Miyerkules, Disyembre 25, 2013
Miyerkules, Disyembre 18, 2013
The Global Geohazard System
Crisis Mapping
In 2008 we determined to create a full-function Crisis Mapping project. This was borne out of the persistent eruption of hostilities in Southern Philippines between both communist - Islamist groups on one side and the government on the other. Fresh from the experience at confronting an incorrigible troublemaker such as the Juma'a Abu Sayyap, or more popularly known as Abu Sayyaf, we resolved to push stakeholders to join in formulating the Philippine conflicts crisis map.
This is modeled after the U.S.-Euro academe's successful crime and peacekeeping mapping efforts that had led to wide acceptance and invited broad-based support from as many sectors and as many countries as possible.
After all, the value of life is such that people and institutions, states and combines will pay as high a price as possible for the safety of both individuals and enclaves of people.
Supersites (eathquake sites) of the world scientific community has a interactive map showing the areas where big earthquakes are predicted to happen. Click the image to visit Supersites:
Changed Parameters
One year later, the entire universe for the crisis mapping project had changed. It cannot be called a drastic change since the new directions fell within range of long-held advocacies and persistent efforts. We had began such efforts by provoking officials at the Department of National Defense to modernize.
Among the sources for concepts and ideas of our papers given to the department was an executive formerly engaged as part of a service provider group at a Saudi Arabia military base. The Saudi military and government, thanks to their foreign high-tech service providers in the late 80s were already advanced in the use of GIS, the digitization of all documents, exploiting satellite information among many things.
With various other inputs from visiting colleagues, the advocacy for a fully functional satellite research, GPS and GIS-ready system was pushed at defense department, the National Security Council and at the Department of Transportation and Communications through the suggestion of the administrative officer of the defense secretary.
A large number of milestones were achieved in all of these, one of which was the formulation of the 10-year framework for aerospace concerns and civil aviation development in the Philippines. Ultimately this led to the privatization of the Air Transportation Office that is now the more corporate-run Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Another is the passing of the enabling law for the National Transport Safety Board - patterned from the NTSB model of the United States. Many other small accomplishments were also made along the way, until the shift of our mindset from conflicts mapping into environmental or geohazards mapping. On both these milestones, a company in the United States was the most instrumental of all and provided all the support needed.
Hazards Mapping
That year in 2009 following the terrorist siege at Sulu Province where staff of the International Committee on the Red Cross were abducted by well-connected civilians that turned over the victims to the Juma'a Abu Sayyap for higher stakes in ransom collections, the need for crisis mapping was overshadowed by the critical want for forecasting natural (or even human-made) catastrophes.
While it cannot be discounted that the fighting vs. terror is a universal concern, that political conflicts leading to war is a serious matter, it had to be conceded that disasters ruled the day. When we were running after the terrorists in Sulu Province, one of the laughable incidents was overrunning several camps of the Abu Sayyap simply because they were watching over the boxing match of Manny Pacquiao. You can never do that in a disaster.
When strong rains arrived in Sulu, selected Abu Sayyaf terrorists went down from their lairs pretending to be civilians and acted like very well-behaved refugees in the evacuation centers. Thus it was decided, the shift from conflict flashpoints, crisis mapping will be done in favor of geohazards mapping. (In Quezon Province and Mindoro, among other places, the Philippine communists do the same.
After a considerable number of people died in various disasters in the Philippines, beginning at the time with tropical storm Ketsana (Ondoy), the firm resolve was to transpose all the efforts into a full-scale undertaking to coordinate data, cooperate with neighboring countries on valuable inputs, technology, earth observation, seismologic and volcanology information.
Most especially also, to come up with the definitive integrated map of the Geohazard System from earth observation and other sources to help guide in providing more accurate, timely and well-founded policy, decisions and execution thereof for the sake of disaster readiness.
Above all, to be able to provide credible bulletins, advisories and warnings to the public that whether believed by the receiver, are enough for authorities to haul off potential calamity victims to safer grounds - even with the use of benign force.
This effort in its entirety seeks to define new paradigms and strategies to enhance environmental hazards mitigation and prevent losses from disasters.
It aims to see to the welfare of populations vulnerable to geohazards such raging flash floods and stampede of debris (Ondoy 2009, Ormoc flash flood 1991, Cagayan de Oro flash floods 2011), powerful storm surges (Yolanda 2013), earthquakes (Bohol 2013, Baguio 1990), volcanoes (Pinatubo 1991), landslides, and tsunamis.
