Nature Speaks

Image via Wikipedia

On October 3, 2009, provinces in northern Philippines were hardly hit by the worst flood in four decades that had stricken the country, and probably could have been known as the “Flood of the Century”.

Typhoon locally code named “Ondoy” visited the melancholic  coastal areas of northern Philippines including the greater part of mega Manila  at an estimated wind force of 55 km/hour,  and brought tremendous destruction on lives and properties, a scenario which was not expected by thousands to become the worst  calamity ever to  hit the country since 1967.

Four almost 24 hours of heavy downpour, the streets of Metro Manila and the provinces in northern Philippines turned into an open ocean of brownish water overflowing from major river channels in Luzon.  Debris of destroyed properties scattered and cars rumbled in the streets. Thousands became homeless just in a twinkling of an eye,  death and horror were everywhere. Within a number of hours, thousands were evacuated from the areas hardest-hit by landslides, which swallowed their houses and sources of living.

Vast tracks of farmlands remained submerged underneath the rumbling waters and debris; people struggled on their rooftops for several days waiting to be rescued against the grueling anger of nature.  Sickness, hunger and injury were highly deplorable.

It was the worst calamity that had displaced millions of people from all walks of life, rich and poor, alike, they’re all victims of” The Flood of the Century”.

Flood occurs when soil and vegetation can no longer absorb all the water in great quantities that flows over the river channels. In northern Philippines, the Marikina River, serves as the major channel that caters the flow of water in the highlands.  But the ability of this river channel in guiding the flow of water downstream has been seriously challenged to a significant degree by a lot of contributing factors, to name some: deforestation, illegal structure along the riverbanks and the sprawling commercial developments near the channel.

Merciless deforestation activities in the mountain caused the rapid siltation on the riverbeds, making them shallow as years go by. Illegal structures, such as fishponds and the like, had caused the narrowing of the riverbanks, hence, the overflowing during heavy downpour.

In many countries, including India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, virtually, all the primary forest has been destroyed. In the Philippines, in particular, influential logging companies had indiscriminately trimmed the mountain tops, aside from the “kaingineros” or the slash and burn system of farming. All these, were due to the selfishness of man, his continued craving for more wealth at the expense of environmental destruction.

Many scientists believed that all tropical rainforest systems would have been fundamentally altered or destroyed by the year 2030. By that time, perhaps, countless and unimaginable disasters would have already ravaged the lives of millions in this dying planet.

As long as humans remain unmindful of his environment, nature will have its own recourse of avenging itself. What had happened in northern Philippines is just a classic reminder to all of us that nature will never allow itself to be destroyed by the selfishness of men forever.