Headlines & Front Page – January 2, 2012

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More Relief Aid Pour into CdeO & Iligan

More aid and assistance poured into Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities for the victims of typhoon Sendong. From Mindanao alone almost all provinces and cities have reportedly sent aid and assistance for the relief operations and now for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of houses washed away by the flood.

Foreign organizations including the United Nations have also sent in their assistance and aid, specially for the rehabilitation of the homes of the victims.

An aerial photo of what was left of Sitio Calacala in Barangay Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City after typhoon Sendong wiped it clean. It is estimated that 1,000 people from this area perished in the worst flood the city ever experienced. Contributed photo.

The department of Soscial Welfare and development (DSWD) has reported that the Italian government donated assorted non-food items for the survivors of typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro through the region 10 office. The donation was turned over by Mr. Alfonso Tagliaferri, First Secretary-Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy in Manila and received by Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo, DSWD 10 Regional Director at the DSWD Field Office 10, Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

The donation consisted of The tarpaulins, collapsible tents, collapsible Jerry cans and Water Purifiers that can process 4cu.m/hour. These are expected to assist the victims for them to be able to recover with the devastation caused by the typhoon.

Director Solamillo, in her acceptance message, said that the Department is deeply honored and grateful for the Italian Government’s support and assistance. “Rest assured that these items will reach the hands of the victims of Typhoon Sendong in the Region”, she added.

DSWD will be responsible in the distribution and documentation of the donated non-food items to the displaced families.

In another development, the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) visited Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City to see for themselves the victims and areas affected by Typhoon "Sendong."

The OIC has also tapped the DSWD represented by Asec. Vilma Cabrera and the Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to assist them in the assessment of the needs of the victims and for them to be able to identify the long-range plan that they can help provide for the two cities.

The visitors stressed that they are more interested in the rehabilitation of damaged areas and assist in the provision of relocation sites for the victims. These plans are intended not only for our Muslim brothers and Sisters but to Christians as well.

Meanwhile, The government, through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), is prepared to give P10,000 to the families of each of the victims who have died and P5,000, to those who were injured, during the Typhoon Sendong mishap.

This was announced by Regional Director Ana Caňeda of OCD, region 10, who said their office has continued to process financial assistance for the families of the ‘Sendong’ flashfloods victims.

Funds for the said assistance is from from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Financial Aid, she said.

As of Dec. 25, a total of 1,183 persons, were reported to have died because of ‘Sendong,’ but only 276 of them have been properly identified. Some quarters estimate a much higher figure and the number of victims in Cagayan de oro alone may reach 2,000 or more.

Data at OCD-10 also show that 674 of those who died came from Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City in Misamis Oriental, 464 from Iligan City in Lanao del Norte and 45 from Valencia City and three other towns of Bukidnon, namely Baungon, Libona and Malitbog.

Likewise, of those who were properly identified, 113 came from CDO, 131 from Iligan, and 32 from Bukidnon.

The OCD-data also show that ‘Sendong’ has affected a total of 30,693 families with 160,993 members in 103 barangays in the region 10.

Some of these families have been housed temporarily in a total of 39 evacuation centers for the internally displaced persons (IDP) in the three affected provinces.

So far, OCD-10 has already extended the NDRRMC financial aid to the families of 33 persons who died and to 12 persons who were injured, Caňeda added.

In Davao City some 200 participants from various cities in Mindanao have gathered and took off for Cagayan de Oro for the launching of ‘Balsa Mindanao’ or Bulig Alang sa Mindanao, a relief and rehabilitation campaign led by religious, people’s organizations, and cause-oriented groups.

The group brought in this Advent season the Filipino spirit of bayanihan for the community. Deriving its name Balsa, a term for a wooden raft, to symbolize the united journey of Mindanao people to support each other in times of disaster.

Relief goods such as potable water, food packs, medicines, clothes, blankets and cooking utensils were delivered coming from Davao City, General Santos City, North Cotabato, Zamboanga and Butuan City.