Global Geohazard System
There is a need to develop better approaches to mapping the risks and dangers to communities in the Philippines – correlating such risks with hazards in other neighboring or even fairly distant countries that are linked with Philippines within the world geohazard system (WGS) or global geohazard system.
Like water that seeks its own level, most if not all, geologic and hydrologic risks, among other environmental hazards, have a way of interconnecting - in the sense that the world is chopped up into a whole lot of boundaries while such hazards challenge these boundaries.
A fault like the Philippine fault might be known to lie across the length of the Philippine archipelago but it is connected to Taiwan in the north and if you further examine the same from the perspective of tectonic plates, you will note that you will reach both ends of the world from different routes just tracing interconnections between the tectonic plates - that all have a bearing on nearly every seismologic activity anywhere in the globe.
One of the minor reasons for the shift was our discovering that the organizers of the highly valuable 3rd International Geohazards Workshop in 2007 did not invite the Philippines. While other very extensive gatherings were held later where the Philippines was represented, it must be said that the value of that conference by the ESA-NASA et al in Italy cannot be discounted.
Discussions on earth observation could help Philippine scientists and technology experts as well as network the country's geohazard specialists with the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites that have the ultimate capacity of providing ground penetrating data about seismologic events, or even unnatural potential hydrologic threats, space data on tropical storms, typhoons and so on.
Call for international cooperation, sharing
Now that we have firmed up our resolve not to dwell on political crisis and conflicts, we extend our hand as far out in invitation to all members of the scientific community, developers and providers of technology for geohazard mapping, outer space activity specialists, earth observation networks, to help us stage the first international geohazards mapping and environment summit in Manila, Philippines from the first to the second week of December 2014.
We seek the kind support of CEOS and its member agencies so that all aspects of discussions and working meetings will become more meaningful.
Our conference site on the web is still under construction at this time, but we hope to have it ready by January 2014. We have brainstormed a set of topics upon which sharing with experts will be done. We invite all those interested to prepare papers closest to their hearts however, without us limiting their breadth of knowledge and experience in their selected areas of expertise.
We hope to see you in December 2014 in Manila and believe that there is always a way for all kinds of points to connect when the stimuli is present. In our case, the stimuli we can best provide is the best of the best of Filipino hospitality and genius in improvisations.
Acknowledgments:
Some, but not all of those that gave us inspiration and support for this undertaking are most heartily thanked for whatever contributions were obtained from them, in one way or another. These institutions are listed below, not in any kind of order. We will provide a more complete list during the conference proper in 2014.
Saudi Arabia Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence
Climate Change, Disaster, Ecology, Environment hazards,Forecasting, Geohazards, Mapping, killer quake, earth observation, earthquake, earthquake faults, flood, GGS, Global, hydrology, imagery, information, liquefaction, mapping, Mt. Pinatubo, Ondoy, public warning, satellite,seismology, storm surge, tidal wave, tsunami, typhoon, volcano, WGS, World geohazards system, Yolanda
Martes, Disyembre 10, 2013
Invitation Letter to World GeoHazards specialists
December 9, 2013
Dear Sir / Madame,
Greetings!
This is to formally invite your attention to our determination to hold the international conference on geohazard mapping and relevant environment issues. Our group decided to launch a campaign in 2009 for sustainable crisis hazards mapping and relevant environmental concerns after returning from Mindanao, Philippines following the end of the effort in ending the highly expensive hotel billeting by Juma’a Abu Sayyap of selected staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from Switzerland (Andreas Notter), Italy (Eugenio Vagni) and Philippines (Mary Jane Lacaba).
The purpose of the conference is to provide a fora within Southeast Asia for developed and developing countries, for consolidating databases, integrating and perfecting geohazard mapping and tagging - coordinates and all correlational information for disaster hot spot / safe spot zones, among others. When we began this effort, we noticed that mostly poor developing countries only, responded to our invitation. Understandably, nearly all or most of them required us to sponsor their travel and accommodations.
Our basic belief is in putting into action the requisites precluding taking of measures to prevent and mitigate both the risks of loss of lives and property and actual casualties during a disaster. Furthermore, to allow disasters to ravage our communities without prior mitigation measures becomes an extremely tedious issue due to the fact that certain quarters in the public sector are remiss in delivering aid to victims of calamities [e.g. recent super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) here in the Philippines where it took more than one week for the government to respond].
