maybelle victor

After the DPWH meme viral thing, it’s kinda funny to come across these images:

Read the rest of this entry »

After having an upsurge of emotion yesterday, I explored this topic a bit and found out a couple of things:

1.  There IS a press release from DSWD as regards the good mentioned on the blog.  You’ll find it below.

2. The blog ellaganda.com seems to have been blocked not because of the blog itself but for other reasons.  I sent an email to the hosting company and although they didn’t confirm anything to me, it appears that there may other issues involved in this.  When I sent them an email, it was billing who replied, not sales.

3. Due to the numerous reposts, let’s give DSWD and our government the benefit of the doubt.  We encountered a disaster and it was only our positive spirit that can lift the situation and help us go on.  I want to believe that there IS hope for the Filipino people even if the government is full of sh*t at times.

Note: Some pictures are no longer loading due to bandwidth issues from photobucket.  Please visit the original blog for more information.
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***REPOSTED COMMENT FROM ABBYTHIRDIE (THE SAME BLOG ENTRY) ***

Official statement of Secretary Espaeranza Cabral on the rotting relief goods. i hope this somehow would clear all misconceptions the blog has created. i also would appreciate you guys reposting this. thank you

Statement of Dr. Esperanza Cabral on the issue of relief goods in the DSWD Warehouse
October 23, 2009

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) manages the National Relief Operations Center (NROC) which is the facility for processing and storage of relief goods that are purchased by the Department or donated to us by generous individuals both here and abroad. The relief goods are released to our Regional Offices or directly to evacuation centers or to the local government units as they are needed and requested by these entities. They are delivered in trucks, many of which were lent to us by private companies or by military vehicles. Some of the goods are shipped by air from nearby Villamor Airbase.
When typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng hit the country, we received and are continuing to receive donations. Our warehouses are indeed full, inspite of the fact that we have distributed 500,000 food packs and 200,000 clothing packs as well as thousands of sacks of rice, blankets, beddings, and items of personal hygiene in the past almost 4 weeks. That is the reason why when asked if we still have enough goods, my constant reply is yes, so far we do, thanks to the many kind-hearted individuals and organizations as well as countries who responded and are still responding to the plight of the typhoon victims.
There are no rotting relief goods in our warehouses as we do not keep perishables there and the relief goods that are there, save for the donated old clothes are quite new since they have been either recently purchased by us or have been just donated.
Our goods are repacked by volunteers who are there because they want to help. But they are volunteers and report when they have time to help us. Sometimes there are two hundred of them and sometimes there are only a dozen. However many or few they are, we appreciate their presence and their assistance. Weekdays are usually quiet but on Saturdays and Sundays, the students, along with others who work Monday to Friday, including our own employees, are there.
Our staff at the warehouse work round the clock even now, making sure that the requests for relief goods are met in a timely manner. They work hard, they work quietly and they work humbly and I feel bad that they have been subjected to public vilification that they do not deserve.
I do not recall having talked to an Editor of Philippine News. I do remember my secretary telling me that someone was on the phone asking why there were no volunteers working at the warehouse. My reply was we do not own the time of the volunteers.
I wish that I could have prevented the deaths from typhoons but in fact, they have nothing to do with the relief goods that we are in charge of. Most of the deaths were from drowning or injuries sustained during the typhoon. Some died of illnesses. We are not in charge of rescue nor are we in charge of health and to the best of my knowledge, none of the deaths was due to absence of or delay in the delivery of relief goods.
We would like to assure all of you that the relief goods will reach the intended beneficiaries as they become necessary and will be used only to assist them. However, the relief goods don’t all go out at the same time and an empty warehouse is not proof that the goods were used properly just as a full warehouse is not evidence that the goods are being hoarded. If you visit our website www.dswd.gov.ph you will find updates on our activities related to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. It includes an updated list of donations received and goods released from the DSWD warehouse.
There are many aspects of disaster response. They include recovery and rehabilitation and in both instances, goods and other resources are still needed. In the initial reaction to a calamity, people will want to help and as we saw recently, they came in droves, offering their time, their talent and their resources. We want them to know how much we appreciate them for what they have done and what they are still doing. But further down the road, when the initial flush of generosity gives way to donor fatigue, there will remain only a few hardy NGOs and volunteers and the workers of the DSWD and other government agencies to continue the job of helping the disaster victims back on their feet. Judicious use of resources at the outset is imperative lest we face the situation of even greater want after a period of relative plenty. We at the DSWD wish to assure you that your trust in us is not misplaced. Thank you.

