by: Donald Sevilla
OBSTINANCE
Is defined as a “resolute adherence to one’s own ideas or desires, synonymous to bullheadedness, obstinacy, pigheadedness, self-will, stubbornness.”
The continued determination of the Bohol Provincial Government to proceed with its cloud seeding operations despite conditions to the contrary, defy common sense and ĺogic.
While we laud efforts to address the ill effects of El Niño, such actions came a little too late. While the country’s main weather advisory agency PAGASA has declared the end of dry spell conditions and forecasted the onset of rains, our brilliant local executives declared a state of calamity and opted to push through with cloud seeding activities to bring rains.
Yet in any activity, timing is of the essence. In Ecclesiastes in the Bible, there is a time to do things in accordance with the natural cycle of order.
Was this delayed declaration an overreaction to a much awaited reaction? So it seems as our leaders do not want to be perceived as “sleeping on their jobs”.
Where were you when this song was number one – in satirical reference to incompetence and inaction? When the dry spell started what mitigating measures were adopted? We were made aware that a dry spell was forthcoming but what did we do?
We opted to distract ourselves with other diversionary entertainment such as basketball tourneys and the like and forgot our pressing needs and priorities. While we were busy with other things the scorching heat did its damage.
So here we are, in a state of making up for lost time and opportunity. Are our knee -jerk reactions justifiable? Given the opinions from experts and the directive from the Office of Civil Defense and the Office of the President, there is no empirical basis as to the efficacy of cloud seeding operations. What we are doing is providing a band-aid solution to a recurring problem, that we should have addressed sustainably.
So why the insistence to push through with it? For purposes of argument how can we determine if the rains we experience are a result of the cloud seeding activities or natural rainfall? Vis a vis cost, couldn’t cloud seeding just be riding along natural weather conditions? Does its result justify the cost?
Whether we like it or not as things are returning to normal, rains will come. This is the irony. If we badly needed cloud seeding, it could have been then, not now. But you cannot seed clouds when there are no heavy clouds to begin with as the process only serves to induce precipitaton and cause rainfall.
Do you go to the carwash when it rains? Is cloud seeding highly effective and are results guaranteed? No. Is it cost effective? We don’t think so. The average cost of P60,000/ hour sans logistics as estimated by the BSWM (Bureau of Soils and Water Management) is no joke.
But for the Bohol cloud seeding operations, it is set for 50hrs at a cost of approximately P80,000/ hr. Granting that it works, is this enough to increase rainfall volume to address our water shortage as argued by proponents?
Procurement was done in a state of calamity and emergency and we surmise that it was expedited. But did it provide safeguards for transparency and accountability? Where there other bidders for the cloud seeding operations? Was it the most advantageous to the government to protect people’s taxes?
We waited long enough for the rains to come, does it hurt to wait a little more ?Applying a cost- benefit analysis to the undertaking would make us think twice and harder.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE, OBSTINANCE IS NOT.
References:
-Cabinet memo from the Office of the President thru the Executive Secretary and Office of Civil Defense.