Supertyphoon Ruby (international name Hagupit) hit the country over the weekend but last Friday’s report by the state weather bureau Pagasa said its presence could linger on for about two to three days.
Whatever happens during these days, the fact remains that the onus of responsibility rests on the local officials of the affected areas, including Cebu City and Cebu province.
What was so far a good thing was that the local officials mobilized their people to undertake preparations as early as last Wednesday when Ruby was building its strength.
President Benigno Aquino III was emphatic about the responsibility of local officials to their constituents when he declared that he won’t be as “forgiving” if he learns that local government units (LGUs) in the typhoon’s path fail to undertake the essential preparations.
The lesson of Tacloban City and its local government’s failure to protect its constituents still hangs heavy over the Aquino administration. And Filipinos would be twice reminded about how the president and his people respond in the aftermath of Ruby’s devastation.
As far as we can tell, the responsibility of local officials is three-pronged.
The first involves ensuring that all safety nets are in place to protect their constituents from the brunt of the calamity.
The second involves delivering immediate assistance to families hardest hit by the calamity and undertaking search and rescue operations for those caught by floodwaters, landslides and other after effects of the typhoon.
The third is the immediate rebuilding of homes and vital infrastructure that were destroyed or damaged by any natural calamity.
The first two should be implemented immediately before and after the calamity strikes to ease the sufferings of the constituents who will surely look to their local officials for answers and assistance.
The third, while not immediate, should be implemented gradually and decisively.
While every step should be taken to make sure that we build better homes and structures as well as safeguard the delivery of services and relocation of displaced families, it should be done with dispatch.
President Aquino may blame everyone and anyone but himself. But even he knows that whatever failures committed by local officials would surely reflect on him hence, the stern warning.
In the end, it is the people who would see for themselves if their government has done its job well of protecting them from nature’s wrath.
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