Sheer Incompetence, Greed Breeds Shear Line Disasters
People Surge
February 11, 2025
The massive shear line impacts ravaging the Philippines since January 2025 are a dire warning of the catastrophic typhoon-related disasters that await us this year. As an alliance of disaster survivors for justice and compensation, People Surge demands immediate and substantial aid for affected communities, full compensation for losses, and an immediate moratorium on all destructive, disaster-inducing projects such as large-scale mining, quarrying, and land conversion. We also vehemently condemn the Marcos Jr. government’s continued failure to protect our most vulnerable communities and its prioritization of business interests over people’s lives and livelihoods.
The recent floods have submerged entire barangays, affecting nearly 850,000 individuals across Regions V, VI, and VIII. In Palawan alone, chest-high floods have forced the evacuation of thousands, with 5 reportedly dead, including 2 children. These are not mere statistics – they represent shattered lives and livelihoods of our poorest citizens.
The government’s response has been woefully inadequate. While ₱65 million in aid has been distributed, it pales in comparison to the scale of devastation. This pittance cannot rebuild homes, restore lost crops, or heal the trauma inflicted on our communities.
photo from Pitik ni Arki/Arki Ed
We demand immediate action from the Marcos Jr. administration. Their sheer incompetence and greed have exacerbated these shear line disasters, and we call for comprehensive disaster preparedness plans that prioritize the most vulnerable areas. The government must make massive investments in climate-resilient infrastructure and early warning systems to safeguard our communities. Furthermore, sustainable livelihood programs for affected communities are crucial for long-term recovery and resilience. We also insist on accountability for local and national officials who have failed to protect citizens, as their negligence has directly contributed to the scale of this disaster.
The Marcos administration’s pro-business policies favoring large-scale and destructive mining, quarrying, and land use conversion are significantly increasing the Philippines’ vulnerability and risk to disasters. President Marcos Jr. has demonstrated a clear commitment to expanding mining operations, as evidenced by his push for “clean mining” and the lifting of the ban on open-pit mining for copper, gold, silver, and complex ores.
Mining in Palawan is proliferating, especially in Brooke’s Point where Rio Tuba Mining, Ipilan Nickel Corporation, Nonoc Mining and Industrial Corporation and Hinatuan Mining Company do their operations.
photo from naturepl
This aggressive pursuit of mineral extraction – especially in vital biodiversity frontiers like Palawan – comes at a severe environmental cost, threatening forest covers, watersheds, agricultural lands, and water systems that are crucial for the country’s ecological balance and food security. It is also becoming a prelude to even more disasters and devastation to our homes and communities.
By prioritizing the interest of foreign and private corporations, and local big landlords’ economic gains over environmental protection and community welfare, the Marcos government is setting the stage for more frequent and severe disasters. The administration’s approach contradicts the urgent need for a comprehensive land use policy that would protect communities from the destructive effects of climate change and ensure sustainable use of the country’s land and physical resources. Unless there is a significant shift in policy direction, the Philippines faces an increasingly precarious future where the pursuit of mineral wealth and other extractives comes at the cost of heightened disaster risk and compromised resilience for its most vulnerable populations.
The Marcos Jr. administration’s incompetence is turning natural hazards into full-blown humanitarian crises. As climate change intensifies, we fear that 2025 will bring even more devastating typhoons and floods. The time for empty promises and photo opportunities is over. We call on all Filipinos to join us in demanding real action to protect our communities and our future.##
sources : https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2033552/5-dead-in-palawan-due-to-shear-line-triggered-rains-pdrrmo
https://eia.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Project-description.pdf
