Taking Personal Responsibility in Calamities, Politics, Realities

Friday, 30 September 2011 14:27

Written by Aaron Benedict De Leon

This week, we again got another dose of a calamity in the form of Pedring. Many of our countrymen were seriously affected by this recent onslaught, leaving 18 people dead and many homeless. This has been usual news, a usual sight in the Philippines, year-in and year-out.

And year in and year out as well, we have our usual suspects- the government. Many claim that the government has failed over and over again- in implementing effective flood control mechanisms, building infrastructure to mitigate the effects of flooding, and instituting a calibrated calamity response system. Mostly hit with the blame as always is the President of our country.

This is not something new in this country, but this does not mean this is the most appropriate thing to do in a calamity crisis.

I hate to see this value of pessimism and cynicism override the culture of Bayanihan and Volunteerism which has always come out of each and every Filipino everytime we encounter tribulations like this.

Emotions get the best of us, often, during these situations, but it should never be a reusable excuse that we could afford everytime we are beset or confronted with these extreme circumstances.

Our tolerance for the government’s failure has not been as extensive as that of our tolerance for our personal failures.

First and foremost, I would like to say that the government or even President Aquino is not solely responsible for what happened during the most recent typhoon. “So-called” Political analysts or even critics of the administration would lash at the “what could have’s”, especially when the President opted to stay in Japan rather than go back home here in the country to personally handle the situation.

Let me ask you, how many times does the government need to cover up for our personal shortcomings? In cleaning waterways and floodways, why do we always expect the government to take the first step if we, citizens, are equally or mostly accountable for the waste that pollutes our water systems? On the issue of garbage pile-up, why do we want the government’s action to come first when proximity dictates that our communities and barangays should be the immediate respondents to the clean-up operation?

Some of us always like to put the blame, and not take accountability for our own faults and mistakes. Just like Pontius Pilate, we always clean our hands on our accountability to preserve and take care of our environment. It is convenient to pass the responsibility, because of the bandwagon effect it creates amongst many closed minded people.

I will not disagree with you that the President should be on top of the situation. I don’t know if he is or he isn’t. But that’s beside the point. We should not see the President as a can-do-it-all person. By principle of decentralization and devolution of functions of the executive, there are mandated agencies tasked by law to lead the government’s efforts during disasters and calamities, even with the physical presence or absence of the President.

I think if we are genuinely bent on reforming the actions of the Executive or the Government, that we do it after we extend a hand of assistance to those victimized by the typhoon. If not, then we might just be using the incident to gravitate our personal or partisan vendetta against a specific person or institution. This level of vigilance must be sustained, and our criticisms must always be coupled with policy alternatives, suggestions or recommendations. It’s time we exercise genuine concern and love for country.

This kind of pessimistic and cynical attitude prevalent during these occurrences also reflects the fragmented form existing within some civil society entities today. The strategy “bash…bash…bash” is a convenient way for some groups to increase their political capital at the expense of the administration. I do hope I’m wrong, but with the way I see it, this strategy was popularized during the time of ex President GMA, and some politicians benefited from this strategy.

However, this bashing should stop in a time where cooperation and collaboration is most important, in a time where partisanship should be set aside to preserve lives, which is of utmost importance.

Typhoons and Calamities do not only expose the frailty of our infrastructure and our readiness in disaster situations. They also reveal two realities:

First, people can selfishly use these situations to gain political capital at the expense of an institution. (The Spirit of Pessimism and Cynicism)

Second, people are able to overcome their political and societal differences to extend their unconditional assistance to victims of these circumstances. (The Spirit of Bayanihan and Volunteerism)

I hope that soon, the latter can finally eat up the negative one.