Lessons to be learned from the Haiti quake

We have all seen the devastation and death wrought by the 7.0 intensity earthquake in Haiti in January of this year.

We felt our heart wringed and our emotions drained at the destruction and high human cost especially knowing that among the casualties were Filipino members of the U.N. peace keeping force and a number of own overseas Filipino workers.

What lessons, then, can an equally poor country like the Philippines, learn from Haiti’s horrific disaster?  How can we avert such enormous cost of lives and properties?

While we may not be able to foretell the epicenter of an earthquake nor foresee its intensity, the grim reality is that if the shifting of the earth’s crust happens near highly urbanized area or in densely populated environment, then death toll, injury and loss of property are always expected to be high.

This condition can worsen if the buildings are poorly constructed with the use of inferior or below-standard materials and there is found to be laxity on the part of government in monitoring that building codes are strictly adhered to.

For a country to be poor, is bad, but for one to be poor and corrupt, is even worse. Any force of nature can be devastating and when coupled with the unscrupulousness and greed of man, it becomes a disaster of unequal proportion.

Such is what happened to Haiti and it could very well happen to us, God forbids, if our own government won’t change its ways.

It’s about time government should stump corruption in its own backyard so they can be an example and be able to run after the corrupt in any sector our society.

It’s about time government makes sure laws, rules and regulations are to be followed and woe to those who violates them.

It’s about time government gets serious in establishing and sustaining peace and order in every region of this country so that people will cease migrating to already crowded cities.

It’s about time government must show a real semblance of political maturity and economic stability to offer an environment friendly to the investors, both local and foreign.

It’s about time officials of government become servants of people, as they are wont to be known, instead of continuing serving mammon to the disadvantage of our nation.