Rebuilding shattered dreams is perhaps one of the hardest things Tacloban City local government as well as its residents are facing right now after the wrath of Supertyphoon Yolanda last year. Pictures of hopelessness shown on television in the past called the attention of international communities . Donations coming from local and international government after the typhoon relieved a little of the pains caused by loss of lives and properties in a split of seconds. Personal visits from different personalities be it local or abroad boosted the morale of Tacloban City residents.”Ang Kuwento ng Pagbangon” to be heard from the victims of this disaster compared to the past stories now projects more hopes and vision for a better Tacloban City inspite of its massive physical destructions and loss of thousands of peoples lives.
From the natural calamity and disaster that happened in Tacloban City last November, there are lessons that we need to learn and remember. The first lesson is that lives are more important than material wealth acquired in this temporal world. The second lesson is that preparedness anytime, anywhere is important in saving lives. Being attuned to what is happening around especially on worst weather conditions could help us prepare ahead of time on what to do and on what to prepare. The third lesson is that we constantly need to take care of our natural resources especially the old grown trees and the sprouting seedlings of tress for these help us during massive floodings. The old trees roots absorb the excess water and at the same time its trunks serve many useful purposes. The fourth lesson is that coordination among people is of importance for messages and instructions relayed from one person to another is important. There should be no fingerpointing on who should be responsible on this and that during disasters. One should always bear in mind that everyone is responsible at times like this.The fifth lesson is that there should early exposure to drills on what do during disasters aside from the drills conducted in schools so that when the actual disaster is happening everyone knows what to do to protect himself and other people around him at the moment of crisis.There are still a lot of lessons that could be taken from the Tacloban City disaster but the foremost are the above-mentioned.
As what environmentalists keep on saying, climate change is inevitable and our country is prone to many supertyphoons in the years to come. If this would be true or untrue our preparedness in times of disaster should be made not only in schools but also in our respective homes. With proper preparation and adequate trainings on disaster preparedness, there would be lesser damages in the future. Our choice is to undo the worst scenario we might be facing in the future because we are prepared anytime, anywhere. “I AM READY” should be our guide throughout our lives.
By: Mrs.Agnes M. Fajardo | Teacher III | Casupanan Elementary School | Palihan,Hermosa, Bataan
