Deretsahan
Flawed protocol of BFAR
By Bebot Villar
IT’S unfortunate that one person had to die in Bolinao the other week simply for eating tahong! Well, in the days that followed, 32 persons more had to be taken to different hospitals in western Pangasinan because of paralytic shellfish poisoning.
It appears na hindi alam ng kawawang mga biktima na ang mga kinain nilang tahong was contaminated by red tide toxins. Who would have thought ba naman na may red tide sa Bolinao sa mga araw na iyon when shellfish bulletin na inilabas ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) the week before the incident, red tide alert was only raised in Bani town. Tinanggal na nga ng BFAR sa listahan ang Alaminos City at that time na halos dalawang buwan nang may red tide sa mga coastal waters nito.
Sabi ng municipal administrator ng Bolinao, tuwing Martes nagsasagawa ng water sampling ang BFAR at ang resulta ng tests ay inihahayag tuwing Biyernes. At sa kanilang pinakahuling test, wala namang red tide sa Bolinao.
It was Tuesday noong isang linggo nang muling magsagawa ng water sampling ang BFAR and as usual, Friday pa lalabas ang resulta. Wednesday naman nang manguha ng tahong ang mga taga-Bolinao. From that day till Saturday, people had complained of severe abdominal pains, diarrhea and other symptoms of food poisoning that they had to be taken to the hospital. They did not know that what they had eaten were red tide-contaminated mussels.
Many wondered why BFAR did not release the test results right away? Did it not have the capability to send out the alert? Why did it delay in sending the alert?
I was told that results of water testing are quickly known but why does it require BFAR office in Manila bago ito mai-announce it? Kasi daw officials in Manila lamang daw are authorized to announce the results.
If this is true, aba’y this is a flawed system! We are talking about the lives of the people here and it is the government’s duty to protect the people from anything what will endanger their lives and health!
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The government’s disaster risk reduction preparedness was again put to test when typhoon ‘Ruby’ crossed the Visayas last week.
Local government units were quick to evacuate ng marami nating mga kababayang nasa danger zones. At sa pagkakataong ito, naging masunurin na rin ang ating mga kababayan dahil agad din silang lumikas sa mga evacuation centers. Ayaw na nilang maulit ang naging karanasan natin sa bagyong si Yolanda na kung saan marami ang namatay dahil hindi sila lumikas sa mga mas ligtas na lugar.
Batay sa mga TV reports, many in coastal towns in Eastern Samar still lost their homes. Nagtumbahan din ang mga poste ng kuryente at punong-kahoy doon and isolated a number of barangays at hindi kaagad narating ng mga rescue and relief workers. Subali’t sa kabuuan, ayon sa assessment ng National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center, the loss of lives was minimal dahil sa kahandaan ng mga LGU sa pagharap sa disaster.
Ang isang naging kapuna-puna lamang ay ang kakulangan ng mga evacuation centers sa maraming lugar. All the centers were overcrowded kung kaya’t sa ilang lugar sa Visayas, including caves, sila lumipat.
It was also good that people began taking alerts and warning of the weather bureau seriously. After all, ang weather bureau ang naging mata ng pamahalaan para makita ang galaw ng bagyong si Ruby.
Ano mang pangyayari sa ating bansa ay nagiging learning experience hindi lamang para sa ating pamahalaan, kundi sa atin, bilang mga mamamayan.
There are at least 20 typhoons ang dumadaan sa Pilipinas every year. At dahil sa global warming, weather disturbance gets worse each time. Kaya’t dapat ding mas pag-ibayuhin natin ang paghahanda para makaiwas sa tiyak na sakuna.
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Another policeman was arrested in Bayambang, Pangasinan last week for selling shabu. Pulis na naman! At isang PO1, meaning, siya’y bagong pasok lamang na pulis!
Mabuti na lang at agad nabisto ang gawain ng tiwaling pulis na ito. Baka kung nagtagal pa ito at tumaas pa ang rank niya ay maging big time drug trafficker siya!
Nakaka-high blood lang na mayroon pa ring mga law enforcers involved in illegal drug trading. Our government agencies are working hard to stop illegal drug trafficking in the country, pero heto siya, kasama pala sa mga nagtutulak! Sayang ang career niya! Sayang ang matagal mong training para lamang maging pulis! His kind should be promptly dismissed and jailed.
Sana magpatuloy na maging mapagmasid ang ating mga mamamayan at agad i-report ang ganitong mga klaseng pulis para agad matigil ang kasamaan nila.
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