I don’t care how many times this gets re-posted, sure heck want to spread the word if at all it will reach the right eyes and ears.

***RE-POST FROM GANGBADOY BLOG***

Important info from a now-blocked blog

REPOSTING FROM: http://jenniepperson.com

According to Blog Ni Ella, these goods have not been distributed to the typhoon survivors. WHY?

Ella wrote on her (now blocked) blog:   (her blog was ellaganda.com and it is now blocked)

Dear friends,

I’m asking your help to spread the word. Tulungan po ninyo akong ikalat ito. Beyond this, we should also demand action. I disabled a plugin so you can copy the photos of relief goods rotting in DSWD warehouses. You can link this post to your blogs, facebook, websites etc. You can also email the photos.

Philippine News (US based Philippine newspaper) will use this as its front page story this week. Every Filipino has the right to know where the tons of donations from the UN and other counties go. Kahit po nakakahiya sa mga nag-donate. Kung sa ganitong paraan, matutulungan natin ang mga nasalanta, then by all means, let’s do it.

For those who have the time, please try to volunteer sa DSWD warehouses. Getting in was not easy. A friend had to put in a word for us. Let’s see kung madali nang makapasok sa DSWD warehouse ang mga volunteers.

Please read on and good luck to us.

Ella

(This post was last edited Oct 22, 12:30 pm)

Kahapon, tinanong ng Philippine News si DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral:

Editor of Philippine News: Why are the relief goods in DSWD warehouses not moving?

DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral: Wala kasing volunteers.

This short interview was done over the phone. Philippine News wanted to hear her side pero ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa press. After four tries, pinasabi na lang niya ang maikling sagot na ito sa secretary niya – “Walang volunteers”.

I don’t want to accuse her of corruption but at the very least she is showing signs of being totally incompetent. We are in a state of calamity where every second counts. May namamatay araw-araw dahil sa sakit.

In my opinion, these deaths could have been prevented if Secretary Cabral had tried a little harder to do her job.

Deaths from Philippine storms nears 1,000

“Tropical Storm Ketsana left 420 dead and 37 missing when it flooded 80 percent of Manila on September 26, a disaster the government said affected 4.35 million people.

Some areas are still flooded three weeks later and 189,000 people remain in evacuation centres,


Typhoon Parma hit the northern Philippines on October 3 and lingered as a tropical storm for a week, triggering landslides that killed 438 people and leaving 51 missing mostly in mountain communities.

The government agency said Parma affected 4.16 million people, including more than 32,000 who remain at evacuation centres.”

During the first week after the storm, lumabas ang “bayanihan spirit” ng mga Pinoy. “Makatulong lang kahi’t konti,” katwiran nila.

kung walang volunteers, ano ‘to, komiks?

From Stella Arnaldo’s blog:

“At the offices of many civic groups and private organizations, hundreds of people showed up to volunteer in packing relief goods.At the Tulong Bayan center at the Expo Centro in Cubao, Most of the volunteers were adolescents as young as 10 years old, along with their kuya or ate in high school and college.

They came in huge numbers, many of them barkadas, classmates or siblings, dressed just in their tees and shorts, wearing their Havaianas. All were just enthusiastic to do their share!
Photos by Leah Navarro





Even grade school kids pitched in to help!


Youth volunteers repack detergents for distribution


Making beds from carton boxes

GMA asked world for donations

Our government begged the world for more donations. Sumagot ang buong mundo sa ating panawagan. In less than three weeks, dumaong ang mga barko, ibinaba mula sa mga cargo planes, i-diniliver ng mga trak at container vans ang sandamakmak na relief goods. Cash donations were in the millions of dollars.