Balsa brought relief, medical and psychosocial services to flood survivors in Cagayan de Oro on December 29 and in Iligan City on the 28th. Not only did they visit the evacuation centers, but they also went into barangays to look into the needs of the residents.

The ‘psychosocial release’ aims to unleash fears and trauma experienced by the victims. “This therapy is basically important in times of post disaster so that victims will have a better way to cope up with the trauma”, says Children Rehabilitation Center Davao Coordinator Girlie dela Cerna.

Ariel Casilao, regional coordinator of Makabayan Coalition and Convenor of Balsa, said that aside from the immediate relief services, the group “strongly urges the government to have an immediate rehabilitation plan for areas affected by the disasters.”

“This tragedy reflects how poor our government is in providing mitigating measures in time of disasters, failure of the government to address this issue would mean preparing for another tragedy to happen,” he added.

Francis Morales of Panalipdan Southern Mindanao hits logging, agri-plantations and mining companies proliferating all over Mindanao for the environmental disasters, including the flashfloods now experienced in Compostela Valley, Kapalong and Valencia, Bukidnon.

“This is a crime committed by these corporations and companies who ruined our natural resources for their gain. It’s time to tell our leaders we have enough of plundering our natural resources that victimized our communities,” Morales explained.

BALSA Mindanao is led by the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao and Panday Bulig disaster-response NGO together with Panalipdan Mindanao, Sisters’ Association in Mindanao, Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc, Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao, Makabayan Coalition, Children’s Rehabilitation Center.

Meanwhile, Secretary Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) emphasized the need for an integrated government and volunteers’ efforts in helping the Typhoon Sendong flashflood victims.

The PCOO Secretary gave this recommendation to ease the problem of the management of resources and relief goods at the command posts and coordination centers of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMC).

Secretary Coloma visited the flashflood victims in the different evacuation centers of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, two of the hardest hit areas of ‘Sendong, in the region.

Meanwhile, Caňeda said there is a need for an established and improved relief distribution system.

Caňeda said due to the influx of so much relief goods from donor agencies and companies, the LDRRMC’s, both of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, are having difficulties in storing the goods, as well, as in the logistical runs for the goods to reach the victims in the remote areas.

Last week, President Benigno S. Aquino III thanked Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro for heading and establishing a multi-sectoral operations and relief center by a group of civil society organizations and non-government organizations (CSO/NGO’s) and academe, particularly, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan.

On the otherhand, OCD-10 said about 80 percent of the power supply in the flood-affected areas of Cagayan de Oro was restored but are not yet fully operational.

While the water rationing schedule by the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) in some areas of CDO is not yet fully operational, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), region 10, through their fire trucks, has delivered and distributed non-drinking water to the residents, particularly, in areas heavily affected by flash floods.

As of Dec. 26, BFP-10 has delivered a total of 2,858,360 liters of water, of which 1,870,360 liters, was brought to the flashflood victims of Cagayan de Oro and 988,000 liters to those in Iligan City.

On the problem of the scarcity of drinking water, the RDRRMC has requested for water purifiers and for portable tents to solve the problem on the scarcity of shelter for the flashflood victims.

The RDRRMC also recommended the need to immediately identify an area suitable for temporary shelter for the victims and their families to decongest the evacuation centers where these internally displaced persons are temporarily housed. With reports from Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob/PIA10, Ruchell L. Mula & Noemi Marla C. Cinco/DSWD10

Aboitiz Power Greetings

PNoy Orders Speedy Recovery Assistance for Sendong Victims

DBM to Release P336.8-M More to DSWD for Post-Calamity Relief Projects

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced the release of an additional P336.8 million to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to support ongoing recovery activities for victims of Tropical Storm Sendong.

The additional fund release augments the P521.2 million earlier released to DSWD from the Calamity Fund, bringing the total to P858 million. The total amount will be used to initiate social and community rehabilitation activities for some 73,529 affected families in Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, and Negros Oriental.