Many of us agree to the principle shared by many of you that mitigation requires less expense and effort -
“than remediation or reconstruction actions. When mitigation and prevention are economically not feasible or when it is cheaper just to accept certain disasters (particularly those due to the most extreme events), the issue becomes an ethical one, where the decision is of how much we want to spend to avoid loss of lives.”
For this reason, we most sincerely invite your good self to participate as centers for leadership and influence, moderators or active participant-delegates in our planned conference.
We welcome your invitation to your colleagues and we hope that your respective organizations and state agencies can lend support for our undertaking in the Philippines. We fervently anticipate your most favorable reply soon.
Thank you so very much, with much privilege and honor we remain,
Faithfully yours,
Organizing Committee
Geo Hazards and Environment Summit 2014 Manila
Website: http://summit.hazmapping.org
Email: summit@hazmapping.org
Huwebes, Disyembre 5, 2013
Letter to the UN Secretary General on 2014 Summit
Open Letter to the United Nations
December 1, 2013
HIS EXCELLENCY
BAN KI MOON
Secretary General
The United Nations
UN Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Dearest Secretary General Ban:
Our warmest greetings!
Since our initial advocacy in 2009 following Ketsana, a large number of catastrophes have already occurred around the world. In most of these disasters, a large number of people say nothing could have been done. No one can predict calamity. The most recent is tropical cyclone Haiyan aka Yolanda of which no less than five thousand could have survived, had our original intention to hold a conference on mapping and building a decently sized GIS on topics related to disasters and for better forecasting.
Out of this advocacy we determined to hold a hazards mapping and environment summit in April 2010 and held back the plan due to unforeseen causes.
We have decided to discard our plan to have our original sponsors support the event and to depend upon Philippine leaders for supporting the event to its completion. In light of the holding of the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan in March 2015, we propose to hold the hazards mapping conference in Manila from 8:00 AM December 4, 2014 up to 3: PM December 12, 2014 to be culminated with a benefit event at the end of the conference. We envision that the hazards mapping will enhance the 2015 World Conference.
May we respectfully invite the United Nations to be our primary and principal partner for this private-led event. We hope for your soonest assent and affirmation of positive determination.
Thank you very much.
Faithfully yours,
HMES
December 1, 2013
HIS EXCELLENCY
BAN KI MOON
Secretary General
The United Nations
UN Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Dearest Secretary General Ban:
Our warmest greetings!
Since our initial advocacy in 2009 following Ketsana, a large number of catastrophes have already occurred around the world. In most of these disasters, a large number of people say nothing could have been done. No one can predict calamity. The most recent is tropical cyclone Haiyan aka Yolanda of which no less than five thousand could have survived, had our original intention to hold a conference on mapping and building a decently sized GIS on topics related to disasters and for better forecasting.
Out of this advocacy we determined to hold a hazards mapping and environment summit in April 2010 and held back the plan due to unforeseen causes.
We have decided to discard our plan to have our original sponsors support the event and to depend upon Philippine leaders for supporting the event to its completion. In light of the holding of the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan in March 2015, we propose to hold the hazards mapping conference in Manila from 8:00 AM December 4, 2014 up to 3: PM December 12, 2014 to be culminated with a benefit event at the end of the conference. We envision that the hazards mapping will enhance the 2015 World Conference.
May we respectfully invite the United Nations to be our primary and principal partner for this private-led event. We hope for your soonest assent and affirmation of positive determination.
Thank you very much.
Faithfully yours,
HMES
Martes, Disyembre 3, 2013
Forecasting with more confidence, issuing warning
If you warn them and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved your life because you did what you were told to do. If good people turn bad and don't listen to my warning, they will die. If you did not warn them of the consequences, then they will die in their sins. Their previous good deeds won't help them, and I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs. But if you warn them and they repent, they will live, and you will have saved your own life, too. . . Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are rebels.
For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' 44 "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' 45 And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'
Self-doubting prophecy
View or Download the pdf formatFor nearly five years ago today, we have been goading the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to enhance its satellite capability instead of simply getting hand-me-down issuances from UN OOSA (United Nations Outer Space Affairs and the NOAA (United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the other geospatial information and intelligence agencies all over the world.
At a certain point in time around the period of the occurrence of the devastation by tropical storm Ketsana (Ondoy) in the Philippines, the PAGASA was clamoring for the purchase and installation of its doppler radar system, an outmoded and unreliable system for weather forecasting.
