LESSONS FROM YOLANDA

With what’s happening insufficiency, absence, inability and slowness of our Chief Executive to address the needs of the victims of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), I seem to believe now to the locally coined word “noynoying” for inaction of his part on the issues of disaster response.  At first I was in denial to persuade thinking it was part of opposition’s political assault.  I didn’t want to believe the President sitting idly while resting his head on one hand and doing nothing.  But if I put altogether the turn of events from Manila hostage crisis on August 2010, super typhoons Pedring (Nesat) and Qiel (Nalgae) on September 2011 and the Zamboanga City standoff on September 2013, I am getting convinced in PNoy’s lack of action in emergency responses.

When one of the worst, deadliest and strongest typhoons in our history battered the central Philippines on November 2013, five days after the disaster and no clear presence of assistance from the government – I felt “noynoying” seems to be very true.  With the kind of magnitude that super typhoon Yolanda had made, I understand the lack of the government to show their presence and reach out the affected areas on the first three days.   But on day 4 and onwards with disorganized action from our leaders, it is really frustrating, unacceptable and I felt extreme rage to all politicians that should response to the catastrophic damage.   The victims are in the horrible situation, surrounded by corpses, traumatized, terrified, in the midst of ground zero, no foods, no shelters, no communication and for these we cannot blame them to panic.  Giving them hope after three days will not pacify their spirit at all.

The storm surge and strong wind are the wrath of typhoon that destroyed homes, killed lives and left the Philippines devastated, hungry, homeless and hapless. The seeming incapacity and incompetence of the government to perform emergency response is big dismay.  And what’s more even disgusting here are the allegedly corruption and politicking amidst of tragedy that the international community had seen.  This caused to the point the local and foreign aids that pouring into the country have expressed their distrust to our government officials from coursing through the billions of donations.  The so-called hording of international relief goods to repack them in local government bags, the revelation or defamation of selecting the imported goods and replacing with expired goods, the report of biased political parties, the fear of stealing the billions of money, the disparity of what the President said from what was really happening in the area, the long family feud of Aquino and Marcos (Tacloban being the bailiwick of Romualdez-Marcos), the much talked-about report of a CNN correspondent,  and the various criticisms on our leaders’ inauspicious actions; if there is any truth to it is really shame for our politics and government.

Aside from politics, what’s really hindered and challenged here are the fact that this was the first time in history that any preventive measures and emergency response on the aftermath may beyond the preparation, and that even a developed country may face difficulties, and the fact that our country has not yet recovered from previous disasters and the civil war in Zamboanga City.   People lose hope, cause panicky and chaos.  There are many stories unfolded in Yolanda’s onslaught.  There is story of pain, bereavement, kindness, generosity, heroism, and humanity.  Thank to international and local charitable institutions, private personalities, individuals, volunteers, different countries and international communities for giving helps and for easing the pains in every victims.  Sometimes we need to tell this not to brag their good deeds but for to give them thanks, to give hope to those in needs and to inspire others.  With the worst deluge we suffered from Yolanda, I hope we will really learn the great lessons from here.  This is not written to lambast our government but to show the sad reality bites of our present situation.  I voted Pnoy for his clean political track record and his uplifting platform to fight graft and corruption.  Till date, I’m supporting and believing our President.  I just hope that the lessons we learned from this tragedy will give PNoy the stronger willpower to completely destroy the chronic graft and corruption.  Clean the government, remove the incompetent and pejorative cabinet members be it friend, family, political coalition or the untouchables.  If he cannot control the government, then his hard-earned advocacy against graft and corruption from his day 1 to the office and the trust of general public will just be gone in the weeks of Tacloban catastrophe.

Alex V. Villamayor

November 16, 2013