“The release is in line with the President’s directive to advance immediate relief efforts to Sendong victims. Through the fund, the DSWD can deliver early recovery services to affected communities and help Sendong-stricken families rise to their feet, especially those living in Northern Mindanao and Central Visayas,” Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.

“The fund should allow the DSWD to scale up their quick recovery initiatives and substantially address the evacuees’ basic needs, many of which were taken away from them in the aftermath of Sendong. For instance, we will have to move very fast in transferring the families currently evacuated in school buildings, so that they can move into proper transitional shelters before school resumes in January 3,” Abad said.

Of the total fund, the DSWD’s Shelter Assistance program will receive P668.3 million for financial and material aid to families with damaged houses. As of December 25, 2011, the number of damaged houses stands at 35,022, and 13,500 families are now sheltered in 53 evacuation centers across the three regions.

The Sustainable Livelihood Assistance program will also command a considerable amount of P136.2 million for the creation of livelihood strategies to help residents develop feasible income sources. In addition, P12.75 million has been set aside for the Financial Assistance program, which will grant financial assistance to families with missing or injured members.

Meanwhile, the Cash-for-Work initiative will receive P40.69 million, which will be used to provide cash grants in exchange for resident participation in community rehabilitation projects, including the repair of community facilities, clearing of roads, waterway dredging, coastal cleanups, communal gardening, and food production.

“Besides providing material and financial support, the DSWD is also offering psychosocial intervention services to families and individuals suffering from emotional distress and trauma. The agency has also begun releasing the necessary funds for shelter assistance and Cash-for-Work to local government units and other implementing partners on the ground, so that evacuees can begin rebuilding their lives and their respective communities,” the Budget Secretary said.

Abad also praised for the hard work by DSWD, led by Secretary Corazon C. Soliman. “The tireless Dinky Soliman has been shuttling from one disaster-hit area to another to determine for herself the extent of the damage of the flooding as well as the relief requirements of the affected populace.”

Name ‘Illegal’ Loggers in CDO, Iligan

DENR Dared

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) has challenged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to name the alleged “illegal” loggers that are behind the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan tragedy.

In a statement, Pamalakaya chair Fernando Hicap said that the Government should run against these environmental plunderers and file necessary charges against them as what happened to the aforementioned cities can be considered a heinous crime.

The massive flooding and the logs that went with it had killed around 1,500 people and had 2,000 others missing. Billions of pesos worth of crops and properties were also damaged by the floods caused by heavy rains brought by typhoon “Sendong” (International Code: Washi).

Hicap said aside from illegal loggers, the government, primarily, should put the blame to corporate logging, farming and mining firms that are continuously denuding Philippine forests. Hicap also told Environment Secretary Ramon Paje to name the “coddlers” or patrons of these corporations in the government and also have them charged with appropriate cases.

The fisherfolk leader also urged the DENR to cancel the logging permits in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in order to prevent more catastrophes in the area.

"President Aquino by all means, should cancel the Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) given to Vicmar Development Corporation currently operating in 3,340 hectares of forest lands in Lanao Del Sur and to Southwoods Timber Corporation which covered 11,476 hectares of forest lands in Misamis Oriental," Hicap said.

Hicap also revealed that there are about 6 IFMA contracts in Northern Mindanao which cover a total of 55,578 hectares and most of these logging sites are found more than 100 kilometers from the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

Nonetheless, Hicap also urged the government to cancel the permit of Dole Philippines, a huge fruit plantation that has reclaimed 2,000 hectares of land in the Upper Pulangi Watershed in Cagayan de Oro City. [Noel Sales Barcelona/CBCPNews]

EDITORIAL

Tsunami and Flooding from Pulangi

One night last week people in the coastal areas went into panic when a radio station announced that there will be a Tsunami because the seawater has receded by 3 meters. There was none.

