Typhoon Ruby cleanses path for Pope Francis

In the bible and other ancient scriptures like the Noble Quran, water represents not just life but a way of cleansing oneself. In the deluvian story as narrated in the Book of Genesis, instead of fire, which consumes whatever it touches, God used water, a similar strong apocalyptic force yet instead of consummation, water actually cleanses.

Typhoon Ruby turned from a super typhoon into a mere tropical depression the minute she landed in Laiya in Batangas. Accurate rendition by the Pagasa made everyone feel safe.

Another storm is coming. If we are as prepared as what happened in the Ruby case, then, all will be fine.

Honestly, this is all we expect government to do for us---muster enough courage, gather all its resources to make us safe.

Now, I can't seem to shake off the idea that Typhoon Ruby was caused by God. Ruby went in a similar fashion like Yolanda, albeit, with minimal effects. Seems like Ruby was created to make way for Pope Francis? Was it God's way of cleansing the places of desolation which Yolanda wrought?

Government pre-disaster preparedness shows what government really is for

IN all of Philippine history, it is not just human actions that shape or alter it--natural disasters are also instrumental in changing the course of our history. Fact is, Philippine history is replete with instances where heroic actions caused by men were reactions from the effects of geophysical changes happening in their midst.

In our times, had Typhoon Ruby maintained its super typhoon strength and battered the National Capital Region (NCR) to smithereens, it could have been a political game changer. Remember that this administration's ratings began to go south when it blundered relief efforts in Typhoon Yolanda. The public began to lose confidence in the capabilities of this government to protect them during disasters.

These past few days show how effective and how valuable government is to its people. The effective implementation of pre-disaster preparedness protocols was near perfect. Local Government Units (LGUs) were effective in organising rescue and relocation of people. One described what happened as the second biggest relocation effort since World War two.

And this is not easy. It takes a gigantic effort, a Herculian task that involves skill in logistical and chain management. For this, I take my hat off for the government.

Aquino administration--impressive so far in handling Typhoon Ruby

This early, I'm impressed with the way government is handling the pre-disaster preparedness stage in response to the possible dire effects of supertyphoon Ruby. I believe several of our government officials have learned already and are pro-active in terms of response now.

EASTERN SAMAR has already been hit and everything, according to reports are down there. Pagasa expects Ruby to bring tremendous rains today in the National Capital Region (NCR). This typhoon packs very strong winds and lots of rains.

Government suspended work and classes today but fell short though of declaring private work suspended. Private firms should suspend work today to allow everybody to be prepared. The frickle-ness of this typhoon is contributing to its lethal-ness. Pagasa admits that they are beginning to see it difficult to predict when and how this typhoon would behave and move.

Be safe everyone.