The bigger tragedy

construction materials suddenly skyrocketed following the devastation wrought by Typhoon Cosme.

With thousands of homes either totally wrecked or partially damaged, the construction market was obviously ripe and bursting with demand.

The numbers are staggering: 38,000 houses in Pangasinan and the neighboring province of La Union were totally damaged plus another 77,000 houses were partially damaged, bulk of which are in Pangasinan.

Early on, local officials have already raised appeals to businessmen not to take advantage of such an unfortunate turn of events. But alas! These appeals fell on deaf ears.

The increase in construction materials costs have been equally staggering: More than 40 percent for galvanized iron sheets, which is the most needed material as the typhoon’s strong winds blew off many a roof; and somewhere between 20 to 30 percent for most other things such as cement, steels bars and even nails and steel wires.

Commendation is due to the provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry for its    effort   to keep a tab on the situation by arresting traders found to have been quick in changing their price tags. These unscrupulous businessmen, of course, were just as quick to point their fingers to their suppliers whom they claim to have raised prices over the last month since the typhoon lashed on May 17.

The DTI provincial director, Peter Mangabat, did acknowledge that there has been a rise in the prices of construction materials elsewhere in the country, including the capital Metro Manila where most of the province’s supply is sourced as point of entry, but nowhere near as much as the increases we are seeing in the province.

Undeniably, greed is rearing its ugly head hereabouts where free market forces are at work. And that is a tragedy much more devastating than any natural calamity.

Our government, especially those here at the local level, are not powerless within this capitalist environment. There are laws and policies that are intended to control precisely such abuses.

The business sector, which has shown much generosity in the wake of the disaster by giving financial donations and relief goods to the victims, must also take initiative to police their own.

In the long term, both the politicians and the businesses stand to gain more from a recovered citizenry and a rehabilitated province.

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