In 2010, all throughout the government circuit, the company of Mr. Philip King called AAA, went on a lecture-presentation effort to sell the sensing and image capture technology developed by a Malaysian scientist and technology specialist who was also engaged in a similar high technology, extensive venture for the government of Canada, among other countries.
Had the Department of Science and Technology considered using a network of sensing stations with clear-photo capture capability on a 1-camera-per-station (or possibly a cluster of cameras), weather forecasting in the country, aided with charity hand-outs from NOAA, UNOOSA, the European Union, among other satellite capable agencies, will definitely be more precise at the same time vivid and viewable in real time.
It was foreseen in this site that absolutely nothing will be allowed by Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) to block its path. As early as the morning of the raging of this typhoon that PAGASA decided to merely attribute the powerful rains and killer floods to monsoons, it was already the consensus among the advocates that started this site that many people will die by Ketsana (Ondoy).
What kind of weather forecasting transpired during Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) was that by 10:00 AM up to 12:00 noon, PAGASA continued to refuse to declare even a Storm Signal No. 1 for Metro Manila and Rizal Province even at the height of severe rainfall, destructive and killer floods hitting entire subdivisions in Marikina and parts of Rizal, large areas in the urban center of the national capital.
In real time, it was being recommended strongly by this site that a state of calamity and state of emergency already be declared by the Office of the President.
When the media started reporting, albeit belatedly, that some people were reportedly getting killed by Ondoy, it may have dawned on PAGASA that their forecast needed to be amended. Nearing nightfall when panic and frenzy hit the public due to massive negative reports reaching media and feedback filtering through to the lower and highest levels of government, PAGASA relented and finally announced Signal No. 1. It was too late, Malacanang was then preparing to announce a serious state of calamity for the entire Metro Manila including parts of Rizal.
Hundreds died in Provident Village in Marikina. Hundreds died inside a popular Mall at the Riverside commercial complex built beside the huge Marikina River. Still hundreds others were swept by raging waters or seriously injured by stampeding objects and died instantly or were killed by being in the flood and unable to get help for their injuries.
The Haiyan (Yolanda) Fiasco
If the PAGASA did actually issue a warning, albeit introvertedly and timidly, about the storm surge in coordination with the rest of government, the evidence of the storm surge warning only appears at 5:00 AM on d-day, three hours before the storm surge has hit Tacloban City on November 8, 2013 in the national disaster risk reduction agency (NDRRMC) Advisory called Severe Weather Bulletin No. 6.
Still and all, much, much earlier that day, Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) already passed through Tolosa, Leyte and hit neighboring towns beginning its slew of devastations across the entire length of nine Regions of the Philippines.
Still and all, much, much earlier that day, Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) already passed through Tolosa, Leyte and hit neighboring towns beginning its slew of devastations across the entire length of nine Regions of the Philippines.
The NDRRMC Bulletin stated that:
"Residents in low-lying and mountainous (sic) under signal #4, #3, and #2 are alerted against storm surges which may reach up to 7-meter wave height (sic)."
ACTIONS TAKEN
o NDRRMC Operations Center disseminated Severe Weather Bulletin No. 6 on Typhoon "Yolanda" to all OCD Regional Centers through SMS and facsimile and uploaded on the NDRRMC website for further dissemination to their respective local disaster risk reduction and management councils (LDRMMCs) from the provincial down to the municipal levels
o Directed RDRRMCs concerned through the OCD Regional Centers to undertake precautionary measures in their areas of responsibility (AOR) and subsequently advised local DRRMCs to initiate pre-emptive evacuation of families in low-lying and mountainous areas if situation warrants.
Had the one preparing the Severe Weather Bulletin (SWB) not merely cut and paste from one SWB to the next as can be observed in the various and different advisories issued by the NDRRMC, it must have been possible to introduce some new wording into these so-called severe bulletins.
The NDRRMC should have issued directives instead of the de cajon ACTION TAKEN jargon of "take precautionary measures." The directives could have contained marching orders coursed through the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils (RDRRMC) of which the following are members, such as:
1. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
In connection with the warning of the threat of 21-foot or 7-meter high wave height as stated above, the AFP is hereby ordered to undertake, without need of callback and setoffs, forced evacuation to higher ground of all affected elements and population. . . This is not a drill.
2. Philippine National Police (PNP)
In connection with the warning of the threat of 21-foot or 7-meter high wave height as stated above, the PNP is hereby ordered to provide all manner of assistance to the AFP in the forced evacuation of all affected Service elements and population to higher ground, without need for callback and set off. This is not a drill.
3. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
In connection with the warning of the threat of 21-foot or 7-meter high wave height as stated above, you are hereby ordered to comply with the forced evacuation order issued to AFP and PNP and to provide all manner of assistance and coordination with all affected officers and personnel of your agency and every item of relief designated for the evacuees, without any need for callback and set off. This is not a drill. . . .
Just because the so-called Severe Weather Bulletin, did not emphatically state to forcefully execute an evacuation to safer ground, people who were caught by the storm surge unaware, got drowned and helplessly died under these 21-foot high waves from storm surges.
In Ground Zero in Tacloban City, two sets of 20-foot high waves converged from opposite directions to create more or less 40-foot high deluges. Even several hundred-ton to several thousand-ton ships were lifted by these approximately 15-meter high waves and brought into the ground in Tacloban City.
If multiple thousand ton objects such as ships, as in the Japan tsunami of 2011, could be lifted by the storm surge into the ground in Tacloban City, it would have been impossible for many people to survive the power and strength of the raging waters, accompanied by the stampede of debris from everything that the flash floods caught along the way.
All the rest of the highly authoritative Severe Weather Bulletins of NDRRMC do not contain a definitive order to evacuate nor even a redundant very stern warning about storm surge and a powerful order to vacate unsafe ground to ensure one's safety and survival.
Linggo, Disyembre 1, 2013
Epitaph to the Hyogo Framework 2005-2015
Part 1 of a series
A Hyogo Framework murdered by obsolescence
With all the resources the United Nations wields, there will always be issues on whether its issuances, promulgations and declarations of various names and types meet with the compliance of its member states on a ratio of at least 1:50. However, the more realistic figure may be 1:150 or higher. That for every 150 issuances, only one out of 150 member countries religiously abides by its issuances must be painful to admit.
But this does not harm the United Nations in any way, for whether the members act like delinquents, the UN shall continue to exist as long as the members keep paying their dues.
About two years from this date, the latest framework on disaster risk reduction made by the UN in a grand event called Second United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, will expire. It has to give way to a so-called successor framework.
At that point, the UN will have to come up with the successor framework, hopefully containing new material that will detail how to mitigate risks of calamities like Yolanda. The Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to replace the Hyogo Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Reduction, will be held in Sendai, Japan, several prefectures away from where the predecessor Hyogo Framework was crafted.
If only for the occurrence of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the second and now the third World Conference is being in the same country one more time. However, following what transpired in that country during the earthquake-tsunami and in the Philippines, during and in the aftermath of Yolanda, it can be said that the framework promulgated at the Hyogo Prefecture conference is more or less dead, killed by its obsolescence.
This Hyogo framework died before its successor was born. Thus again, we make this call, prior to or coinciding with the Sendai conference, that the United Nations considers pushing through with our strongly advocated focused disaster and environmental hazards summit.
Why the need to host a focused disasters and environment hazards mapping conference.
The question of whether the various United Nations platforms for disaster risk reduction has done anything to prevent even at least half, or better, more than 50% of the casualties of recent disasters can only be answered in the negative.
The conference tickler of the United Nations for the Third United Nations Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction states:
Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015
Subject to an anticipated decision of the UN General Assembly later in 2013, the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) is to take place in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015 (five days inclusive).
Hosted by the Government of Japan in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), as secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the WCDRR will review the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action and is expected to adopt a successor framework for disaster risk reduction.
The post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction will build on the knowledge and practice developed through the implementation of the International Framework for the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction of 1989, the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action of 1994, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction of 1999 and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 66/199, UNISDR will continue to ensure extensive and inclusive multi-stakeholder consultations for a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction.
When tropical cyclone Ketsana (Ondoy) happened in the Philippines in 2009, it was fervently pushed that a focused conference solely devoted to crisis mapping be held in Manila in 2010. A perfunctory interest was shown by the United Nations, but the Philippines’ national government displayed absolute ignorance of how to treat such a project.
It took a prodding from the Joint United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) Environmental Emergencies Unit to their point person in the Philippines for the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) – of all agencies in the entire Philippine government to write an inquiry email on what the conference was all about and to describe the role played by the spokesman of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – the MARINA head, Ms. Elaine Bautista as point person for UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) in the Philippines.
(Photo credits: The Big Picture, Boston.com)
If countries follow the Hyogo Framework for action and how they must sincerely make assessments and forecasts, these scenes might never have happened in the way they are are now portrayed in these images above?
