Illustration by Patricia Chavez
There's nothing more cliché than the word "resiliency." That Filipino trait, which has drawn admiration and attention in the domestic and international communities, isn't as laudable as how others perceive it. We become so accustomed to our fellow countrymen's adversities and sufferings without noticing that we are already overusing and exploiting the term to make a situation appear to be better than its real condition.
"Filipino resiliency" is so abused to the extent that we are blinded and no longer bothered to address the actual issues and problems that corrupt the country. It only encourages a custom of acceptance rather than change, putting Filipinos back in the same dire situation repeatedly. Worst is, it has been capitalized by the politicians to escape from their incompetence and promote a culture of political complacency. The stories of how stricken families are quick to get back on their feet after being battered by destructive calamities are just tricks meant to deceive us from knowing the truth.
To shed light on this problematic narrative is to put things in the right context and understand why Filipinos evolved to be resilient in the first place. In the context of Filipinos overcoming the consequences of natural calamities, the answer lies in what the government is doing in terms of crisis preparation, management, and recovery. It is already a fact that the Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural disasters considering its geographical location—typhoon belt and Ring of Fire.
Knowing that these threats are no longer unfamiliar to us, why do we always see residents scrambled onto their rooftops while begging to be rescued from their flood-submerged homes? Why do we still see people with hungry stomachs flocked in cramped evacuation centers? Why do we still have to bear the pain of witnessing bodies of identified individuals being piled up on the muddy streets? How many more lives should we sacrifice before we can spot the problem?
This series of events tells us that resiliency is never enough and that governance and leadership ineptitude play a significant role in why Filipinos are forced to withstand these adversities. Filipinos are left with no option but to face the crisis and secure themselves, although it is the government's primary responsibility to protect its people's lives from the beginning. The failure of the government to effectively handle disaster management, prepare and respond to environmental emergencies, and carry out post-disaster rehabilitation programs should be taken into account instead of shifting the accountability to the victims and blaming them for not preparing enough. Rather than congratulating Filipinos for surviving another tragedy, our attention should be on creating proactive measures such as crisis prevention, preparation, and mitigation so that these people will no longer have to experience the same catastrophe all over again.
However, no matter how proactive and remarkable our strategies are, it would be no use without great leaders who can administer and execute the plans. We need a leader whose priority is to mitigate and prevent the severe impacts of climate change through clear, tangible, and long-term solutions, not someone who chooses to spend millions of the taxpayer’s money on dumping crushed dolomite sand on Manila Bay’s shoreline. We demand a leader who is brave enough to stand up against rich countries and corporations, the culprits to the increased production of greenhouse gas emissions, not somebody who shuts down the country’s flagship research program on disaster and natural calamities.
We deserve a leader who supports a nature-based approach in building towns and cities, not anyone who denies science and advises the public to soak their face masks in gasoline. Most importantly, a leader who makes sound science-based decisions, not a person who wants to swim in the floodwaters but is prevented by a security group. No one in the world can stop any disastrous event when it is nature’s will, but an exceptional leader knows how to plan, prepare, and respond to it.
Discoursing about “Filipino resiliency” is not a matter of debate whether it should be glorified or not in the mainstream culture. Resiliency is beyond the bounds of a virtue that depicts how a Filipino can rise again despite the setbacks and circumstances. The discussion should be centered on resiliency as a movement and progression. It should be seen as a fastidious process of researching, planning, experimenting, designing, and constructing concrete management plans to help communities gain capabilities to resist, adapt, respond, and recover from disasters without the expense of losing lives. This transformation would take years, even decades, before we can achieve the progress that we desire.
A bamboo tree needs years of constant nourishing before it can stand tall and ready. But when hit by a strong wind, it only bends but doesn’t break. This is the type of resiliency that we should strive for.