Skip to content

Warning from Nature

amb-katsura.jpg

Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura and Senator Loren Legarda led the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of housing units for typhoon victims. Looking on are Antique Governor Salvacion Perez and other provincial government officials.

Very seldom does our province, Antique, merit mention in national TV and newspapers.

But three days ago, Antique was in the early evening news . It was about two persons who drowned when their banca capsized in the rampaging waters of Kangaranan river. The next day, there was another story about families in the coastal town of Belison evacuating to higher grounds.

Antique being a coastal province, residents are used to rough seas and rivers during typhoons. But the impact of recent weather disturbances has been very bad.

I called up our neighbor in our barrio in Guisijan in the town of Laua-an and he said typhoon Nina brought a lot of rain. He said the creek beside our house overflowed and water in our garden was almost knee-high. I can imagine that the houses in lower areas suffered more.

Compared to typhoon Frank last June, Nina did not do as much damage to Antique. But the overflowing creeks and rivers are warnings of the unchecked environmental destruction in the province.

The times that I was in the province during typhoon season, I noticed tree trunks coming from the mountains blocking the flow of the waters, which was one of the causes of the overflow.

I also noticed that the creeks in our barrio are getting narrower and narrower because the families whose houses are on the edge of the creek try to extend their lot by laying sandbags. I also noticed plenty of plastic garbage. Not just plastic cups and paper bags but appliances and furniture! Most probably Katas ng Saudi.

OFW dollars have enabled many families to build concrete houses and buy modern appliances but apparently, they have not been told of the need to protect the environment.

Through typhoons Frank and Nina, Mother Nature is sending a message to take care of what she created or else….

***

The rehabilitation of Antique from the severe damage caused by typhoon Frank continues.

Last Sept. 18, Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura and Sen. Loren Legarda were the special guests in the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of housing units for 100 families who were rendered homeless by the devastating tempest.

Legarda’s grandmother is from Antique and is active in many of the development projects in the province.

Antique Governor Sally Perez said the US$79,343 (approximately P3.6 million) grant will be used to build core shelters to benefit 65 families in the town of San Remigio and 35 in Sibalom.

It was the first visit of Katsura to Antique and he said he was “impressed by the vast and beautiful natural environment of your province.”

Since Antique’s airport is closed (there isn’t enough traffic to sustain regular commercial flights to the province) , Katsura took the flight from Manila to Iloilo and traveled by car to Antique. The route from Iloilo to Antique is enthralling. It’s a zigzag drive through the mountains while looking out to the ocean.

In his message during the ground-breaking ceremonies, Katsura said, “It saddened me to imagine how seriously Typhoon Frank affected the lives of the people in the region and their environment. And I would like to extend my deepest condolences for the victims and my heartfelt sympathy for their families.

Perez informed him that although the local government and other non-government organizations provided food and clothing assistance, there were not enough funds for the rebuilding of houses that were destroyed by the flashfloods.

Katsura said Japan will also be providing water tanks, sleeping pads, plastic sheets and power generators.

On Oct. 17, Antiqueños in Metro Manila will be asked to do their share. The Antique provincial government will hold a concert and patadyong fashion show at the Cuneta Astrodome at 6 p.m.

Published inMalaya

19 Comments

  1. I hope the real homeless will be given the privilege to live in those makeshift houses not people who are “malakas” to the powers that be as the case is usually in the Philippines.

    Over in Japan usually victims of such calamities are given time to recover with financial and such physical help as providing them with temporary shelters, and they understand that they are in such makeshift houses only for a period of time after which they either rent or buy new houses.

    Dito nga ang abusado iyong mga pilipina who are being sheltered and given financial help by the government. Ayaw nang umalis kapag binigyan ng free temporary housing. Ang masama pati iyong welfare fund na galing sa taxes ng mga tao dito, ginagamit pang pangtustos doon sa mga naiwan nila sa Pilipinas. Ang kapal kasi ng nakaupo sa gobyerno na inaasahan iyong mga padala ng mga OFW. Talaga naman oo! Mga parasite ang labas.

  2. chi chi

    Dapat maglaan ng malaking pondo ang Dept of Natural Resources and Environment sa education at information sa pangangalaga ng environment at ang masasamang epekto nito sa tao kung binababoy ang kapaligiran.

