And how we can repay this
By Raïssa Robles
The outpouring of sympathy and help from all corners of the world, from governments and people, was like a warm embrace to a grieving nation.
There are few events in the world that make humanity come together so selflessly.
Typhoon Haiyan was one of them.
We, Filipinos, will never forget this.
In the future when a calamity strikes another part of the world, we Filipinos should also help out. Even if the tragedy happens in China or a first world country like Japan or the US. My hubby Alan recalls that when Japan was struck by an earthquake and a tsunami two years ago, some Filipinos criticized the Philippine government for sending a medical team to help out.
It is simply our duty to humanity.
And now, we also have to repay the incalculable debt we owe humanity, not just by rebuilding the rubbled cities and towns, but also by fixing our dysfunctional democracy – which I believe raised the number of casualties. And which could get in the way of rehabilitation.
Filipinos are truly a resilient people. We love to sing all our aches and pain away.
Jason Gutierrez, our FOCAP president who is covering for Agence France Presse wire service, posted the video he took below.
You can share the original video on Facebook by clicking on this link.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201170635528308&set=vb.1242758159&type=2&theater
We owe Erica and all the other children like her a much, much better life in this country.
Long before Typhoon Haiyan struck, a “disaster” had already been affecting Tacloban and many other places in the country.
If CNN’s Anderson Cooper had roamed Tacloban City’s beach-side hovels before Haiyan came, he would have gotten similar sound bites from children and grown-ups saying they were hungry.
This was what had affected many viewers worldwide, who were glued to TV watching the horrific post-Typhoon Haiyan reports: The tearful pleas from children and adults saying “We’re hungry…we have no food, no drink, no homes, nothing.”
According to Marie Madamba Nunez, spokesman for the international NGO Oxfam, “in Leyte, one out of three belongs to the very poor and vulnerable” – that was the situation before the typhoon.
Before the storm, Leyte was a microcosm of the Philippines. The few who were rich lived in mansions while the vast majority eked out a hand-to-mouth existence.
Among the very rich in Leyte are their Representatives to Congress.
Last November 18 when Cong. Martin Romualdez – who represents Tacloban City – delivered a privilege speech pleading for more relief and rehabilitation after the November 8 storm, I had posted on the social networking site Twitter this question:
“Could someone pls ask Rep Romualdez how much of HIS OWN MONEY he gave to typhoon victims? Not pork barrel.”
Someone castigated me for asking this and said it was unseemly and not the proper time.
Another even cursed me on Twitter, using you know, the usual unimaginative words.
I had asked this question because Martin Romualdez once dropped US$20,000 for a dinner at Le Cirque in New York with then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Surely, he can afford to give at least US$20,000 to his storm-stricken constituents. I could not find out. Nobody was answering his phone in Congress yesterday and today.
Congressmen from the typhoon-struck areas of Leyte and Samar could dig into their own pockets and collectively put up their very own relief and rehabilitation fund. They are collectively rich enough to do this, based on their net worth:
Leyte
Martin Romualdez – P474,111,941.59
Lucy Marie T. Gomez – P160,214,222.89
Sergio Antonio F. Apostol – P44,637,900.00
Andres “Andy” Salvacion, Jr. – P12,300,000
Jose Carlos L. Cari – P 17,620,000
Roger G. Mercado – P44,100,00.00;Samar
Ben Evardone – P41,284,255.00
Milagrosa T. Tan – P31,856,420.00
Mel Senen S. Sarmiento – P1,651,813.69
Emil Ong – P7,870,600
Raul Daza – P34,313,305Biliran
Rogelio J. Espina – P19,487,795An Waray Party List
Neil Benedict Montejo – P19,690,000
The six congressmen from Leyte alone are altogether worth over P700 million.
Martin Romualdez and Lucy Torres Gomez are jointly worth half a billion pesos.
And yet, and yet, surprise, surprise. Congressman Martin Romualdez and his family have been asking people to donate CASH to the bank account of the Tacloban hospital which his family owns. And of which he is a member of the board of trustees.
Isn’t that unseemly? Asking people to donate money to your own hospital for the typhoon victims when you and your family are stupendously rich?
That wealthy lawmakers represent some of the poorest districts in the country has been the norm in this country since time immemorial .
And every year, these lawmakers just somehow get richer and richer while their poverty-stricken constituents remain poor, or get poorer. I will leave readers to speculate how lawmakers do it.
