OFFBEAT MAIL

The strong typhoons that hit some parts of the Philippines late this year were testaments to the unquestionable tempest of nature’s fury. In fact, these had resulted to the loss of many lives and brought extensive damages to properties and agricultural lands worth billions of pesos. Eventually, these natural calamities gave trauma to many Filipinos, especially those whose houses are still under water in Central Luzon. Yet, many of us continue to ignore the signs of dangers, especially during the rainy season, when most water tributaries would have the tendency to overflow during heavy downpours. As gleaned from news reports, most of the victims and fatalities were reportedly living along or close to the rivers and creeks, where debris, effluents, flotsam and water hyacinths are abundant because of the dwellers’ uncaring attitude toward the environment. Obliviously, they make the water tributaries their depots for wastes, instead of throwing them where these garbage are supposed to...

An estimated 100.000 people are missing in Haiti, says the latest assessment of the United Nations relief organization, where scores of its own staff were buried under the rubbles when a strong eathquake hit the country Tuesday, CNN News said in a report. Media reports said there is too much chaos and despair as can be gleaned from the faces of people, whose families and properties were among those buried under the concrete slabs of crashing buildings and houses. CNN footages showed thousands of corpses lying unattended on the pavements and on the streets of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti's capital. Governement officials and relief workers have expressed fears that should this take longer, it could be possible that diseases may crop up as decaying corpses may contaminate the air. As this writing, almost all the basic needs of the people like food, water, medicines, blankets, are scarcely available. Relief organizations are having problems delivering goods because roads leading to the site...