That this kind of reaction is expected of any slow-moving bureaucracy particularly like that of the Philippines where the dynamics are complicated by sudden wealth creation issues, was never a deterrent.
The campaign for hot-spots, crisis mapping has consistently been undertaken without relent by the proponents for a disaster and environment hazards mapping conference for slightly over twenty one years ago as of today.
That this kind of reaction is expected of any slow-moving bureaucracy particularly like that of the Philippines where the dynamics are complicated by sudden wealth creation issues, was never a deterrent.
The campaign for hot-spots, crisis mapping has consistently been undertaken without relent by the proponents for a disaster and environment hazards mapping conference for slightly over twenty one years ago as of today.
However, by looking towards a potential base of support of a combine such as the UN, the insistence on what is comparatively speaking, too simplistic an approach that does not even do justice to staunch defenders of the concept of diplomacy, it appears that many lives in the future are doomed and a huge volume of valuables, crops can now be written off as part of the havoc wrought by calamity.
To make matters worse, despite the pronouncement of the Hyogo Framework for Action towards involving the private sector, most governments just like the Philippines, invite one or two friendly faces and hand out to them their appointment as Private Sector Representative in fancy paper in the spirit of promoting public-private sector cooperation. This does not suffice.
On the part of the private sector that is in practice indifferent to the affairs of state, to expect their representative to fulfill the function of providing the lead for their sector to form a solid front to work with government and their own constituents in contributing to disaster preparedness, not merely in doling out relief goods once a disaster already strikes, is wishing for miracles to happen.
Foreign owned corporations in the Philippines display a more pro-active attitude and take action accordingly, in comparison with their local counterparts. International institutions like the Asian Development Bank do the same. They go out of their way to enroll their key safety and emergency people to get training on disaster preparedness and emergency response. However, these actions are done, more in self-preservation. The foreign establishments are quick to react when crisis strikes and their donations flow towards government agencies whose key actors then take liberty in selling the relief items to retail outlets like malls and stores and spend the financial for the improved comfort of their businesses and homes.
Moreover, in the post-disaster period, private sector supposedly must also be encouraged to share in the lead in rebuilding communities destroyed by calamity. Yet this is many light years away from becoming reality unless our advocacy bears fruit with very short notice.
Notwithstanding these, it is still imperative to look into the primordial importance of focused hazards mapping, beyond its lowly assignation in a long and winding document purporting to be the gospel of worldwide hazards mitigation, prepared as it is by the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
While it is true that the proponents of highly focused hazards mapping for disaster risk mitigation purposes suffered resource short falls, had the UN recognized after Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) that the idea of centering upon crisis mapping was viable and necessary, from that period in 2009 to the present, so much could already have been done to mitigate casualties, loss of property, valuables, and livelihood sources as well as homes for a great number of people.
The reason for the uneventful and unintended loggerheads with the UNISDR's sensible campaign for community resiliency is simply that if hard facts and science are factored into the equation, there are unavoidable situations where relocation must come before simply strengthening the resiliency of a community or a single or cluster of vital structures.
However, it is regrettable that just because some quarters are slow to pick up, what happened in Tacloban City, other areas severely hit by super typhoon Yolanda, had to happen.
Biyernes, Nobyembre 22, 2013
Letter to the UN Secretary General
Open Letter to the United Nations
November 21, 2013
HIS EXCELLENCY
BAN KI MOON
Secretary General
The United Nations
UN Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Dearest Secretary General Ban:
Our warmest greetings!
Kindly please understand, I had seriously debated on whether to send this communication to you or not. I decided on going through with it since I believe that the result would turn out for the better. Nothing that transpired in the past has diminished nor degraded my respect and love for the UN. I have no intention in demeaning anyone's position or creating anything negative between myself, my group and the UN even if that can't be helped, but this has to be done, and I shall humbly embrace the consequences of my act. More > >
November 21, 2013
HIS EXCELLENCY
BAN KI MOON
Secretary General
The United Nations
UN Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Dearest Secretary General Ban:
Our warmest greetings!
Kindly please understand, I had seriously debated on whether to send this communication to you or not. I decided on going through with it since I believe that the result would turn out for the better. Nothing that transpired in the past has diminished nor degraded my respect and love for the UN. I have no intention in demeaning anyone's position or creating anything negative between myself, my group and the UN even if that can't be helped, but this has to be done, and I shall humbly embrace the consequences of my act. More > >
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