Warnings are never enough

AFAMILY of four died in a landslide incident on January 14, 2017 in Tandik, Maragusan, Compostela Valley Province following heavy rains due to the tail-end of cold front at around 8:30 p.m.. director The Office Leoncio of Civil Cirunay Defense identified Davao regional the fatalities as Ramon Magallanes, 29; Rowena Magallanes, 22; Hazel Magallanes, 3 years old; and Joey Magallanes, one year old. The bodies were recovered at around 10:30 p.m. The house where the family lived was on a landslide prone area. The Magallanes are but one of hundreds of thousands poor families living in high-risk areas and what happened underlines the role of disaster risk reduction at the barangay and purok level; yes, the purok level. Especially in the rural areas, there can never be enough warnings. You just listen in to how residents of far-flung areas converse and deliberate an issue in a village meeting and you will realize that the issue is discussed endlessly and repeatedly. It’s not about being stubborn, it’s about the psyche and culture and it will be difficult to work against that. “gahi’g yourself True, have ulo”, in many brushed the but shoes a barangay we off of believe these people official otherwise. people who and have as volunteer being Place lived in dire straits since the birth of their ancestors, they have accepted risks as part of life. Then complement this with the psyche of talking over a problem over and over again just for the sake of talking about it. Factor in the high sense of fatalism and you have a recipe for disaster. But walk them through, in the way they walk. Drum up interest, excite them, make them feel they have a part to do in all of these, and then repeat. That is the extent and value of every purok leader’s role and barangay leaders should know this and on their level: drum up interest of the purok leaders, excite them, make them feel they have a part to do in all of these, and then repeat. But, if the smallest unit of governance is serious about disaster risk reduction up to the last family, then persistence is a must.