EDITORIAL

Madyaas Pen June 22 – 28, 2008 ISSUE

Typhoon Frank Teaches Lessons

An ancient adage states: “Ro disgrasya indi makalipot sa kuko”. (Accident cannot happen around your fingernail.) This simply means accident happens unnoticed at the most unexpected time and place. So elders, man of age and wisdom, often give advise to be cautious of what we do in whatever place and at all times, and be prepared to any accident that may happen.

“Ang taong laging handa ay ligtas”, said Kuya Kim. This is the Boy Scout Motto “Be prepared.” How prepared was Aklan before Typhoon Frank came without mercy, destroyed properties, injured persons and killed people? Did we prepare for the arrival of Frank which brought 140 – 170 kilometers per hour wind, mud which buried Poblacion, Kalibo 8 inches to one foot deep and barangays of Numancia and up to the ceiling flood water that killed and injured people, killed livestock and poultry, eroded vegetable and other crops. Flood water submerged motor vehicles and engineering equipment in water making it inoperable.

In Aklan, the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council before the coming of Frank held several regular meetings among its members. However, observation reveals and records will show, if not damaged by flood, that most of the regular members did not attend. Only representatives or their substitutes who often could not commit on matters which demand immediate decision were sent to attend. During some regular meetings, it were disasters itself for the regular members were absent, but their substitutes. I was lucky to see three municipal mayors attending simultaneously in a meeting.

Moreover, the most frequent matters listed in the agenda were criminality in the province, new People’s Army, the illegal such as gambling and drugs. The occurrence of strong winds and flood with mud were seldom discussed if ever. Unexpectedly, Frank came which brought killer winds, flood and mud. We expected wind, but not that strong. We expected flood, but not that deep, and we never expected mud.

Why Typhoon, Flood and Mud?

Whirlwind, flood and mud came on June 21 at daytime. The damage to lives could have been more if it came in the evening. Flood was so sudden, people have no time to evacuate. The designated evacuation center, ABL Sports Center was flooded anyway. All documents, furniture, appliances, computers were all wet and dirty with mud, if not carried by strong current. Any thing located in the ground floors of all private and government buildings were damaged. It was history. Shall we allow history to repeat itself? Typhoon Frank taught us several lessons.

Almost everyone knows why typhoon occurs. Continuous raining in a community results to flood. However, why the flood on June 21 was extremely deep which carried mud that buried Kalibo, Aklan 8 to 12 inches deep?

First, there was that almost 24 hours continuous rain which resulted to 13.2 inches or more than one foot deep rain water. Since the upper communities are so wide than Kalibo and Numancia, flood water was consolidated that became the deepest in the history of Aklan calamities. Why did water carried mud and deposited it in Poblacion, Kalibo, Aklan?

According to Libacao Mayor Charito Navarosa, the continuous rain in the mountains of Libacao has loosened the soil that led to the uprooting of huge trees. These huge trees with its leaves formed artificial reservoirs. When too much water accumulated in those ponds, it gave in thereby water simultaneously flew bringing with it sandy loam soil.

Since Aklan river and its tributaries had became shallow due to siltation and irresponsible sand and gravel quarrying, construction of structures on creeks, water overflowed as flood. Since Kalibo and part of Numancia are on the seacoast, flood waters met the sea water there. This prompted the flood water to linger in Kalibo and Numancia before it receded at low tide. This allowed mud to settle in Kalibo and Numancia. /MP