EDITORIAL
Diana Grace Uy

Our country is always a prime candidate for floods each time the rainy season hits. The usual regions are prepared for it but certainly not the places such as NCR where flooding was mostly manageable. That was not the case when tropical storm Ondoy brought devastation to our country. It left lots of people stranded and people in low areas climbing to the roofs to avoid the watery wrath of this storm. Even now, weeks after Ondoy left us in devastation, many still have not yet recovered from the shock and unprecedented extensive loss to lives and property.

It should be sensible for us to describe Ondoy as part-nature’s wrath part man-made disaster. Understanding the nature component of the calamity can only be addressed by our ability to prepare or in this case failure to prepare for such events. The human component points to no other than our wasteful, neglectful lifestyle and being careless in our responsibilities towards our environment.

We are facing a series of typhoons and storms waiting to occur. Gone is the common perception that rains and strong winds are about our traditional wet season. We have been thoroughly warned by Ondoy that unless we prepare and reform, the worst is yet to happen to us. This is a wakeup call and I know for certain eyes have been opened.