When Ondoy and Pepeng meet Pinoys

By Paul Anthony Eso
(Vol. XXVII No. 15, Editorial Cartoon)

When Ondoy and Pepeng meet Pinoys

Recently, the Filipino nation has two uninvited cruel visitors which we wished have not visited at all – Ondoy (International Name: Ketsana) and Pepeng (International Name: Parma). Both typhoons, in the span of their short visits in the Philippines, did not only make this country suffer, but also exposed how lame the Philippine government is and how superficial the commitments of Filipino leaders and leaders-to-be are.

When Ondoy visited the Philippines on the afternoon of September 26, it brought the worst rainfall to a large part of Luzon – a rainfall which was said to be equivalent to a month of rain. It killed people; it destroyed properties – Ondoy was even dubbed as the most destructive typhoon recorded in the past 40 years in the country. As reported, Ondoy caused billions of damages and killed hundreds of lives. As estimated, it will take about a year before the Filipino nation could recover from its loss.

Moreover, Ondoy did not only give depressing pictures on the span of its visit but also on its aftermath. Days after Ondoy struck, everyone was tormented to see how immensely it has affected the lives of a lot of people – muddy houses; dead people and animals found everywhere; destroyed properties and sources of livelihood; and the most depressing: hunger, homelessness, and hopeless people. Ondoy stole the hope of some Filipinos and tested the faith of others.

Due to Ondoy’s destructive visit, the Philippine government declared a ‘state of calamity’ on the affected areas. It also sought for international humanitarian assistance from the world community. The United Nations also took part by pleading to other nations to help the typhoon victims. Over a hundred relief centers opened into action, with thousands of concerned citizens immediately offering donations or volunteering their services.

Barely a week after Ondoy’s visit, while the Filipino nation is still shocked with Ondoy’s aftermath, Pepeng came in uninvited in the afternoon of October 2 bringing rains that consequently caused floods and landslides. Pepeng is maybe less forbidding than Ondoy but still, the damages it caused, particularly in agriculture, cost billions. Pepeng is maybe less harsh than Ondoy but still, it soaked a lot of Filipino homes and livelihood with flood water and killed hundreds of people.

In the past two weeks since Pepeng and Ondoy visited the Philippines, the death toll reached 699, with 462 injured and 87 missing as stated in the latest reports published in Manila Bulletin. Moreover, infrastucture and agriculture damages amounted to P15 billion with more reports expected to come.

Ondoy and Pepeng’s visits indeed made the lives of many Filipinos miserable. It made this nation submerged in floods that washed away the hopes of almost everybody. Moreover, their visits also tested the kind of government we have – unfortunately, what they revealed is a lame government of a disaster-prone nation. Their visits tested how truly committed our leaders and leaders-to-be are – and sorry to say, what they have revealed are superficial leaders who are only good in words but never in action.

The visits of Ondoy and Pepeng revealed that the Philippine government is never prepared for big calamities. At the height of the two typhoons, it was discovered that the government does not even have sufficient equipment to rescue the almost hopeless victims; to feed the hungry evacuees and to reach out even a little help to the unfortunate ones.

It is so ironic that the Philippine government can spend millions for a dinner of the Philippine president and her party, but incapable in providing the needs of the typhoon victims. It is so ironic that our leaders and our aspiring leaders can spend millions for their political ads, but at this grim point in the lives of a lot of Filipinos, most of them are not visible. It is so ironic that the Philippine government is begging help from other countries when in the past months, it has been spending lavishly on senseless causes.

Ondoy and Pepeng, when they met Pinoys, revealed what Filipinos really have. Uunfortunately, what they revealed is as saddening as their aftermath.