Manila, Philippines — With over four million individuals affected and agricultural damage at P291 million caused by Tropical Storm Kristine, the Marcos Jr. administration’s disaster risk response and management has been proven once again to be “ineffective”, according to the militant fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Sunday, October 27.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA said that the government’s “inept response” to the recent typhoon was demonstrated just a week after the hosting of the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in the country.
“Walang epektibong disaster risk mitigation sa ilalim ng administrasyong Marcos Jr. Pinatunayan ito ng lawak ng pinsala ng magkakasunod na bagyong tumama sa ating bansa, lalo na sa sektor ng agrikultura at pangisdaan.
Marami sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda na hindi pa nakakabawi mula sa pananalasa ng Bagyong Enteng noong nakaraang buwan ay malubha na namang naapektuhan ng Bagyong Kristine.
Nagkapatung-patong na ang pananagutan ng pamahalaan sa mga bulnerableng sektor dahil sa kapabayaan nito kada bagyo,” Ronnel Arambulo, PAMALAKAYA Vice Chairperson said in a statement.
Citing the data of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the fishers’ group said that agricultural harvests in the Bicol region, which are scheduled for November, are at risk due to the successive typhoons.
In the previous Typhoon Enteng, PAMALAKAYA added, 90% to 100% of the rice crops in Bicol region were damaged.
The fishers’ group is already mobilizing its chapters in CALABARZON and Bicol regions for distribution of relief packs to affected fishing communities. In Binangonan, Rizal, small fishers received rice packs from donations gathered by PAMALAKAYA.
PAMALAKAYA, along with various environmental groups, will hold a protest at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to demand accountability over the government’s “failed” disaster risk reduction measures. ###