POE: DON'T ROMANTICIZE RESILIENCE OF FILIPINOS, GET THEM OUT OF HARM'S WAY

Government must focus its energies and resources on harnessing rainwater runoff to help solve the problem of perennial flooding and water shortages.

"It's the irony of ironies," Sen. Grace Poe said. "Our flooding problem could be the direct solution to our water insecurity problem if we are able to meet the challenges, develop the right tools and implement the necessary changes."

The country was ravaged by several typhoons in the past few weeks, submerging entire communities for days, destroying hundreds of homes, depriving many of their livelihood, and claiming lives.

Over 20 typhoons pass through the country every year and measures should have been in place to lessen the risk of flooding and utilizing rainwater runoff should be one of them.

"Kung naalala ninyo last year, kinulang tayo ng tubig. Nagkaroon ng malaking water shortage at marami ang nagreklamo. Ngayon, nagkaroon ng pandemya, wala tayong shortage kasi maraming mga negosyo ang hindi nagbukas. Pero kapag bumalik na tayo sa bagong normal at hindi pa rin tayo handa, mauulit na naman ang kakulangan ng tubig pagdating ng tag-init," Poe said.

Poe has authored Senate Bill 579 that seeks to provide for the management, control, regulation and utilization of rainwater runoff.

"We have to capture and store rainwater and utilize it for irrigation, groundwater recharge, firefighting, and other supply purposes. Through this, water is conserved and flooding is mitigated," Poe said.

Instead of romanticizing the resilience of Filipinos, government needs to step up and put them out of harm's way.

The increasing frequency and intensity of the typhoons passing through the country has been primarily attributed to climate change but the loss of lives and property can be blamed on poorly planned developments with no provision for runoff flows in urban areas and land conversion and deforestation in rural areas.

"Totoong matatag ang Pilipino. Ngunit may mga sakuna na maaaring maiwasan," Poe said. "We can make sure that the water supply problem and future catastrophic flooding incidents will be mitigated if not avoided altogether," Poe added.