But these donations must be coursed through DSWD

Nagpalabas ng directive ang pangulo. Individuals, private companies and other nations were ENCOURAGED to send their donations to DSWD. I blogged about it here and the video of her announcement here.

This PGMA directive sounded suspicious to me then. Now I know why. Here’s the story.

A group of eight people, your ate Ella included, went to one of DSWD warehouses to help in repacking relief goods. We know they need volunteers pero hindi namin akalaing WALANG TAO TALAGA SA LOOB NG WAREHOUSE!

As in sa isang humongous warehouse (1000++ sq.m) NA PUNONG-PUNO NG RELIEF GOODS HANGGANG BUBONG, ISANG DSWD employee lang at ISANG SECURITY GUARD ang tao!!

Kailangang magpa-register at i-schedule ang volunteering

1) UNICEF Registration (as a volunteer)The warehouse can only take as much as 50 volunteers at a time or per shift. Here you will find that there is a 4-hour shift, and an option for a 6-hour shift for the volunteers to indicate their availability.

What “volunteers”? Nasaan?

Aside from the 8 of us? Nope, there was nobody there. Bakit kailangan ang scheduling? Feeling hindi ba magkamayaw at nagu-unahan ang mga volunteers?

I know somebody who wanted to volunteer many times. She was always bumped off, laging nirere-schedule kasi “there were too many volunteers” daw. At tuwing Sunday lang daw puwede. What the hell is going on here?

Nakatambak ang donations ng UNICEF sa warehouse, local and international

Mga banig na dapat ay nahihigaan ng mga nasalanta. Mga imported camp beds na hindi na yata masisilayan ng mga biktima. Mga kumot na hindi naman nakabalot sa katawan nila. At mga pagkaing hindi sumasayad sa sikmura nila.

The relief goods are not going anywhere

We arrived at about 8 am and left by midafternoon and yes, you guessed it right. Kami pa rin ang tao bukod sa isang DSWD employee sa loob ng warehouse maghapon. Walang ibang dumating.

The relief goods are not moving. By the way things look, they are not going anywhere. Hindi maglalakad mag-isa ang mga donations na ito papunta sa mga evacuation centers.

LET THE PICTURES DO THE TALKING

Note: Pinagbawalan kaming kumuha ng pictures sa loob ng warehouse. I wonder why.

“Not a creature was moving, not even a mouse.”

Parang haunted warehouse ang dating. May multo na yata.

Kahit na daig pa ang tindahan sa Divisoria sa dami ng naka-stack na kaldero

At walang katapusang kaldero pa ulit

Kahit halos natakpan na ang mga bintana sa dami ng mga kahon

Kahit umabot na hanggang kisame ang stack ng mga kahon

(Close up ng Coleman camp beds sa previous photo) Hindi ito kasama sa ni-repack naming goods. Para sa mga “special victims” kaya ito? Ire-repack kaya ang mga “imported” camp pads na ito ever?

Sabagay, may BANIG naman para sa “ordinary victims”. Ito ang kasama sa inimpake namin. Sayang ‘yung imported.

Ano kaya ang laman nito? Hindi rin pinabuksan. Pang-special victim din kaya ito? (teka, dito nga pala galing ‘yung mga kumot)

Mahiwagang mga kahon from Japan Aid.

(close up ng mahiwagang kahon) Hindi rin ito kasali, of course. Hindi namin alam kung ano ang laman nito. “Imported” are not included, we have concluded.

Marami ito, mga laruang kasinlaki ng tao. Hindi nakunan ng pic kasi nasa tabi ng sikyo.

PORK AND BEANS? Yup, you’d think kasama ito sa relief bag. Pork and beans lang ‘to, puwede na sigurong ipamigay,

Naaah! “Imported” pork and beans from Spain po ito. Sorry, hindi pa rin included

Now let’s take a look at what a victim will get from DSWD

Look Ma, sampung lata ng sardinas! How generous! Kaldero ang unang ilalagay sa sako. Sabong panglaba (bar soap) at sampung sardinas sa ilalim. Siyam na sabon sa gilid ng kaldero. Local goods lahat syempre.

