A question of poverty and vulnerability

By BENJIE OLIVEROS
Bulatlat.com
Learning from the impact of typhoon Ondoy, which hit the country hard two years ago, President Benigno Aquino III, upon assuming the presidency, sacked the chief of Pagasa, the country’s weather bureau, and declared a “zero casualty policy” in the government’s response to natural calamities. When relatively mild storms hit the country successively, Malacañang gloated over the “success” of its “zero casualty policy.” However, when typhoon Pedring hit the country September 27, Malacañang had to eat its words.

Typhoon Pedring had claimed the lives of 35 people (as of September 29), half of them children, injured 25 others and 33 are still missing. Now, Malacañang is singing a different tune.

“Kahit may paghahanda po tayo, meron at meron pong nangyayaring ganito. Ang pwede pong gawin ng pamahalaan ay siguraduhin hanggang sa aming makakaya yung kasiguruhan ng mga taong madadaanan o maapektuhan po ng ganitong kalamidad,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte was quoted in an ABS-CBN news report as saying.

Valte was also quoted in a news report of Inquirer.net explaining that the Aquino government did not fall short in its response and did not fail in its “zero casualty policy”: “There are those who ask us why ‘zero casualty’ is often the policy of the Aquino government… This is really what we call force majeure. Even if there are preparations, there really would be [casualties].”.... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/09/30/benjie-oliveros-a-question-of-poverty-and-vulnerability/