That same evening people along the riverbanks also went into panic because of a report that there will be another flooding because the waters of Pulangi River has overflowed and has already reached Mambatangan in Manolo Fortich and would eventually go down Tagolaon and Cagayan rivers. No flooding happened.

These were all Hoaxes and had no basis. There was no tsunami Warning and there was no official flood waning. Both events are highly improbable.

A Tsunami in Macajalar Bay will have to come from Camiguin Island because it blocks the main land from the Bohol Sea. Unless the volcano in Camiguin erupts, which did not, there can never be a tsunami in Macajalar Bay.

Pulangi River flows southward and ends up in Cotabato and the world will have to tilt for the flow to change and for the water to reach Mambatangan and Cagayan de Oro.

These info can be derived from common sense and the radio station that aired this and the people responsible for this statement should be hanged because of the panic it caused to the Sendong Victims.

In fact, this is tantamount to Rumor Mongering and if it creates a panic among the people it is a crime.

Whether it is a crime or not people should be more sensitive to the plight of the victims who are still traumatized by their experience with Sendong.

Media is suppose to bring the news and not to get people to panic. Reports like these should therefore be doubly verified before release to make sure that it is true and will not create any panic.

Some people have thought of putting up a law against irresponsible media but we have always opposed it because this becomes prior restraint. Acts like this will simply make this law more reasonable.

Heaven forbid!

… as it is! By Ed Montalvan

The Relief Operations

It’s heartwarming to note that so many Filipinos, not just locally but even from other cities and provinces and from abroad came to the aid of the victims of Sendong. As soon as a particular need is mentioned hundreds of donors come to provide for such particular need. I can mention some of the instances where this happened.

When all types of food items started to flood the evacuation centers people realized that there were just too much of these so requests were mad for donations to be made in cash so that the relief operations can decide on what food and at what amount to buy for the victims.

There was a call to limit the donations to canned goods because of the absence of water and cooking utensils and millions of pesos started to pour in. The problem is that you can never be too sure if these money went to the needs of the victims.

As a result, there is now a call for transparency and for all recipients to render an accounting for the funds they received.

The DSWD alone reported that they received a total of P44Million already in donations from various sources for this purpose alone.

When tons of rice were delivered to the evacuation centers groups came around to cook therice for proper distribution or to make it into Lugaw(Porridge).

Then there was a need for stress debriefing. People were traumatized of the incident where the rising of the water was in seconds. This seems to be seen only in the movies and they experienced this, even losing some of the elatives and neighbors. Right away, Psychologists even from abroad came to the rescue and have conducted sessions with victims.

There was a problem with sanitation and the lack of toilets in the centers and the EcoSan Portable toilets came about, a Filipino remodeled product from an international source and each center received, and continue to receive donations for this.

An order from the president came that prohibited the victims from going back to the site of their homes. Here in Cagayan de Oro these areas had been declared as uninhabitable areas but this has been ignored by the city government and even allowing people to continue to live there and even trying to improve the rodas and entry point to these places.

The 1^st alibi given by the city is that these people would be difficult to prevent from going back. The president just put his foot down and said NO and instructed the PNP to make sure that no one goes back and for the DPWH to clear the area. This is what is called “political will” which the city does not have.

The 2^nd alibi was that there is no relocation sites for these people and, right away, donations for sites came and, like magic, the city has a 9 hectare site in Calaanan.

Then the 3^rd alibi is that the evacuation centers need to be vacated already and there are no houses yet ready for the victims and right away donation for houses, 300 from the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and another 1,000 from Gawad Kalinga and from many others, PLUS tents and tent materials as temporary shelters while these houses are still being constructed.

Finally, when all the smoke would have cleared and the debris removed, some people have to be asked to answer why this ever happened and this query has already received a lot of response.

But all these need to be consolidated and organized and coordinated.

In the relief operations the DSWD has decided to step into the picture and to coordinate all the efforts of all groups so that there will be no duplication of services.

In the call for responsible actions there are also several groups who are organizing their moves and there is also an effort now to consolidate everyone’s actions so that there will only be one voice, and let that be the voice of the people.

