I am writing this article in my work area. The television is in the other room. The news is blaring regarding the floods in Metro Manila. It is almost similar to the Bagyong Ondoy experience where I was trapped in a hostel where I stayed for the 2009 BAR Exam.
The news made me think if the Local Government Unit of General City is ready for a similar disaster. It made me remember the numerous environmental laws that we have and question the state of implementation of these laws particularly here in GenSan.
A quick glance at the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC promulgated by the Supreme Court sometime in 2010 would show more than twenty five (25) laws pertaining to the environment and it still does not mention the Climate Change Act of 2009.
A thorough reading of these laws would tell us that the disasters that we face from time to time should not be a reality because the laws that we have are sufficient to prohibit or regulate actions that are environmentally harmful.
Beyond regulation and prohibition, a new law, the Climate Change Act of 2009 specifically recognized the correlation between climate change and disaster risk reduction. The law in fact espouses the creation of a national and a local climate change action plan to assess the impact of climate change, anticipate disasters and if need be manage the risks.
I hope that our city has a comprehensive and effective climate change action plan. Otherwise, I might have another Ondoy experience not in Metro Manila but here in Gensan.
*previously published in the Sarangani Journal.
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