    Tayo na yata ang pinakamalinis na tao sa mundo, panay ang paligo at hugas. Pero ang ating kapaligiran ay puro basura, parang walang pakialam sa kalinisan ng paligid. Basic pa lang yan…hay naku!

  3. DinaPinoy DinaPinoy

    ang pinoy, malinis sa katawan, malinis din ang bahay at bakuran. oras na lumabas ng bahay, kesihoda na. tapon dito tapon doon.

  4. rose rose

    “Fairlands of Antique Province..home of Visayans like me….dear to my heart are thy stories, there shall my home ever be..”
    ..ang tanong ko lang…how are they going to choose to whom the units will be awarded? what are the criteria in their choice? how will the grant be distributed? ibibigay pa ang pera o ipagawa ng gobierno ang mga bahay..wala sanang tongpats or double entry insertions.. ang mga victims bang ito ay may sariling lupain to build these units? anong klaseng bahay? I hope hindi bahay kubo. I know that many of these victims were “agsadors” or mga kasama ng mga may ari ng mga lupain “durog” as we call it along the river banks..I have seen this and I know this for a fact..in Sibalom alone, mga kilalang familia ang may ari ng durog on both sides..and when you pass these durogs to go to Sido, Cadolonan, etc. of San Remigio kanito din ang situation..sa mga mayayaman ang US$79,000..is barya..but to the victims ay para ka na rin nanalo sa lotto..wala atang lotto sa Sibalom…sweepstakes pa alam seguro ng mga ilan..na kwento sa akin na nangyari noong Frank isang barrio sa San Remigio (Cabigunda’s country) four barangays were swept and became part of the river…familiar ako sa San Remigio river from Cadolonan to Calag-itan and sa Banwang daan..My mother is from San Remigio..and I used to tag along sa tatay ko..when he went on visits … kaya sana makakarating sa tunay na nangagailangan ang tulong na ito..I am very interested sa bagay na ito and I will follow this closely..as a matter of fact nagpatanong na ako sa office of Congressman Ex Javier and I will find out the other side of the story…kasi politics is the name of the game sa mga kanito..

  5. rose rose

    may isang tanong pa ako…right after Frank I read an article of Roming Pefianco sa Manila Bulletin na illegally cut logs came tumbling down sa binukid ng San Remigio sa Caticlan..thanks to Frank nalaman tuloy na may illegal logging sa San Remigio..you see the other side of San Remigio mountains is Iloilo..according to the article hindi daw alam na mayroon..kaya nagtaka ako na hindi alam ni Inday Sally…a friend of Atienza? kung hindi dumating si Frank hindi nalaman ang illegal logging sa San Remigio..hindi rin daw alam ni Cong. Boy Ex..ano sila bantay salakay?

  6. rose rose

    hindi ba Ellen doon sa Nogas Island nakita natin ang mga iniwan na basura ng mga nagcamping..you wrote an article on this..are they keeping this little Island clean now? I hope hindi namatay ang mga bulaklak sa garden mo..Hindi ko makalimutan ang creek sa inyo at yong rice padddies na dinadaanan to go home from the beach..I fell flat on my face noon sayang nga lang hindi ako nakahuli ng dalag…

  7. norpil norpil

    rose: wala ng dalag ngayon sa mga rice paddies dahil kung ano anong insecticides ang ginagamit sa bukid, kahit yata palaka ay wala na rin ngayon.

  8. chi chi

    Ellen,

    Kumusta na nga pala ang mga bulaklak mo, yung sanggumay…ano na ang nangyari? Hindi sana tinangay ng tubig baha.

  9. chi chi

    Ganun ba, norpil?

    Kaya pala ng isang uwi ko ay hindi na ako naihuli ng dalag at palakang- bukid.

    Pagdating ni Jocjoc sa Pinas ay siya naman ang sabugan nating ng fertilizer at ng matodas na, kung hindi tayo maunahan ni Pidal.

  10. chi chi

    Nung town mayor ang uncle ko, ang kanyang ginagawa ay pinangungunahan ang mga tao na maglinis ng beach at ilog (parehong nasa likod kabahayan) na noong bata raw sila ay napakayaman sa hipon, alimango, isda,etc. Two terms niya ay ginagawa yun twice a year at ang mahuling nagtatapon ng dumi ay kinakausap para bigyan ng leksyon sa kalinisan ng paligid. Madali niyang gawin yun dahil people person itong aking tiyuhin.

