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A Broader and Clearer Lens

Community plays a vital role in in each and everyone’s life. This serves as an instrument that enables us to do our day-to-day activities. Most of our tasks and responsibilities orbit around our own communities. Furthermore, this promotes unity and camaraderie among that forms an environment that is both empowering and nurturing. Without this, the place we live in will be very different and strange. It wouldn’t be the same as what we have today. As members of our communities, we have the responsibility to take part and participate in making this better not just for us but for the generations to come.

As a concerned member of our community, I have a fair share of my queries about the different aspects that encompass our society. I have concerns regarding different issues that are very timely and fit to what is happening today. This includes matters regarding hazard identification, vulnerability, elements, and people at risk assessment and capacity and disaster management. Last December 7,2019, I was given the chance to speak and discuss these queries with Mr. Rolito L. Avila, Jr., SK Chairperson of Station Church Site and SK Federation Vice-president of Libmanan, Camarines Sur. Through him, my prior knowledge came to a broader and clearer sense and I was able to learn so much more about our community. It opened my eyes to new concepts and ideas and helped in deepening my understanding regarding these matters. We were able to assess the community and view it in a clearer lens.

Libmanan is a coastal community that is located in the province of Camarines Sur, Bicol Region. It is composed of 75 barangays with 108,716 people based on the 2015 Census. According to Mr. Avila, the two identified hazards in the community are earthquake and storm. Throughout the years, there were numerous calamities that have caused great destruction to the community. One of the most catastrophic was Bagyong Reming in year 2006 wherein it caused too much damage to different parts of the community. These two identified hazards bring a lot of disruption and damage not only in the homes of the members but also to their way of living and to nature. The members and their actual locations have different vulnerabilities. Among them, the most affected are those who are in the lower parts of the community. Their location increases the risk of landslide and storm surge. In addition, those who are near the Bicol river are most likely to experience danger compared to the ones who are distant. Whenever there are signals and alarms from the news, the local government weather forecast team and NDRRMC that a calamity is approaching, the barangay makes it appoint to inform all the members of the community. In order to manage the community whenever there are alerts of these kinds of calamities, the barangay uses the way of “pagbabandilyo” wherein they roam around the different parts of the community to inform the members regarding the upcoming catastrophe. In this way, the members may be ready for whatever happening may be and those who needs to evacuate can move right away. Each barangay has a designated areas or evacuation center wherein they can stay and be safe. These kinds of happening brings a lot of disturbance, destruction and damage to the community. The negative effects do not only include their homes but the infrastructures, services and economic matters in general. These may cause delays to the normal trade in the community that affects both the buyers and the sellers. Furthermore, the damage that these cause to the agricultural lands influence greatly to the loss of the community. The goal of the barangay is to lessen these negative effects as much as possible and after the calamity, their goal is to be able to address the problems that it brought and give appropriate solution to avoid further damage. The barangay implements the policy that those members that are in the most vulnerable locations should move quickly as they can to the designated areas. They are also encouraged to prepare their homes and most specially themselves to the upcoming calamity. Moreover, the barangay has also a plan known as the Annual Investment Plan (AIP). In this, the schemes of the barangay for a year is included regarding different matters that may contribute in the development and improvement of the community. As of now, the barangay has different aids that may be used in times of calamities and emergency cases. They have flashlights, megaphones, walkie talkie, medicine kids, and raincoats that are important and useful. They also have calamity fund that are utilized to distribute basic needs of the members of the community.

As a citizen of the Philippines, I certain believe that each and everyone of us has a responsibility to make in building a better home and conserving what we have. We all have the task to take care of what was given to us and nurture it us our own. This is not only for our own sake but for those who are coming after us. In the present time, a lot of things are happening that affects all of us. This concerns mostly our environment, our mother earth, our home. Because there are some things that are uncontrollable and vulnerable to happen, our duty now is to make efforts that may contribute in decreasing the negative effects that these vulnerable things may cause and give. Simple things like throwing our garbage in the proper bin and avoid using plastics may contribute in lessening the possibility of flood. By not using our air conditioning unit and cars all the time may help decrease air pollution that pave way to greenhouse effect. Simple as it may be, I believe that these small steps and ways can be of help in taking care and preserving what we have. After all, we are the ones who are greatly affected by what we do. Our actions reflect our community thus we should make it a point to do what is better and right than what is easy. 

For the government, I believe that programs concerning our environment should be given priority. It should be addressed more because what is happening today is very alarming. Things are getting out of our control and our actions right now matters clearly. Activities and programs that would raise awareness would certainly help and actions afterwards are what matters most. Learning should not just stop after knowing, it should be converted into action and continuously progress and develop. In connection with this, programs that concerns disaster risk reduction should also be prioritized. This concern is very essential in the community specially right now. Programs and possible steps should be implemented in order to prepare for what may be coming. Through this, our community may be preserved and saved from what the destruction may cause.

Mr. Rolito L. Avila, Jr. SK Chairperson of Station Church Site  SK Federation Vice-president of Libmanan, Camarines Sur.