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