    After his term, ayun na…balik sa dati ang ugali ng mga tao, tapon dito, tapon doon. Mas mabuti ng konti sa kwento mo, Ellen, dahil walang katas ng Saudi na mga appliances at furniture. Walang magawa ang mga concerned barriotics kasi ang yabang nung (bagong) mayor, bata raw siya ni Gloria at walang makakapag-utos sa kanya. Muntik ng dinale ng en-pi-ey. Many times, Abante carried the news of his kababuyan.

    Before the last mayoral election, binanatan nung panganay na kapatid ng dos por dos dahil sa kahihiyang dinala sa kanilang pangalan na inalagaan ng kanilang once-upon- a time ay doctor-mayor ng bayan. Hindi natalo ang tatay hanggang sa sumawa dahil sa ganda ng serbisyo sa bayan.

    Malapit ng matapos ang kwento, heheh! Dahil dynasty politics, tumakbo naman ang elder sister, a known pediatrician at St. Lukes hospital. Hay buti na lang, ayun at ang unang proyekto ay ipagpatuloy ang proyekto ng aking tiyuhin plus dalawang beses sa isang linggo umiikot ang mga trak ng basura at ang maganda tinuruan ang mga barriotics ng kung paano magkapera sa recycling…yehey!

  11. chi chi

    Ay sus, nagpahabaan kami ni Rose ng poste… 🙂

    Ellen, if you wish, cut mo na lang in parts. Sori, napasarap ng kwento e.

  12. rose rose

    Chi: may nagkwento sa akin na malinis ang Palawan kasi ang mga tao ay hindi nagtatapon ng basura sa kalye…sa Olongapo noong araw term ni Gordon malinis ang kanilang bayan kasi may sign pagpasok mo sa town..bawal magtapon ng basura..kaya hindi nagpupunta doon si putot..baka maitapon sa basurahan..it would be nice if all of us would work in keeping our towns clean..after all hindi ba ang turo sa atin (noong araw) “cleanliness is next to Godliness”?

  13. rose rose

    may nagbalita sa akin kagabi na after the kodakay of the Ambassador of Japan and Inday Sally distributing the donations from Japan..binawi ni Inday ang mga ito..at dinala sa Culasi? for another kodakay? I hope not!

  14. chi chi

    Donasyon ay binawi ni Inday Sally for another kodakan. Ano ba yan?! E kanino talaga mapupunta ang donasyon ng Japan? Nagririgodon pala sa Antique, kung totoo.

  15. bitchevil bitchevil

    FYI…

    The latest scientific findings study shows that one cigarette reduces life by five minutes. But researches also show that sex increases life by 10 minutes.

  16. atty36252 atty36252

    The latest scientific findings study shows that one cigarette reduces life by five minutes. But researches also show that sex increases life by 10 minutes.
    **************************

    So have sex after you smoke. Most people have a smoke after sex. So that means the net effect is a gain of 5 minutes in their life.

    Strom Thurmond must have had a lot of sex.

  17. bitchevil bitchevil

    I suggest that if you smoke one cigar, have sex twice.

  18. BOB BOB

    Bitch, Atty., ito ang latest study … ..as long as GMA is in power , the Philippines is becoming poorer and poorer by seconds. (nakaw ng nakaw every seconds..)!

  19. Kaya nga duda ako doon sa mga publicity stunt re housing for the poor. Sa totoo lang, a lot many of the houses supposedly for the poor constructed from as early as the 50’s napunta din doon sa mga nagtatrabaho sa Housing Authority sa Pilipinas. Graft and corruption kahit saan. Walang magawa kasi kung may magrereklamo for instance sa Senate, iyong nagreklamo pa ang napapahamak.

    Minsan nakakaawa din si Lacson kasi panay lang ang putak niya, wala namang matapang na mag-take up ng issue niya. Kaya hanggang expose lang siya, walang nangyayari kasi iyong mga chairmen kuno ng mga committee sa Senate, etc. kakutsaba ng mga kurakot!

    Kawawang bansa! Wala na ba talagang pag-asa?

Leave a Reply