PEACE-MAKER
The massive flooding in Metro Manila and various areas in Central Luzon caused by super typhoon Carina prompted many of our countrymen to recall the catastrophic Ondoy that struck on September 2009, which submerged the metropolis, destroyed properties, rendered thousands of families homeless, and killed hundreds of people.
This 87-year-old columnist was also reminded of the widespread flooding that besieged the National Capital Region and parts of Central and Northern Luzon in the same month – July – 52 years ago. We were a young, first term congressman, representing then the second district of Pangasinan.
The year was 1972, when our country was battered by typhoon Gloring, followed successively by three more, namely, Huaning, Isang, and Konsing. For a month, intermittent heavy rains fell, inundating Metro Manila as well as Central and Northern Luzon, including our home province Pangasinan. People were forced to stay on their rooftops for several days. Many were stranded. Vehicles sank in floodwaters. For a while, there was a shortage of food, drinking water, and medicine.
According to the then Weather Bureau (now Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA), the rains of July to August 1972 were the heaviest to hit the Philippines since 1911. Some articles refer to the incident as “The Great Philippine Flood of 1972.”
Another natural disaster that occurred in the month of July was the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1990, which devastated Central and Northern Luzon leaving some 2,500 people dead, thousands injured, and an estimated P20 billion worth of damages.
The Philippines is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire and along the typhoon belt, an area around the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur, thus one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Due to our country’s natural geography, typhoons are part of our national life. On average, we are hit by 20 typhoons per year.
Natural disasters, particularly typhoons, are formidable forces of nature that leave trails of destruction and despair. By the grace of God and our unshakeable faith, we are always able to rise from them. Truly, typhoons, earthquakes, and other calamities can destroy houses, infrastructure, and other properties but they can never shatter the indomitable spirit of the Filipino.
However, it is also imperative and more crucial than ever to prepare for and mitigate the impacts of these calamities, which frequency and intensity is further exacerbated by climate change.
Among the most effective and natural methods is tree planting. Trees play a crucial role in reducing the severity of the natural disasters by stabilizing soil, managing water flow, and acting as wind breaks. Tree planting also provides long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits that contribute to a more resilient and sustainable future.
The urgency of tree planting cannot be overstated. The rise in global temperatures, extreme weather events – like recurrent and more devastating super typhoons, massive flooding, vast forest fires – among others, all over the world are indeed clear indicators of our planet’s perilous state.