Typhoon Haiyan will aggravate the rich-poor gap in Samar and Leyte, especially.
Nunez of Oxfam warned that the economic effects of the devastation will be “multiplied many times over for the poor.”
According to the International Labour Organization Philippine Office Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson, the ILO has now estimated that 5.6 million lowly-paid workers have “temporarily or permanently” lost their jobs. Of this 5.6 million, half of them or 2.8 million were in the service sector.
“Service sector includes people working in shops, public markets, restaurants, vendors, tricycle and jeepney drivers, mechanics, clerks, teachers,. who, like farmers and fisher folks have seen their source of income wiped away,” Johnson said .
You know, 5.6 million – that’s roughly half the estimated population in 2010 of the entire Metro Manila with 16 cities and one town.. That’s how gargantuan our problem is right now. And that number is added to the number of unemployed outside the areas destroyed by Haiyan.
Fortunately for us, people from across the world and their governments have sent and continue to send aid in cash and in kind.
And what has heartened me and gave me much hope about all these is that Filipinos – poor and rich – are coming forward on their own to donate whatever they can afford for relief and rehabilitation. A good number are even flying to the devastated areas to help out.
A vigilant citizenry is one of the pillars of democracy. Unfortunately much of the time the citizens in any democracy have to be awakened before they can become vigilant.
This might be one of those awakenings.
A vigilant citizenry can demand reforms in the country’s political system – reforms that will equalize opportunities for work and for doing business.
Hindi na lang lagi mga congressman at senador ang nakikinabang.
For starters, I’d like to propose a close guarding by civil society of the foreign and local aid that continue to pour in. The bulk of this aid should go to the poorest of the poor affected by the storm in Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Palawan, Antique and other provinces. A smaller portion should go to the affected middle class. None should go to the wealthy – who have a net worth of at least P5 million.
The poor in the most remote islands and villages should all benefit from this aid.
And woe to anyone who pockets even a small part of it.
Maria says
In regard of this article of yours, Do you know the real situation of Leyte and nearby province affected by ST Yolanda? did you able to visit? see with your own two eyes what is happening there? did you believe what the Aquino Government tallied about the death toll? we will see from if you really care for the People of the Philippines.
I don’t care of what you and your armies called me…laugh at me until your last breath….but I am talking for what I knew, for what I have experienced and for I have seen……Never I do comment for what I have heard or what some told me to say…..Raissa Robles as what I have told you in other side of your blog….You are one of PAID person to create REPEATING RUMORS ABOUT MARCOSES……I AM NOT MAKING MARCOS AS A SAINT AS WHAT YOU TRYING TO DESCRIBED NINOY AND CORY…..MARCOS WAS SINNER BUT HE IS NOT A DEMON AS WHAT YOU ARE SAYING…..BE TRUTHFUL ON WHAT YOU ARE WRITING……
raissa says
Maria,
Wake up to the truth.
What I write are not rumors.
And whatever the Marcoses gave to Leyte typhoon victims did not come from their own pockets but mainly from tax money.
Kamison says
A flood of debt? and another to fund the reconstruction of Imelda Romualdez’s Povincial Homeland of Leyte.
How Can the Philippines Recover from Typhoon Haiyan While Forced to Pay Off Ex-Dictator’s Old Debt?
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/12/27/how_can_the_philippines_recover_from
Mel says
Kudos to Jim Paredes for this tribute song for the Donor countries who sent help to the Philippines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRnuuEeldA8
Mel says
Mel says
Hey Jim, nice and a beautiful song.
Can you release a Minus One, please?
Thanks. Agyaman kami kadi. Dakal Salamat.
filipino_mom says
greetings CPMers from leyte. the past month has amazed us and humbled us, what with the outpouring of the entire world’s generosity.
what’s sad is the incessant and constant finger-pointing and bickering among local politicos. nakakahiya. the bottomline is, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. might as well own up and do something to rectify the situation. so much still needs to be done. with their self-pity and “away-bata”, they are not helping anybody. they are trifling with people’s lives. the very people they claim to and should serve.
in our place, our mayor worked, almost single-handedly, to restore order to our small municipality, first making sure that the road to ormoc city is clear and the water system is restored. he secured relief for his constituents. all the time without any help from his sanggunian because of goddamned party differences. still, when people asked, he did not whine or indulge in self pity. he merely said that his sanggunian was busy with their own families and barangays. people knew better and admired him more. bakit d kaya ng ibang pulitiko na gawin yan?
for now, we are all busy putting order to our lives and places of work. i work for a very vital sector – energy. we have been working since nov 8 – right after the storm cleared – to restore vital installations as part of our service to leyte and the rest of the visayas, mindanao and luzon grids.
thank you, CPM for the updates. your comments and shared links put me back in the know.
