Bagyo na naman?

There's a typhoon that is now near Catanduanes.  Cat'nes is now Signal No. 1 (the last time I checked -- last night! LOL). Camarines Sur is also Signal No. 1 from the last advisory. 

You know that it means for Iriga.  I need not enumerate.As the ceo of unep, I am once again on red alert.  I am monitoring this typhoon -- Lawin -- it might be one of those days again. We have to move all the stuff which could be flood-damaged on the second floor of the admin building.  We need to secure all things that could be wind-damaged.  Oh well, the UNEP Gym again -- how about it?  I just pray that what had happened in Milenyo and Reming will not happen anymore to our Gym.

I am monitoring the typhoon on Mike Padua's typhoon2000.com.  Not that I don't believe Pag-Asa, but I rather like the blow-by-blow reporting of Mike Padua.  It lessens the anxiety as we brace our selves on what is to come.  A natural distaster is a natural disaster.  There is no way around it except to prepare, prepare, prepare.  That's all.  I have been disaster prepared since I was a child.  My grandma who lived through the WWII made sure we got those survival kits ready in our rooms always.  We always have a bag ready with a couple of changer of clothes, flashlights, some basic medicines, batteries and a transistor radio.  I still maintain this habit.  It keeps me sane and secure thinking that I am prepared. 

In UNEP we have already organized the Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT) through the efforts of our Criminology Dean Donald Narra and Mr. Joseph Florendo.  So far so good.  We just need several drills to make sure that what the students learned in the CERT can be translated into real life. I have also read the cover story in Time Magazine about Disaster Preparedness and I can't forget about that Morgan Stanley Security Director who made sure that all Morgan Stanley employees were aware of what to do during disasters.  During the twin tower bombing in New York, It helped save more than 2000 employees in that company all becuase he made sure they were prepared. 

I am so inspired by this story that I want all my employees and students in this University to be aware of what best to do in a disaster to save themselves.  Typhoons are just the start of it.  We have landslides, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions to contend with.  Our place is far from safe.  Our University sits at the foot of Mt. Iriga (ASOG) and is at the heart of the Central Business District and is described as "Kababaan" or the part of the lowest point in the City.  Jesus... we have so much preparing to do where this is concerned.  I am just glad that there are people in the University who are also in the same frame of mind as I am.  I am sure, some people are thinking that I must be going bonkers for being so worried about disasters when the prevailing attitude is just to deal with it when it comes.

Well, as I end this entry, all I can say is I'd rather be Noah (and be laughed at) than be part of the thousands who were drowned during the deluge.