Jon Effemey : Freelance Writer

 

 

ivyemaye's comment was picked on Haiyan – harbinger of things to come?.

 

 

This is a very good article and these recommendations do need acting on here in the Philippines where I live now.

The rainy season may be close a month or so but TV news here was reporting of water levels dropping dangerously low in the major dams here. The rains may soon replenish these but if a pattern starts up of one half of the year getting hotter and the second half more liable to Super Typhoons such as Orlanda there could be real problems.

I am in the middle of this right now.The mean temperature appears to be up 2C here.

Rice production is an essential here. John Vidal has listed a whole number of very worrying concerns.

I feel President Aquino III has shifted the country a lot further in a positive direction, certainly from what I read about his predecessor. The three Pork Barrel Senators may face justice now from what I read here last night.

There has to be a concerted effort from both International Agencies and the Philippine Government.

To work with local communities you have to work directly through the barangays and out to communities here. Work with local systems. I have been very impressed with what I see locally here. This way you will get the respect and confidence of local communities. Any other locally based organization as well and listen. People here are more than aware of their every day problems. With sensitive co operation a lot could be achieved.

My main worry is at the regional level. The initial response to Orlanda may be have been held up by rivalries between the two main land owning clans the Aquinos and Marcos.This was reported here by Kate Hodal. Aquino has a bill to stop nepotism in the future (yes?)

Getting state and regional structures to properly fund (pork free?) and administer projects does need a serious review. I am still on a very steep learning curve with all of this here trying to understand the administrative systems. There is where a focus is really needed.

And get priorities straight! I know of big Macau/Chinese money coming in for super casinos in holiday resorts and Manila I heard on TV here yesterday of a huge amount for an enormous Casino complex from Japanese sources in central Manila . This is millions if not billions of dollars!...and malls and condos.

If money can be found for these projects, why not others. Add to this the debt over hang the Philippines still suffers from,again reported here recently ion the Guardian..

At the local level things can happen. Getting priorities sorted out at the state and especially the regional level do need more working through.

 

 

 

ivyemaye's comment was picked on Climate change could leave another 50 million people facing hunger by 2050.

25 Mar 2014 4:56am

 

 

Naderev thank you for this article.

I live in the Philippines, in Valenzuela City Metro Manila. I saw Typhoon Haiyan/Orlanda sweep by to the South. I watched the news unfold daily on GMA TV and ABS/CBN TV here. It was truly terrible.

The Guardian has already reported on the ferocity of this storm, internal wind speeds of 300K plus. Again the consensus as reported by the Guardian, was that the incident of storms like this, will increase as a result of climate change.

As regards the Philippines: I have already blogged here in the Guardian, about the real problems Metro Manila faces. Most of it is pretty much at sea level. Flooding in the city is the norm for much of the rainy/typhoon season.When we drive around the city I do see large drainage pipes being installed in many stretches of road, but the internal water ways are still clogged with rubbish.
Most but not all new buildings in areas close to the sea such as Pasay seem to be built now on pillars.But I do not see however, a real concerted effort to even begin to adjust to the challenge of a rising sea level. Internal politics comes into this. The "Pork Barrel" hearings into corruption continue. I really hope there will be definite out come to this. President Aquino III has promised no more pork barrel in his present financial year. Corruption and the issue of Urban planing really do need addressing in Metro Manila. According to a URD ECO SOC report Metro Manila is one of the cities highest a risk in the world in general, from a whole host of natural phenomena as well as climate change. It also reports that Metro Manila has one of the highest population densities in the world. This is especially the case in the large number of informal settlements found around Metro Manila. The really large area in the Tondo adjacent to Manila Bay is really vulnerable. 
What if a Super Typhoon hit Metro Manila? Existing systems for "normal" typhoons do work well based on the Barangay system, I have seen this in action where I live. These need up rating such as the need for more secure evacuation centres. The idea of using "Malls" was floated in a UN report I have seen. Their windows were smashed in, but they did seem to survive Haiyan.

The Philippines in general has enough problems recovering from the Haiyan, but real thought has to be given to the possibility of further Super Typhoons. Rebuilding has started, but are these buildings strong enough to with stand a future Super Typhoon? We can not afford a concrete roof here so we are going to improve and replace our current tin roof. This is a major problem across the Philippines. To date there have already been reports of sub standard rebuilding and corners being cut. Again corruption and administration need tightening up.

Apart from the rising sea level and Super Typhoons as Naderev points out, there is the all important issue of food. Rice is the stable food here. The population as a whole is very sensitive to any price change. Rice paddies are common all over the Philippines, there are some just to the north of us here. The destruction of rice and coconut production is critical. Coconut plantations will take a while to re grow. And over fishing! Add to this the pressures from out side the Philippines. China I am pretty sure has taken an interest in countries such as the Philippines for boasting its own imports of rice.

Concerning over population; the poorest families here still have around 6 children per family. The Pork Barrel affair has over shadowed another all mighty row the RH (Reproductive Health) Bill. This has got lost some where in the Senate. This aims to provide basic guidance and help for young women. It is vehemently blocked by the Roman Catholic Church and its allies in the Senate and Congress . I have seen blatant anti abortion propaganda in the form of pretty lurid pictures in the main cathedral in Manila. They have only just been taken down

Thought is being given to boasting education here. From what I know the education of young women combined with increased genuine employment prospects are critical in bringing down the birthrate.

There is money tied up in National Debt, which could be cleared. The Guardian has also reported on this. President Aquino III talks the talk. The RH Bill, the Pork Barrel hearings and a Bill to restrict the election of the children of Senators and Congressmen. Aquino is part of this and that too may well have got in the way of the initial response to Haiyan, Kate Hodal reported on the rivalries between the Aquino Clan and the Romualdez/Marcos clans who ruled the stricken areas. Aquino now needs to walk the walk a lot more, given the enormity and urgency of this problem.

The Philippines is not unique in playing political games. The world response to the disaster was outstanding I feel (China?). The Polish Climate Change Conference Naderev attended was a farce. Back in the UK, does Cameron give a "frack" about climate change?