Martial Bonifacio says
@Raissa & CPMers watch this interesting video of ABS-CBN’s Punto por Punto. I hope you can get a copy of the audio recording na sinasabi ni Sec. Roxas since it will settle once and for all kung sino ba sa kanilang dalawa ni Romualdez ang nagsisinungaling at namumulitika.
Punto por Punto: Rescue at relief operations sa Leyte pinulitika, ayon kay Tacloban Mayor Romualdez
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/opinions/12/10/13/punto-por-punto-rescue-relief-operations-sa-leyte-pinulitika-ayon-kay-taclob
greenpea says
Hi @highfive,
Am one with you. Please refer to posts #18 and 6. Am very grateful to Sir Tomas Gomez III for even trying to pull some strings with his old comrade to get this idea moving.
But let me share with you my frustrating experience trying to get people buy into an idea.
I talked to some people in government who I thought might be in a better position to act on the idea of a lantern parade of nations or even just a parol ng pasasalamat display in an open space.
One answer I got was, good idea but sorry, busy pa mga tao. Maybe next year. But saying thank you one year later is not really a mark of genuine gratitude.
Another response which I find more frustrating is “dapat sa mga taga Leyte at Samar mo sabihin yan para sila gumawa niyan”
This last answer really saddens me. It shows how people still think regiionally or do not seem to think at all. Although Yolanda hit mostly central philippines, I think our entire country was affected. Kung hindi tayo tinulungan ng ibang bansa, siguro hirap na hirap tayo ngayon sa pagtulong sa ating kababayan. Bakit hindi ito naiintindihan ng ibang tao?
I still hope that somehow somewhere, someone in a position can own the idea and make it a reality. Or maybe someone can pass along this idea to others.
We are not beggars. That is why I feel it is important to say thank you.
HighFive says
Sa anong paraan pa kaya natin maipakikita ang pagpapasalamat sa mundo kung ang magagandang mungkahi ng mamamayan ay babalewalain? Frustrating talaga ang natanggap mong sagot greenpea, kasi bakit Tacloban at Samar lang ang magpapasalamat sa tulong ng mundo kung buong bansa ang nararapat na mag represent. Kung makakatulong sa pag shape up ng policy ng gobyerno ang suggestion ng mamamayan ano kaya ang mawawawala kung hindi iko-consider?
Napapabalik tanaw tuloy ako sa Tubataha Reef na hindi naman sinasadyang sirain ng US pero parang hindi ayos ang ginawa ng bansa natin sa pagpapaabuna sa isang bansa na nakahandang dumamay at magtanggol sa atin. Hindi naman anti- ph government ang sentemiento ko sa pangangyari sa Tubataha kasi lagi ko pa ngang ipinagtatanggol ang ang gobyerno natin sa kampanya laban sa kurapsyon. Kapag may nababasa akong comments galing sa pinaghihinalaan kong mga trolls na nagsi-sway ng public opinion laban sa gobyerno natin, sa iba ibang news sites, sumasagot ako at hindi lang sagot kundi may back up. Hopefully, mag PARADE ang mga Pinoy at iwagayway ang watawat ng mga bansa na tumulong sa atin. Ganapin sana maski na siguro sa kaunting bahagi ng airport road at kaunting bahagi Edsa Baclaran tapos ang final destination at disperse ay sa Luneta. Mas maganda kung i-invite ng mga organizers ang CNN para mas marinig ng mundo ang ating pasasalamat.
leon says
Suggestion lang po, pwede po siguro, kung talagang gusto natin (mga CPMers), mag-lead ang ilang naririyan sa PHL (OFW po kasi ako) na sa start ng Simbang Gabi (or anytime) mag-carroling sa mga embassies na tumulong at tumutulong for the next 9 days not to ask but to give thanks for their help (just a raw idea open for further modification) Eh kung yung mga militant groups nga panay ang nega rally sa mga embassies, siguro better kung ganitong activity ang gawin…..
Martial Bonifacio says
Tacloban mayor: It was hard to explain storm surge to public before Yolanda’s landfall
“During a post-disaster assessment at the Senate, Romualdez said PAGASA informed the local government of the possibility of massive storm surge due to Yolanda before the typhoon made landfall.”