Ang Peregrino By Eric S. Santillan

Of Dis-asters and Stupidity

Cagayan de Oro and Iligan went through the worst disaster to hit them in 50 years. I think everyone from the two cities know someone who has been affected or died in the deluge that was Sendong.

The word disaster comes from the word DIS - ASTRA (astra is star: a dis-astra gives us the image of a star that is out of its orbit, a star without direction). In that, Sendong is a real dis-aster. On the one hand, it showed how unprepared we were-how no risk reduction has happened despite warnings in the past; and how risk reaction left so much to be desired. It showed how our people can be lulled into complacency due to old habits and the lack of real disaster experience. In that, we became a city without direction from its leaders. And then on another level, a lot of lives were lost--of the young as well as the old, of the rich as well as of the poor. And lost lives means lost opportunities, potentials, and futures. We have two cities brought down to their knees, struggling to start again. But where to start? Where to find direction?

The good thing about being without direction is that it allows us to reassess, retreat, and redirect. The positive spin to disasters is its ability to jolt us into action. We saw that with the UK's Health Care plan after World War II. Or the US' Homeland Security after 9/11.

I propose that we start with strategic risk-based planning. This is to have the ability to (1) systematically identify risks, (2) assess them for resource prioritization, (3) institute systemic controls and (4) monitor its implementation so that you're more and more prepared every year.

We would like to look at two things here: Risk Reduction and Risk Reaction.

Risk Reduction is a systemic way of putting in controls for identified risks, specially those assessed as critical (those with the greatest probability and severity). This includes what the two Jesuit fathers in an article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer call for: "the required engineering, land zoning, infrastructure planning, and sustainable relocation of people." And because we all know this is easier said than done, all the more we should start as soon as possible. We cannot let the overwhelming difficulty of the task ahead spoil us into paralysis.

Once these controls have been identified, that is when the real work begins. Based on those identified controls, budget planning, expertise consolidation, consultations with those who are going to be affected, change management, infrastructure and tools and manpower development will have to be put in place. For this to succeed, three things have to work:

(1) Processes (procedures, guidelines, decrees, standards, laws),

(2) People (knowledge transfer, trainings, drills, of the people who will run the processes)

(3) and Infrastructure (the right tools, equipment, work environment to support the processes and the people)

Now just in case Risk Reduction fails, Risk Reaction becomes essential. Risk Reaction is the systematic way of responding to disasters so secondary losses (or those losses that come AFTER the actual disaster strikes) are prevented. This includes, among many others, an Emergency Response System and a Communications System that will help focus the public and other stakeholders (in this case, everyone who lives in CDO and Iligan) into a uniform goal.

I am not in the habit of pointing fingers. There will be a time for root cause analysis. And a time for accountabilities. But there has been a lot of systemic breakdowns in the past weeks (and as we found out recently, the past years.). And a lot of systemic work needs to be done so something like Sendong never happens again. Because if it does (happen again), THAT we can no longer call a disaster; that we have to call stupidity.

Note: By the way, the word stupidity comes from the latin stupere -- to be astonished and surprised. This can be the topic of a whole new article.)

Bounce Pass By John Montalvan

A Man for Others

Last Week, I visited the Relief Center at Xavier University together with some friends. There, we were able to get a tour by the Over-all in-charge of the Relief Operations, Fr. Eric Velandria, SJ.

I was really amazed on how organized they are. They have records of everything given, from clothes, goods and cash.

Everything is documented, even if you give just 1 or 2 pesos, it will go to the books. “Not only that,” shared Fr. Eric, “whether you give 1 peso or 1 million pesos, you will always be greeted with a smile and a thank you.”

At the relief center, you would see different kinds of people helping out. There is a young couple who just relocated in CDO, there were students, alumni, faculty and even Manila based students helping out in the operations.

One wouldn’t miss the towering presence of JP Erram, one of the volunteers. JP is a member of the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles Basketball Team that has just won the UAAP Crown. Of the 4 straight titles, he is part of the 2.

