“Ondoy” and “Pepeng” hath the fury of a woman… Women also stole a march on men: PGMA moved over to Pangarap across the Pasig and welcomed the homeless victims with Malacañang menu.

Have you ever tried removing squatters from Malacañang?

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Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago challenged her colleagues to fork out P1 million each from their pork  barrel. She wants to tap the motor vehicles registration, RP’s third-largest cash register, to fund disaster prevention.

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Sen. Loren Legarda threw in the towel on her political ambition and will channel her resources and energy to Ondoy relief.

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RP appealed for foreign assistance, after learning well the lessons of slow-footed response of the Taiwan government on the Morakot calamity.

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Remittances from OFWs, which Central Bank reported at new record-high $6.98 billion by May, to jump even higher. Filipino communities coordinate with RP embassies in response to the calamity.

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It will take months before waters recede, longer for many to return to life ante deluge. OFWs keep our heads above water.

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Dammed if you do/if you don’t. About the water released at Angat Dam, consider the alternative: What if the dam burst with untold consequence of flooding Metro Manila… and the graver consequence of the populace without water for the two years it would take to repair the dam?

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Imagine the mayhem of 1,000 more water delivery trucks plying 24/7 EDSA, C-5, and all major arteries.

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Ondoy was nature’s terrorist. But it isn't true that DFA Secretary Romulo put Ondoy on lookout list to deny re-entry.

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Hope for the best, prepare for the worst: PAGASA climatologist Flavina Hilario said the excessive rainfall caused by a single weather disturbance will happen more often in the next years due to climate change.

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An Ounce of Prevention: Rehabilitate Angat Dam… even if it takes a downtime of 8 months to a year.

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Urgent answer to Manila water system. Either the Laiban Dam’s 1,900 MLD water (if we can wait 12 years), and/or the Wawa Dam’s 1,500 MLD (which proponent Oscar Violago claims could deliver 80 MLD water in 8 months and be fully operational in 4 years).

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Foreign News: With Lake Tai, China’s third-largest freshwater lake, choking to from pollution, China supported Suntech to grow to a $15 billion industry and become the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. Objective: support alternatives to polluting and energy-consuming companies.

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When China goes green out of necessity, watch out. You will be buying not just toys from China… but even your next electric car, solar panels, batteries and energy-efficiency software.

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In RP we talk a lot about greening... then just grin and bear it.

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Antonio Basilio, Manila Economic and Cultural Office representative, said Taiwan will put up 15 high tech automatic weather stations (AWS) in RP at cost of P15 million and will train our experts. PAGASA counterpart is P2 million for installation, operation and maintenance.

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This is in enlightened interest of two neighbors visited by the same typhoons. From the southernmost tip of Taiwan, you can hear the Batanes cock’s crow. Feedback: jaz@mb.com.ph