Tapos papatungan ng isang tuwalya at isang pack ng sanitary napkin.

Sisiksikan ng tatlong rolyo ng kumot(?) ang blue water jug tapos ipapatong sa kaldero sa loob ng sako.

Last but not the least, lalagyan ng dalawang banig.

Sabay tatahiin na ang sako. O di ba, parang asong tinapunan ng buto ang mga nasalanta? Eniwey, busog naman sila sa SAMPUNG lata ng Mega sardinas

Do not delay

(THERE WAS AN IMAGE HERE BUT IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.)YOU THINK?? WTF is the matter with these people? Mag-iisang buwan na mula nang masalanta ang mga kababayan natin. ISANG BUWAN!! Do you mean “do not delay ang dati nang delayed”?? Shet.

Anong ginagawa ng mga donations na ito sa warehouse?? APAT na warehouse ang nasa loob ng compound na ‘yon! APAT na warehouse na punong-puno ng inaalikabok na relief goods! Relief goods na ayaw yata ibigay sa mga nasalanta. Halatang-halata.

Marami pang pabubulukin

Wow! May bagong shipment na naman! At the rate DSWD is moving, next year na madi-discover kung ano ang laman ng mga kahong ito.

“The first of two of the largest high-energy food shipments from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) arrived in the country two days ago for victims of storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”


The biscuits were fortified with essential vitamins and minerals for supplementary feeding to children, pregnant women and the elderly in evacuation camps. Another 100 tons of biscuits will arrive on Oct. 24, in a continuing effort to provide food assistance to flood victims.

Sige, ideretso ‘nyo ulit ‘yan sa DSWD warehouse. Para AMAG naman ang abutin ng biskwit… at sapot ng gagamba.

Conclusion

Sa maghapon namin sa warehouse,nakagawa kami ng 150 sacks of relief goods. 150 bags of relief goods lang ang lumabas sa warehouse na ‘yon that day. At nandoon pa rin sa loob ang mga imported relief goods, safe, sound and packed as the day they arrived.

Nakisakay kami palabas sa isang DSWD delivery van. Gusto sana kaming ihatid ng driver hanggang Makati pero wala raw siyang sobrang gasolina. Ibinaba na lang niya kami sa gitna ng EDSA. Millions of dollars in donations, walang extrang pang-gasolina.

Susulpot din siguro ang laman ng mga mahiwagang kahon at mapapasakamay din ng mga tao…sa ARAW NG ELEKSYON. O mabibili na nila ang mga imported goods na ‘yon sa mga puwesto sa Quiapo at Divisoria.

Suggestions lang po sa DSWD:

Kung talagang gugustuhin ninyong makarating agad sa mga kawawang biktima ang mga donasyong ‘yon, nagawa ‘nyo na ‘yan. Maraming paraan…kung talagang gusto ‘nyo lang.You are the government. You have the power, the resources and the money. You just have to really care.

You are the government. You have the power, the resources and the money. You just have to really care.

We have barely recovered from the aftermath of the typhoon Ondoy and here comes another one, Pepeng, which is estimated to hit a Super Typhoon Signal Number 4 within the next 12 hours. Our office, amongst the many in metro manila, has allowed us to go home early to take shelter, make preparations and protect ourselves from the coming (super) typhoon.

As I go home, with the AM frequency blasting its updates over the radio, it hit me.

I have nothing against extensive preparations and early evacuations of possible areas that will be affected; but the amount of media mileage and the “panic” or maybe, the “hysteria” that the turn of events is creating, is just, I don’t know… I can’t help but think it’s exaggerated at some point. It’s like an “echo”, or an opportunity to do things over again, this time with proper measures and awareness.

I want to be positive for our country but Pres. GMA’s declaration of the country being in a state of calamity (read complete article here) is making me raise my eyebrows. Maybe I need to check my understanding of the Philippine Government too.

