On Tuesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reprimands us all: stop negative criticism. Tumulong na lang kayo.
This echoes what we heard from a United Nations official on Monday, who told us all to stop the finger-pointing and the bickering. He then implored us to preserve the spirit of bayanihan.
“Clichéd Critics’ Critics’ Criticisms and Other Yolanda Do’s and Don’ts” http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2013/11/cliched-critics-critics-criticisms-and-other-yolanda-dos-and-donts/
Ah, so, if the government is so inefficient that it cannot help disaster victims after a typhoon, bayanihan is useless among the victims and the general populace and so the better thing to do is to indulge in incessant criticism of the government, is that it? Just asking.
ARE THERE EFFORTS TO SABOTAGE AID EFFORTS DELIBERATELY?
Oplan Hatid was conceived by private citizens to ferry arriving refugees from Tacloban to their destinations in Metro Manila and elsewhere after arriving in Villamor Air Base. It was a very good idea, very Good Samaritan and one of its organizers, James Deakin (a motoring journalist) went on a media blitz to call for more volunteers.
It lasted a few days, then govt authorities decided to transfer these operations to Camp Aguinaldo since the volume of the incoming refugees and the burgeoning operations (volunteers for Oplan Hatid were allowed to go inside Villamor) was affecting the operations of the air force inside the base. The DSWD also decided to transfer its repacking to Camp Aguinaldo, presumably for larger space.
The reaction of the organizers? Drama. Look at the Facebook posts of Junep Ocampo and James Deakin. They cited turf war between govt agencies. Or the heartlessness of the DSWD.
“The turf war has led to confusing and arbitrary changes in rules and policies, making it difficult for volunteers and those who want to volunteer to help the survivors of typhoon Yolanda. Puro sarili lang nila ang iniisip nila,” – Cel Ocampo, wife of Junep Ocampo, one of the organizers. Ocampo ended his post with: “May God have mercy on our country.”
(Phil Star Nov 21, 2013, 1238pm)
The real reason for the transfer? AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said the congestion was starting to interrupt the operations in the military airport based in Pasay City. (Inquirer Nov 21, 2013, 4;23pm)
Until I remembered the that one of the organizers of Oplan Hatid was Junep Ocampo, who tried to organize that EDSA anti-pork rally which people shied away from because of reports that it was being organized by politicians and had different goals aside from pork barrel abolition.
Are they trying to find every fault and crack in the delivery of services of govt, then shout to the world their unfounded drama?
Is this the strategy of helping then criticizing? Or is it helping then sabotaging?
Criticism of Yolanda relief efforts is like backseat driving in a heavy rainstorm. The time for criticism is during the after-incident review or post-mortem. That’s when the critics can point out all the wrong things so that they are not repeated. But while the emergency is happening mahirap pag madaming gustong umagaw ng manibela. As the old Philippine Rabbit signs used to say, Do not talk to the driver while the bus is in motion.
Sa madiling salita, get on another bus or drive your own bus kung hindi ka happy sa nasakyan mo. Ang daming NGOs naman na tumutulong eh di humanap ka ng NGO na makakasundo mo at dun ka sumakay pero huwag mo na pakialaman yun bus driver at yun mga pasahero niyang satisfied naman sa pagmamaneho niya. If you want to help the survivors find where you can be most useful and go there instead of yapping from the backseat, hindi ka naman pinipilit na dun sumakay, marami naman ibang sasakyan.
The Pinoy’s bayanihan spirit has again shown that in time of crises like the Yolanda tragedy, it is natural among middle and poor class of our society to help each other for humanitarian cause not religious, business nor political end. therefore, to use this as a basis for a critical analysis to benchmark govt immediate response to society’s breakdown of law and order is I believe off-tangent, irrelavant given the fact that acts of God are beyond man’s scientific and technical knowledge. The govt must raise the flag of bayanihan spirit not only to remind people’s patriotism for the common good but to fill the gap of short term relief while it has failed/disable to provide immediate relief given the uncontrolled situation and resources.
tama lang ang upak ni PNoy kay mr. kring-kring gonzales, mayor of tacloban, dahil inutil naman talaga ang mayor na yan. pasalamat tayo na may presidenteng ganyan, hands-on at walang kiyeme.