Early next month, the country will mark the third anniversary of the onslaught of Typhoon “Yolanda,” which ravaged the central Philippines and caused unprecedented death toll and damage.
This commemoration comes soon after another Super Typhoon, “Lawin,” hit northern Luzon last week. As of Monday, 14 deaths have been recorded with over P10 billion in damage in agriculture and infrastructure.
These days, government agencies involved in the provision of relief and rehabilitation to the victims of the storm look back to what happened in 2013 and say that some of the issues from three years ago have not yet been resolved.
For example, more than 200,000 “Yolanda” victims from Regions 6 and 8 still have not received emergency shelter assistance despite the cash and non-cash donations received from both domestic and foreign sources. There were irregularities and cases of non-compliance with the standards, said Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo.
Compounding the efforts to ensure transparency and efficiency in the release of help to victims is the recent pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte daring the United Nations, European Union and the United States to cut their aid to the Philippines.
The President said we could survive on our own and do not need any help coming from foreign countries or institutions.
Senator Ralph Recto seconded this as he cited the availability of P44 billion in calamity funds especially since no major calamities were recorded this year.
But the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council emphasized that politics must not be a factor in dealing with foreign countries and institutions that give donations for the short- and long-term.
Rightly so. Even before “Yolanda,” such institutions have voluntarily given help not only to provide immediate relief to victims but also to ensure communities could build back and be resilient to future disasters.
This is not an issue of dependency or mendicancy but one of humility and openness, recognizing that during emergencies, we may temporarily depend on others and that does not make us weak or vulnerable.
Aid especially in times of disaster should be insulated from fiery rhetoric and professions of nationalism and self-sufficiency. There is just too much at stake.