I figured that the reason why I’m thinking this way is because of my lack of trust on the government and the media. I also feel this way probably because I am not knowledgeable in meteorology and am just a plain individual who measures typhoon by the amount of rain and winds I see or feel and by the damage it brings to me and my country. And I am not alone.

So I checked across the net and found out a few things:

There are generally four types of typhoon:

- Tropical depressions have wind speeds of 29 mph (46 kph) or less.
- Tropical storms have wind speeds between 29 mph (46 kph) and 55.5mph (89 kph).
- Typhoons have wind speeds between 55.5 mph (89 kph) and 114.5 mph (183 kph).
- Super typhoons have wind speeds greater than 114.5 mph (183 kph).

In the Philippines, four signals are hoisted progressively at the onset of a typhoon:

Signal #1 signifies a threat of an approaching typhoon or tropical depression within thirty-six hours.

Signal #2 indicates the likelihood of a typhoon within twenty-four hours.

Signal #3 means that a typhoon is expected within eighteen hours.

Signal #4 is used to denote a direct hit by a typhoon within twelve hours.

(Source: http://www.virtual-asia.com/ph/bizpak/bizguides/chapter_13.shtml)

This article indicates a slightly different version:
Signal #1 Winds of 30-60 kph may be expected in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours
Signal #2 Winds of greater than 60 kph and up to 100 kph may be expected in at least 24 hours.
Signal #3 Winds of greater than 100 kph up to 185 kph may be expected in at least 18 hours.
Signal #4 More than 185 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours.

(Source: http://kidlat.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/genmet/psws.html)

I also found out that the country has received far worse typhoons over the century, some even within my lifetime but I didn’t know because I wasn’t affected. (Feel free to browse here). It was the provinces that were hit, I even came across one site devoted to checking the weather in the Bicol Area, apparently, because it seems to get hit a lot. I’m sure there is an explanation to this but I don’t want to research at this point.

My only point is this – Metro Manila is hardly ever affected of typhoons and I feel the only reason why Ondoy received much of a news item is because it happened in the heart of the city – where the media outfits are strong and the popular figures celebrate their fame.

Again, I have nothing against what is happening right now. My only hope is we do these preparations each time so as to prevent the possible casualties we may have. By God, I pray that we don’t need another Ondoy to wake us up from our sleeping awareness and patriotism.

I really think and I really pray, we are ready this time.

P.S. News feed has indicated that Meralco gave word that power interruptions will only be necessary for affected areas (Manila excluded for now) and that evacuation procedures were already completed in some provinces that may be affected.

I’d be a hypocrite if I say I am loving this day more, considering the repetitive heavy traffic updates in various areas across Pasay and Manila; the declared “working holiday for the Iglesia ni Kristo anniversary”; and the State of the Nation Address.

Nonetheless, when I come to think about it, it makes me proud to find the Filipino people gathered in one faith.  Before, I found El Shaddai’s group assemblies really cumbersome but they seem to have taken a back seat.  The Nazareno procession during it’s feast day is also quite a sight.  Some might find these as a fatalistic appeal to the poverty the people live in but I find this as a good sign – that people, in spite of this time and this age, still has the heart to “believe” and “have faith.”  Believing and faith makes hope possible – and it is hope that motivates action, movement and development.

In one way or another, this is not too much different from how we perceive the government.  The thing is, the masses are fickle and emotional and the politicians can’t help but manipulate and use this fact to supplement their addiction to power and money.  Sometimes, I simply can’t help but believe those political philosophers, no matter how radical their ideas are.  Change is inevitable, as infallible as faith, and yet, many are attempting their best to hold on to the status quo.  As they say, the “rich becomes richer while the poor becomes  poorer.”

I’ve given up watching the news, listening to the radio and reading the papers, knowing that even Media can be manipulated by the owners that invests their money in it.  It is business.

I wish the recent BEP song, “I gotta feeling” will really make me believe “that tonight’s gonna be a good night”.  If only, all of this is just one big party where I can get wasted at.