Exactly half a year had passed since super typhoon Yolanda struck us all to the nadir of our being. We were saved by the grace of God and those who perished to the great beyond were the silent martyrs that served as the unwilling sacrifice for all that we are today. We mourn the passing of the multitude of casualties, both those who were found and the many more who remain missing. We who were given the second chance to continue this journey called life are confronted with the enormous challenge of rising from our great fall and rebuilding our lives better than where we were before the disaster. The great challenge for the victims of the super typhoon is to muster the strength and will power to bounce back and build back better. This has been the mantra among all agencies and non-government organizations, whether local, national or international. The church and other religious organizations had likewise espoused the idea of leaving the old a thing of the past and encouraging victims to build back better than where they were situated before the disaster. While there are a myriad of resources from various nooks across the globe, the task at hand is to ensure that there would be no duplication of assistance. This will optimize the use of available resources and serve those in dire need as assistance would be made available out of the excess from those who already had been given assistance. But above all the challenges people encounter as we go into transition from relief to recovery, this writer would like to posit his humble learning from the reportedly worst and gravest super typhoon in human history. Human law teaches us that: “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the law.” (article 3, section 1, Philippine Constitution.) Natural law taught us that: “Any person can be deprived of his life, liberty or property without due process of law, without any protection of the law or even without your notice and even against your will and consent.” (super typhoon Yolanda taught us so.) Divine law assures us that: “All persons can regain and recover his life, liberty or property and be afforded unconditional protection by the grace of our loving and merciful God.” personal reflection on my own lessons in life. The greatest lesson for us all is to live by the fundamental laws on human relations. Let us all acknowledge the basic tenet that before we can seek pardon and mercy, we must first accept our faults and be sorry by asking for apology. Before we can ask for forgiveness, we must first bare the truth and seek for justice. Comments to alellema@yahoo.com
