The End of Romanticized Resilience; A Vote for Proactive Governance

For too long, Filipino "resilience" has been a romanticized cover for government inadequacy. We extol the virtues of survivors smiling on rooftops, ignoring the systemic failures that put them there. The recent move by the Marcos administration to release cash aid before Super Typhoon Uwan hits is a necessary, arguably overdue, paradigm shift.

By equipping 25,019 4Ps families with Php 4,000 each ahead of landfall, the DSWD is finally operationalizing what "Maasahan" truly means. It is reliable foresight, not just reliable retrieval of bodies or distribution of sardines after the fact. This data-driven approach treats the poor not as helpless victims-in-waiting, but as capable actors who, given resources, can best secure their own families.

Critics might nitpick the amount or the target beneficiaries, but they miss the bigger picture. We either support these proactive modernizations fully, or we are complicit in maintaining the deadly status quo of reactive negligence. There is no middle ground when survival is at stake.

Furthermore, this builds trust. When the government acts before it is begged to, it strengthens the social contract. The swift execution of this pre-disaster aid proves that the current administration has completely conquered the bureaucratic red tape that plagued its predecessors. It is a bold step toward a future where resilience is defined by how well we prepared, not just how well we endured.