Life is a journey.
It is oftentimes a natural rollercoaster ride, sometimes up and sometimes down.
There are threats we need to face because our existence – since the very beginning – have been pockmarked with uncertainty, doubts and fears.
One of the more real threats that confront us – mankind – today is the degradation of our environment.
One does not need to do scholarly research to discover that these threats are literally killing us.
Look no farther. Here in our local setting, the unmitigated floods that have been inundating regions that were once in safe grounds and free of flooding are now catch basins of unwanted rainwater that normally should seep under the ground and flow into the sea.
Metro Manila is a case in point.
In the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and even up to the ‘80s, citizens of the country’s primary metropolis have never so grievously endured the exasperating floods such as today’s very frequent, aggravating and life-threatening phenomena that have crippled normal human activities.
Students, laborers and employees are the first ones affected by this environmental problem because when floods come, classes are suspended, vehicular traffic comes to a standstill, office work is adversely affected and so much is lost in terms of production and productivity.
If we zero in on the Metro Manila crises, the floods are mainly caused by the improper disposal of waste – particularly plastic materials – that clog waterways that prevent excessive rainwater from flowing freely to the Manila Bay and other tributaries.
The esteros, where mostly informal dwellers settle, are in the center of the issue. They dot the breadth and length of the metropolis’ geographical lines which, very sadly, are not being given the proper government attention.
While everybody is agreed that these estero dwellers pose real dangers to the life of every citizen in the affected areas, political will has not been exercised by those in authority because they are a source of electoral mandate to politicians who tolerate even their reprehensible presence.
Thus, in a national scale – Mindanao included – floods will continue to haunt us because citizens have recklessly ignored the importance of proper waste disposal.
Illegal logging, unabated irresponsible mining. Illegal fishing and other illegal means of exploiting our natural resources combine to aggravate the already very alarming natural disasters that have taken a big toll in human lives and property.
Political will emanates from the sovereign mandate of the people.
If this is so, why then are the Filipinos not exercising this “sovereign mandate” to “coerce” those they installed in office?
Despite the numerous attempts to rectify environmental violations, are we not realizing that more of these attempts have fallen short of their genuine objectives because political will is lost during their implementation?
I do not believe that our government cannot solve – or mitigate – these natural disasters and save lives and property.
Then Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, alarmed by the recurrent disastrous results of typhoons that visit his province every season where a number of Albay residents have died, decided to exercise strong and positive political will.
Believe it or not, because of his decisiveness, Salceda and his team was able to minimize deaths in the ensuing typhoon years to an impressive zero count.
So, there.
As political will plays a vital, pivotal role in our lives, it follows that our quest for good governance may not be far behind.
Even if a few others may insist, political will is not intangible. It is not an invisible element that now you see, then later you don’t see.
It is like salt that season our food.
Without it, our lives would be rendered a useless existence because political will erases our ignorance of knowledge between good and evil.
The great mind, Albert Einstein, once wrote in his essay ‘Freedom’: “In order to be content, men must also have the possibility of developing their intellectual and artistic powers.”
No doubt, Einstein was referring to political will. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) Prov. 17:13. “If a man pay back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.”
