My foolish thoughts about Typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng and SONA

Few months ago, pres. Arroyo delivered her State of the Nation Address. In her SONA she highlighted her major accomplishments. Some of which includes development of infrastructure, irrigation projects, flood control projects, establishment of many schools for students, lowering of poverty rate, lowering of unemployment rate, and practically, she bragged about her projects of progress. She also made sure that her critics will be slapped by her indirect yet insulting words.

Few months after she delivered her SONA, typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng visited the country. Typhoon Pepeng have not left the country yet but its wrath is causing suffering to the people of affected areas specifically in Nothern part of Luzon. More than a week has also passed, yet residents of Marikina, Laguna, Quezon, Pasig, and Rizal, among others are still experiencing the fury of typhoon Ondoy. Now, thousands of victims depend on the relief goods from public and private entities. With the destructive rage of typhoon Pepeng, not only lives were lost but millions of agricultural and infrastructures were left useless. Redemption may even take long because of the massive damage caused by both typhoons.

In merely a span of 9 hours, two typhoons were enough to take what were bragged about by the president. It is even doubtful whether the flood control projects, infrastructure and other projects were sturdy and quality-guaranteed because flash flood in few hours is enough to ruin it. With the unemployment and poverty rate, I guess the rate has ballooned because more and more lost their properties, businesses, and jobs.

Meanwhile, as to her statement against those living in glass houses, there is no doubt that she and her family are among those people she pointed out. Few months after her SONA, the first family’s wealth ballooned. There are mansions discovered to have been bought millions of dollars. Foreign visits have also been regular that even family members were with her. The dinner was more than enough to qualify for the criteria of a glass house life.

With the typhoon Ondoy and Pepng, we are reminded of the president’s vision for the country. It also ruined the progress that the president mentioned in her SONA. Sometimes, I foolishly think that maybe Ondoy and Pepeng came to tell the Filipino that she was lying in her SONA. But, beyond that, the aftermath of the typhoon is clear proof of the administration’s failure to protect the country and the Filipino people from calamities. This failure puts the people in doubt whether the government can be an entity to be help upon in times of need or whether it will cause a hell kind of life.