Link: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/338942/news/nation/tacloban-mayor-it-was-hard-to-explain-storm-surge-to-public-before-yolanda-s-landfall
It only proves that Romualdez was forewarned about the typhoon.Im suprised that not a single congressman asked romualdez why during the time where in PAGASA warned/called the LGU and his government, why didn’t he asked what is a storm surge during that time?
Tacloban mayor: No help from national govt in Yolanda’s aftermath
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/338947/news/nation/tacloban-mayor-no-help-from-national-govt-in-yolanda-s-aftermath
It was one of those public inquiries that should have been in live broadcast and should had been done in the senate floors instead of continuing the circus of miriam vs enrile which is purely a waste of time and money. Since alot of questions should be asked to these LGU, especially the mayor of tacloban city since it is one of the places where in the casualty is high.
HighFive says
Bilang pasasalamat sa mundo, mag organize sana ng PARADE ang Pilipinas na ang layunin ay magwagayway ng mga bandila ng bansa na tumulong sa atin sa malaking salanta na idinulot ng bagyong Yolanda.
vander anievas says
magandang ideya, PARADE.
may nabasa na rin akong ilang article na grupong mangunguna para magsagawa ng programa ng pasasalamat sa mundo. pero hinsi sa pamamagitan ng parada.
HighFive says
Sana pakinggan ng gobyerno ang mungkahing ito na maipadama natin sa mundo ang mula sa pusong pasasalamat sa kanilang tulong.
Sa isang well-organized, safe na parada, iwagayway natin ang mga bandila ng mga bansang nagmalasakit sa atin bilang pagtanaw at pagbigay ng napakalaking pasasalamat. Mas maganda kung gaganapin natin ang parada sa kaunting bahagi ng airport road, kaunting bahagi ng Edsa Baclaran at ang final destination ay sa Luneta. At doon sa Luneta, isa-isang iaakyat ng ilang mga taga Tacloban at Samar sa intablado ang mga bandila, at magbigay ng kaunting remarks ng pasasalamat.
greenpea says
Hi @highfive,
Am one with you. Please refer to posts #18 and 6. Am very grateful to Sir Tomas Gomez III for even trying to pull some strings with his old comrade to get this idea moving.
But let me share with you my frustrating experience trying to get people buy into an idea.
I talked to some people in government who I thought might be in a better position to act on the idea of a lantern parade of nations or even just a parol ng pasasalamat display in an open space.
One answer I got was, good idea but sorry, busy pa mga tao. Maybe next year. But saying thank you one year later is not really a mark of genuine gratitude.
Another response which I find more frustrating is “dapat sa mga taga Leyte at Samar mo sabihin yan para sila gumawa niyan”
This last answer really saddens me. It shows how people still think regiionally or do not seem to think at all. Although Yolanda hit mostly central philippines, I think our entire country was affected. Kung hindi tayo tinulungan ng ibang bansa, siguro hirap na hirap tayo ngayon sa pagtulong sa ating kababayan. Bakit hindi ito naiintindihan ng ibang tao?
I still hope that somehow somewhere, someone in a position can own the idea and make it a reality. Or maybe someone can pass along this idea to others.
We are not beggars. That is why I feel it is important to say thank you.
HighFive says
Hopefully pakinggan ng gobyerno ang ating mga mungkahi na maipadama natin sa mundo ang mula sa pusong pasasalamat sa kanilang tulong.
Sa isang well-organized, safe na parada, iwagayway natin ang mga bandila ng mga bansang nagmalasakit sa atin bilang pagtanaw at pagbigay ng napakalaking pasasalamat. Mas maganda kung gaganapin natin ang parada sa kaunting bahagi ng airport road, kaunting bahagi ng Edsa Baclaran at ang final destination ay sa Luneta. At doon sa Luneta, isa-isang iaakyat ng ilang mga taga Tacloban at Samar sa intablado ang mga bandila, at magbigay ng kaunting remarks ng pasasalamat.
Kamison says
Burma’s donations might be lost in a flood of news donations from other countries.
Kamison says
Can both countries up the ante in the Recto Bank (disputed island) for co-development if both countries can peaceably muster joint humanitarian re-development (re-construction) of islands and provinces devastated by Haiyan (Yolanda)?
I
II
IS no man an island?
Kamison says
When open helping hands are far better than clenched fists.
