
“Every storm runs out of rain, just like dark nights turn into day”- Gary Allen
The week-long heavy rains that brought devastating floods in many parts of the Visayas and Luzon was expected with its extent and impact should have been anticipated and prepared for mitigation. The fury of typhoon Kristine wreaking havoc in major parts of Southern Luzon and Visayas areas to date has left scores of people dead and significant damage to residential, industrial, and agricultural areas.
DAMAGED HOMES, TRAUMA
There are almost half a million families (and counting) who have lost their homes that caused deep emotional and psychological traumas among victims due to loss of many of their family members. More than 2 million Filipinos will try to return to their homes, from Northern Luzon to the northern part of the country, largely depending on the assistance from their local and national governments and related agencies. These victims are mostly indigents whose houses are made of light materials and are highly vulnerable to destruction from strong winds and floods. They can only turn to the government for help.
In the past years, trauma has become an occurrence as they stand to witness the loss of their loved ones during floods along danger zones, or suffer from depression and eventually die, which is more painful as they witnessed destruction of their homes and livelihood during natural calamities. This happens year after year with little or no preparedness at all especially in floodplain areas and people who endure living in non-resistant structures. Worse, even presumed safe residential villages are not spared by floods. Potentially, this puts residents living in non-resistant structures in a riskier position – their lives and properties.
AGRICULTURE MOST VULNERABLE
According to the Department of Agriculture’s latest bulletin, initial damage to agriculture is almost 100 million mostly in Northern and Southern Luzon regions with rice as the number one victim in terms of crops. With the projection of another typhoon coming over the weekend and Kristine projected to go back to the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the damage to agriculture is expected to go beyond double.
The sector is considered the most vulnerable to damage from any climate change form. Last year’s drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon caused the sector almost 10 billion and with continuous fury of typhoons one after the other, the damage I can safely say will match, if not surpass the damage caused by drought.
Philippine agriculture, recognized as one of the economic drivers, is now a helpless prey to both drought and rain with limited recovery measures undertaken causing heavy losses to Philippine farming industry especially the small farmers. A study by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies presents that the sector was the highest employer in the 1990’s but has steadily been declining caused by several factors such as impact of climate change as the top most factor followed by declining capital formation or infusion which is mechanization that caused the sector its competitiveness in the international front and food insecurity at the domestic end.
Philippine agriculture is facing several threats in its sustainability with climate change impact topping the list exacerbated by land conversion, lack of labor force, big public spending but little concrete results, and beset with trade policies being so polarized between lobby for support among small producer groups and the influx of imported as a result of removing barriers. In this light, it is important to reassess agriculture for its major transformation and diversification meeting two major objectives – competitiveness and food security.
NEW MITIGATION APPROACH
Climate change impacts are beyond control but can be anticipated according to its pattern albeit unpredictable at times. It is imperative that a new approach must be in order to ensure preparedness. The United Nations has introduced a new approach called Anticipatory Action Framework primarily designed for humanitarian impacts but included agriculture. Foremost is the early identification of risk information, early warning systems and most of all reliable information so that it can be cascaded to our farmers.
It is crucial that farmers are informed to prepare with the aid of government personnel from the agriculture and social welfare departments in order to sustain the livelihood and food security of our farmers and the Filipino people. This would also entail budget re-orientation or channeling to climate change impacts such as drought and floods and these are irrigation and infrastructures to address both threats respectively.*