“Opinion has caused more troubles on this little planet than plagues or earthquakes” – Voltaire
When an earthquake shook Cebu on September 30, a few more followed that seemed unstoppable. They had devastating impacts socio-economically, ecologically including mentally and psychologically.
ECONOMIC LOSS, LIVES LOST
The Cebu earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 cost an estimated P3 billion in infrastructure including roads, bridges and even structures of heritage. Classes were halted and transport operations were suspended for some time. There was disruption of public utilities services and delays in the delivery of public services among local government units in the province’s affected cities and municipalities. It vanished 70 lives leaving other family members in grief and disbelief. On October 10, it was followed by another one, this time in Davao Oriental, after a series of aftershocks with a higher magnitude of 7.4. This second shake-up caused 10 deaths with more than P2B pesos in damage, subsequently followed by not less than 20 aftershocks raising a tsunami warning but was lifted later.
On Wednesday, another earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 with epicenter in Guimbal town in Iloilo was reportedly triggered by seismic movement along the Philippine trench. This latest earthquake was considered moderate yet disrupted normal business operations and government services including nearby provinces.
These series of natural calamities are expected to continue because the Philippines sits in the Circum-Pacific belt and is home to almost 900 active and dormant volcanoes where 90% of the earthquakes happen. Unsurprisingly, the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of climate change impacts, particularly long-term high risk and current extreme weather events according to the latest report by Germanwatch. Extreme weather events are droughts, floods, typhoons causing a great amount of economic and ecological losses.
MULTIPLE WHAMMY
On top of these climate change impacts, we also sit on the laps of some people’s greed for power and wealth, and the hope to recover stolen funds from the anomalous flood control projects looks grim. And, while justice and truth are sought, significant damage has been inflicted that is quite irreparable and beyond recovery. And, while our country literally drowns from floods, shaken and buried from earthquakes, we also suffer from equally worse earthquakes and floodings of anomalies caused by a very “systematic and organized” form of corruption.
Ironically, culprits are now being considered to become witnesses. To date, we are now dealt with not only the flood control projects, but extends to other infrastructure contracts in the Supreme Court, department of education and now the health department. More and more anomalies are being uncovered as many are doubtful in the legitimacy and independence of the commission created to investigate the flood control projects.
As this goes on the country’s deficit balloons, national debt rises, short-term jobs are lost and labor migration spitfires as effects of climate change impacts. Not to be outdone, flood control anomalies have far more negative socio-economic impacts such as gradual dip of the gross domestic product due to infrastructure destruction, unproductive agriculture, loss of labor and employment and disrupted products’ supply chains. This will take a considerable period of time towards economic recovery, as hospitality, service and tourism sectors absorb most of the blows while construction, health and insurance may take a “leap of faith” as a matter of sudden economic shift.
Now the government is in a dilemma. Inflation worsens due to lack of supply of products and services as prices continue to increase, especially public utilities, despite regulatory measures. Primary and basic goods’ prices fluctuate while government rechannels funds to emergency spending for assistance and infrastructure rebuilding as imperatives brought about by these calamities.
LOOSE BALANCING ACT, PALLIATIVES
In the offing is the balancing act to arrest the country’s current ecological, socio-economic, political and moral state with tarnished democratic institutions as the people are enraged with the unfolding of more anomalies eroding public trust as they seek truth and justice. Acts of goodwill and pure service are now hounded with doubts and assistance provided to victims are now considered gestures of “politicking” disregarding its sincere and honest intent. The lack of sincerity and the morally damaged democratic institutions over time would seem to become the new norm.
Any public service undertaken is now limited to being palliatives and a stop-gap measure – a loose balancing act in an imbalanced justice system and a devastated ecological set-up stricken and shook up by the force of men more than the force of nature.*