Xie Xie
moonie says
nahiya yata ang china dahil, initially, halos walang binigay na donation, at binatikos internationally, kayaman-yaman daw na bansa tapos $800K lang daw and kinaya. yong donation ni arnel na singer ng journey ay mas malaki. kaya napasubo ang china at napilitan yatang tumulong.
with the new china air defense zone currently creating tension in taiwan, south korea, japan with united states saying it will cause confusion in both maritime and air travels at baka missiles will be fired, innocent parties will be hit and lives will be lost . . . I’m thankful for china’s help, but. others countries are helping too. our kababayans both local and overseas are helping as well.
so in offering assistance to the reconstruction of typhoon ravaged eastern visayas, I presumed china is pushing for us to buy products and materials made in china? I hope they are not overpriced and made of poor quality materials. probably sell us products that were once recalled and pulled off the market because they were substandard and did not pass quality control therefore not safe to use.
moonie says
I hope our internet providers are keeping watch and updating firewalls and virus protections. china might give us something we dont want.
Kamison says
In a different token, China’s ‘good will’ in the Visayas islands can be extended or annexed into the Recto Bank for joint economic exploration between China & The Phils., between distant relatives for joint commercial & entrepreneur. (read #33 above)
Better Maritime Admiralty?
Make business out of minerals (gas, oil), than make business out of military hardware for war.
Chinese and Malay maritime traders have plied these areas or routes even before the Spain, Britain and the Americans.
INLAND
China does it already at present, they have mining interests and sites already from Luzon to Mindanao. No Problema.
Kamison says
Erratum
re –
“INLAND
“China does it already at present, they have mining interests and sites already from Luzon to Mindanao.
No Problema.”—
– http://www.interaksyon.com/article/68065/18-chinese-detained-for-illegal-mining-in-aparri—doj
– http://www.interaksyon.com/article/65040/court-convicts-3-chinese-nationals-for-illegal-mining
– http://www.interaksyon.com/article/47634/cagayan-de-oro-solon-seeks-probe-into-botched-case-vs–chinese-illegal-miners
– http://www.interaksyon.com/article/46853/illegal-mining-raps-vs-chinese-junked-over-denr-non-participation-in-case
Kamison says
tugma ang naisulat mo @moonie, “… presumed china is pushing for us to buy products and materials made in china?”
They are a global manufacturing company, with raw resources also imported from countries like Phils.
As an economic giant (2nd & aiming for top spot), they do export it back to Phils. in finished or pre-fabricated products.
BTW, NOT all financial foreign donations (aid or grants) are given 100% to Phils. (as an example). Many foreign NGOs who have offices domestically are the LEAD agencies that manages or coordinates with the National gov’t & LGUs. They also bring in their human resources, equipments, tools, etc. Which they often times they leave or donate it locally.
Dapat lang na meron tayong ugaling ‘gratitude’ and to look at it in ‘good faith’ from donors.
Your fears of donors ‘dumping rejects’ (not only sub standard construction materials, might also include ‘passo’ drugs, GMO foods) as part of ‘help aid’ may be quite true. But hey, lets promote ‘good will’ towards all men.
Kamison says
re your ‘East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone’ which China announced last month, November 2013.
There was another ‘Defense Identification Zone’ put in place by the US and later passed onto Japan to administer since 1969.
Between these two ‘Defense Zones’, there is an over lap between China’s, Japan’s and with the US’.
READ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Defense_Identification_Zone_%28East_China_Sea%29
In some news reports, from alternative media, China dared the US & Japan to remove this overlapping ‘defense zone’ for it to remove its own ‘defense zone’ area that over laps with Japan’s.
Neo Canjeca says
Bakit tila wala pang Balita sa aksidente ni Paul Walker na papunta daw sa isang fund raising event sa California para sa victims ni Yolanda. Sa Dyaryo wala pa rin noong buksan ko ang internet at 3am Manila time.
Totoo man o hindi, dapat pasalamatan natin si Paul Walker. Dalawa lang ang napanood ko sa kanyang FAST AND FURIOUS films. Walang yabang si Paul, para pa ngang walang ibubuga ang dating pero pogi. POGI din pala ang ugali tulad ni Vin Diesel.
Neo Canjeca says
sori mali ang oras 3am dito sa lugar ko sa Pinas ay 4pm naman.
ibig sabihin bukas pa ang labas ng dyaryo; pero dapat onlime
nandoon na.