This 6’7” backup center of Ateneo actually played for Xavier University for a year before he was discovered by Coach Norman Black. I was still with Xavier at the time he played for the Crusaders that won 5 Championships in 1 year.

Instead of using his vacation time to go malling or to hangout with his friends, JP decided to volunteer at the relief center. He helps out in the receiving department which actually receives the relief goods and they carry them into the gym for proper documentation.

Truly, this guy puts others before him, which is one of the values that his school teaches.

***

I really have not been writing about Sports these days simply because I have not found the time to follow sports stories.

Believe it or not, I have not watched an NBA game since the season started last Christmas Day (Dec.26 in the PHL).

Though I’ve been hearing stories like the Lakers lost their first 2 games, the Heat beat the Mavs and that Ron Artest is now known as Metta World Peace.

For now, I can not give my insights about the NBA but since there are about 60 games to go for each team, I can still catch up by the middle of the season. J

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Ateneo Schools Nationwide Conduct ‘Operation Tabang Sendong’

Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan has conducted “Operation Tabang Sendong” through the help of other Ateneo Schools in the country and in coordination with the Philippine Air Force and its school community.

Students, Faculty and Staff and Alumni manifested their spirit of ‘bayanihan’ by gathering relief goods to be sent to the different evacuations centers and places in Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental.

XU’s Relief Operation has already received as of Dec. 21the latest record of cash gifts amounting to P4.9 million and P1.7 million for walk-in cash donations.

Ateneo Schools nationwide, Alumni and Friends, private companies and other private sectors including abroad had given financial assistance for the relief operations.

Ateneo de Naga University President Primitivo Viray SJ has also announced that all their Simbang Gabi collections will be allocated for the typhoon victims.

As of December 23, at least 23,093 families were already given assistance and 1,324 volunteers have been deployed.

Father Eric Garcia Velandria SJ, Relief Operation Coordinator, said their 300 volunteers for relief operations indicate the spirit of “pakikisama at pakikiramay” of the youth to victims of the tragedy.

“It is a source of hope and light,” Velandria said, citing the student’s passion to help the affected people as they constantly trying to reach them.

He said that text brigade and social network like facebook helped them a lot to disseminate the information to the public to help them in their relief operations especially in rehabilitating the lives of those affected.

Velandria urged the public to continue helping by contacting their friends and relatives especially those who are abroad to send money and other materials needed for relief operations.

In a related development, candle lighting and special prayers were offered in front of Immaculate Conception Chapel last December 22 for all who perished in typhoon Sendong.

A small crowd of XU community participated and arranged the candles to form a word of ‘Hope’.

Several XU community survivors shared their experiences during the typhoon narrating how their houses and possessions were washed away by flood. Despite having lost their properties, they are thankful that they are still alive along with their families.

Roselle Rodriguez, an XU Student who lives in Makahambus Street shared her experiences on the dreadful night with some of her relatives sick with epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. She thanked God for feeling his presence as on that particular night her relatives sick with those illnesses did not have an attack and all of them are now safe.

Cagayan de Oro City Archbishop Antonio Ledesma SJ, DD also shared about people who approached him narrating how they experienced a family member getting lost and died in the flood.

Ledesma said the gift of life and love is present in the evacuation centers and homes. Despite the victims’ loss, the tragedy created solidarity and unity among the faithful enabling every individual to share the sorrows of the victims and urged everyone to serve more.

The candle lighting, organized by the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro will continue every night around 6pm until the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, 2012.

Xavier University still accepts donations in cash or in-kind, like kitchen utensils, medicines, toiletries, potable water, clothes including underwear, food, sleeping materials and other basic necessities needed by the affected families and individuals.

Cash donations for XU’s relief operation can be deposited on this account: Account Name: Xavier University; account number 9331-0133-63 at Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). (Michael Andrew W. Yu/CBCPNews)