Winds of change
| SHE SAYS |
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| Dinah S. Ventura |
With memories of “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” still fresh in our minds, typhoon “Juan’s” imminent arrival was met with much trepidation. Days before, people were sending prayer chains, asking for divine intervention. Nobody wanted a repeat of the tragedy caused by nature and man’s abuse and negligence, so the prospect of another major typhoon was daunting, to say the least.
No doubt because of our recent experiences, as well as President Noy’s strong reaction to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) lack of accuracy in forecast last time, the country has been better prepared to deal with typhoon Juan’s coming.
Massive information dissemination, mostly via the Internet and mobile gadgets, gave citizens early warning and enough time to prepare. Billboards went down before the first strong winds were felt. Rescue forces were alerted in the provinces and the metro. The Department of Social Welfare and Development immediately had millions worth of relief goods readied for those who would be evacuated from danger zones. The weather forecasters gave updates on an hourly basis, which TV and radio blared just as quickly. Concerned agencies put their communications strategies in place..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20101020com7.html
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