Disaster Management

My Saturdays being involved with ELSAROC activities (as part of ROTC) generated uncalled for paranoia and then some. CMaj Ramos was quick to note that the Philippines is one of the most naturally hazardous countries in the world. Though nature in itself is known to be capricious, there are mitigation processes to lessen the harmful effects of an upcoming disaster (which in my opinion includes all forms of divine intervention). The difference between mitigation and preparedness is that mitigation dwells on preventive measures in the hopes of the disaster not actually occuring or occuring but with lesser impact, while preparedness firstly requires acceptance of the 99% chance that such disaster, without any more preventive measures to supress it, will occur.

Once we find ourselves in such terrible terrible plight as natural disaster, the state of action should simply be responsive (thus the Saturday practicals). It can be considered both a privilege and a responsibility to be informed of search and rescue procedures (not minding tying up people trying to be unconscious and repeatedly hearing ready to lift? on almost all given circumstances). But as CMaj Ramos said, these are all theoretics. How can we be certain that in the occurence of such a disaster, the response is as ideal as what is being taught to us? (when in fact my practicals aren't even prime considering I am still dealing with perfectly healthy people) With the government and their controvertial budgets, there can never stand a chance for ideal response. If you find yourself, God forbid, a victim of a disaster, I am sorry to announce that rescue will arrive 24-48 hours after. I guess it is more of a conscientious effort of ridding dead bodies in a situation, and may even be contributing to the Philippines being one of the most hazardous. We should therefore never cease to rely on the instinctive capabilities of humans and, really at some point, supernatural or divine interventions, with the word disaster in itself having astrological implications (that is according to the discussion of disaster etymology- the italian disastro).