SET ASIDE POLITICS, HELP PEOPLE - LOREN

"We must set aside politics and cooperate with each other to help the victims of typhoon Ondoy, one of the most destructive natural disasters to hit our country," said Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday.

Loren also said that she was "definitely not quitting" the presidential race but she urged all presidential aspirants to set aside differences and to focus on humanitarian work during the crisis wrought by typhoon Ondoy.

She made the statement in the face of reports that she was quitting the presidential race to devote her attention to the flood crisis.

The senator yesterday also advocated for a more "proactive" response to natural disasters while bewailing the lack of government preparedness in the wake of the vast devastation wrought by typhoon Ondoy.

In a privilege speech in the Senate, Loren urged that climate change adaptation and an all-rounded and adequate program for disaster risk reduction should be made a "national priority".

While acknowledging that "this is no time for blaming" or politicking, Loren asked why the NDCC (National Disaster Coordination Committee) was "ill-prepared," why early warnings on water release from dams were not communicated to families and why rubber boats and troops not able to reach stranded people on time.

The UN champion for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the Asia-Pacific region, Loren noted that "It took Ondoy to expose the government's failure to anticipate the worst through disaster risk reduction. Even our response is too weak."

Loren also called on Malacañang to immediately sign into law the bill, known as the Climate Change Act of 2009, which has already passed both Houses of Congress, and is pending the President's signature.

The bill mandates the forming of a Climate Change Commission, to be headed by the President, that will formulate a nationwide program for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. The Commission will coordinate the activities of regional, provincial, municipal and barangay agencies, as well as the private sector, in preventing and reacting to natural calamities.

"Early action should have happened long before Ondoy made a landfall," said Loren, who principally authored the Climate Change Act as chair of the Senate committee on climate change.

She cited the 2009 World Disasters Report which stated that early action involves evacuation at the shortest time, and working closely with communities to assess and address the risks.

"Clearly, a pro-active approach, that is adapting to climate change and further actions on disaster risk reduction, is what we need, and not just a reactionary one," Loren stressed.

"Understanding that what compounded the effects of the heavy downpour is poor drainage system and garbage problem, we must order massive cleaning of esteros and all waterways to reduce our vulnerability to flooding. We must implement the solid waste management law.

"We must dredge rivers that have become oversilted because of soil erosion brought about by logging.

'Let us not place our people, mostly the poor and vulnerable, their homes and industries in high-risk areas, as identified in geo-hazard maps. Plant trees everywhere. Let us not cut down forests and expose our people to risks of landslides.

'Community discipline must be instilled. The public must be educated on the impact of climate change, of simple and doable actions such as proper waste disposal and waste segregation."

She said that because of climate change, rising sea levels threaten our coastlines. Drought and crop failures breed hunger more often these days.

"Many of our actions have been inappropriate and are doomed to failure because they are founded on the traditional notion that economic activities alone matter for development," Loren declared.

"We need to rethink our development measures. We must pursue growth and prosperity by raising the living standards of the people without endangering our environment...There is no more opportune time to take action, on the climate crisis, than now," she concluded.