The meaning, importance, and relevance of resilience

One of the most-applauded portions of the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) would have to be when President Marcos mentioned the flood control projects—and how so many of them were failures, riddled with substandard work, or worse, figments of the imagination.

- By PHILIP CU UNJIENG

His plan to investigate these projects and hold accountable those who had failed to deliver as promised was met with raucous cheering.

Coming on the heels of the previous 10 days that saw the whole metropolis stymied by incessant rains and inclement weather, this was something every living soul in the Batasan could sympathize with. From the parents who had their children stuck at home day after day, to business owners who lost a week's worth of productivity, disaster response and preparedness would have been foremost in our minds. Yes, these typhoons, tropical storms, and monsoon rains can't be avoided, but why does recovery and "getting back to normal" have to be such an arduous and protracted affair?

So it had to be fortuitous that a get-together lunch arranged earlier in the week with former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia "Toni" Yulo-Loyzaga and Grace Magno (recently returned from a family trip to Europe) would turn into an illuminating session about resilience. And how, more than ever, it's what should be prioritized and further developed.

If there were two very important takeaways from our conversation with the former environment secretary, they would be: first, we really have to continue investing in resilience so that we can prevent, prepare, and not just survive, but thrive and become stronger in facing future shocks, instead of merely reacting after the fact and letting hazards become disasters. And, second, it's not just a matter of how well we know the hazard or calamity, but of understanding our vulnerabilities and finding ways to build our capacities. It's about building resilience within specific ecosystems and across sectors and communities—not just thinking in terms of relief goods and post-disaster response.