We take our cue from the biblical story of the widow?s mite, in which Christ pointed to a poor widow who, despite her own tragic circumstances, still gave what little she could to charity. At a time when no class of society was left untouched by the twin tragedies of Storm ?Ondoy? and Typhoon ?Pepeng,? no one has marveled more over the seemingly limitless capacity of Filipinos to share at a time of tragedy than we, Filipinos, ourselves.
If everyone knows someone who was affected by these tragedies, everyone knows someone, too, who gave of themselves and their resources to the utmost, in terms of little and big things, whether time, money, energy, compassion, or possessions. People literally threw themselves in to rescue and relief work, literally giving until it hurt. At a time when heroism has been so overused as a term, everyone knows someone who did?and in many cases, is still doing?something on a heroic scale for his fellow citizens.
Even as the floodwaters abate, and even as relief and rescue efforts fan out throughout Luzon to communities that remain battered and beleaguered by floods, the national solidarity we have seen these past days shows no signs of abating; indeed, the tide of volunteerism and cooperation seems to be rising. We are not alone in chronicling how the past months saw, in a sense, the entire nation?and that includes the diaspora of Filipinos abroad?recovering that feeling of awe, of wonderment, of unity so many felt had been permanently dissipated by the divisions in our society.
We cannot begin to chronicle the instances in which Filipinos from all walks of life have found ways to overcome every obstacle thrown by man and nature in the path of trying to help each other. But we believe these countless examples must be accompanied by a corresponding dedication to maintaining the spirit of unity in light of the need to find ways not just to mitigate the effects of disasters, but to prevent them as much as possible.
The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2009 has been approved, in principle, by the appropriations and defense committees of the House of Representatives. There is the need to balance the understandable desire of legislators to pass relevant legislation with the need to evaluate the recent disastrous floods throughout Luzon and in other parts of the country. This is why we advocated a national commission to undertake a thorough study of the causes of flooding and the government?s response to it?and how the public in so many ways, stepped in to accomplish what officialdom failed to do.
We must, in particular, find ways to undertake this study without the effort degenerating into mud-slinging and recriminations, which are emotionally satisfying but which might drown out the sober, factual, work that needs to be done in an ocean of political grandstanding. What we said before we say again: our officials, up and down the line, nationwide and in the local governments, stand in the dock, indicted for profligacy, irresponsibility, ineptness. This is one situation where the harshness of our shared reality means our leaders stand indicted as a whole, guilty until proven innocent before the bar of public opinion.
We are convinced where before, due to the absence of trust between our leaders and the public, no sector was willing to relinquish its privileges, that more and more the public as a whole believes everyone will be required to give up something, to preserve something. But officialdom has to take the lead by showing it recognizes this public consensus, too, and will lead by example.
While not doing so explicitly, we do recognize that most officials, whether politicians or bureaucrats, have sensed this shift in public opinion, and are trying to respond, whether out of a pragmatic desire to adapt to political realities, or because an idealistic sense of public service has been rekindled in their hearts. In either case, it?s a start.
The era of irresponsible populism, we believe, has ended. The time for a united focus on both rights and responsibilities is dawning.
