Press Release - SEN NANCY BINAY'S Statement of Sympathy and Solidarity with the victims of Typhoon Carina

My prayers and deepest sympathies go to those affected by floods and landslides brought by Typhoon Carina, and my solidarity to the first responders, paramedics, frontliners, the AFP-PNP-BFP, and our brave volunteers who sacrificed their own lives to ensure everyone's safety in yet another extra-ordinary climate event that hit Metro Manila and Luzon.

The calm after the storm gives us time to rebuild and the mental space to reflect what could have been wrong in our policies, and what could we do more to mitigate and lessen the risks in times of natural calamaties.

Climate change is real. The harsh and extreme weather is the new normal. This is the reason why in 2010--the year after Ondoy--the DRRM Law was set in place, and we opted to mainstream climate change adaptation and disaster risk management in the CLUP for LGUs to implement.

But 15 years after Ondoy, parang ganun pa rin ang sitwasyon sa Metro Manila at maging sa mga karatig lalawigan.

Despite the significant funds allocated to DPWH's and MMDA's flood control programs, it is evident that these measures have failed to produce the necessary improvements to safeguard our communities. It is deeply concerning that, in this age of advanced technology and substantial resources, our flood management systems remain painfully inadequate.

Ang patuloy na reclamation sa Manila Bay ay mas lalo pang nagpabigat ng pagbaha sa Metro Manila, turning what should have been a protective measure into a contributing factor to its vulnerability.

Paano tayo magiging seryoso sa pagbibigay-solusyon sa baha kung patuloy ang ating pagwawalang-bahala sa ating kapaligiran at kalikasan.

There is a growing demand to reevaluate current policies and programs, especially those of the DPWH, DENR, DILG, DHSUD, MMDA and other agencies concerned, and for them to immediately rectify systemic issues.

The people deserve accountability.