The Good News

MANILA, Philippines—To return a favor their town received during a time of need, members of St. Bernard municipal disaster and coordinating council went to Manila to bring and distribute relief items to victims of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana).

“It’s just appropriate for us to pursue the cause just like what the whole world did for us during the 2006 Guinsaugon Tragedy,” said Jane Araneta, executive assistant of St. Bernard Mayor Rico Rentusa.

Araneta said the team, headed by the mayor, would coordinate relief efforts with the staff of Strengthening Assets and Capacities of Communities and Local Governments for Resilience to Disasters (Accord) in Rizal province.

Accord, a project of the European Commission’s humanitarian aid department and the Corporate Network for Disaster Response, aims to help communities increase their capacity to reduce risks posed by disasters.

Guinsaugon made headlines in February 2006 when, after two weeks of heavy rains, a portion of Mt. Kan-abag collapsed, covering Guinsaugon in hundreds of tons of rocks, mud and debris and burying alive at least 1,000 people.

The Southern Leyte provincial government and the local governments of Maasin City and other municipalities also conducted relief campaigns for the victims of Ondoy.

A similar initiative, but on a grander scale, was taken by Bicolanos, perennial victims of natural calamities and recipients of assistance.

The Ako Bicol Caravan, composed of more than 30 cars, three trucks filled with donations, 10 dump trucks and two dredgers, rolled into evacuation centers in Metro Manila and Rizal province on Monday, bringing food and supplies for flood victims.

Donations from LGUs

While the head of office drew flak for his absence during a week of two calamities, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Tuesday put the spotlight on the role of local government units (LGUs) in sending aid to provinces in need.

Acting Interior Secretary Melchor Rosales, appointed to take the helm while Secretary Ronaldo Puno was on leave, said at least 10 provincial and municipal governments contributed cash and relief goods to other localities.

The Bureau of Local Government Supervision recorded a total of P2.6 million in cash donations by local governments to fellow LGUs, including P1 million from Iloilo City split between Rizal and Bulacan, P500,000 from Aklan, P300,000 from Surigao del Sur and P800,000 from Butuan City for Marikina, Pasig, Cainta and Antipolo.

The DILG said Mindoro had given 100 sacks of rice for Rizal residents while Batangas had pledged financial aid.

Cabanatuan City and Mabalacat town in Pampanga also sent heavy equipment for the cleanup after the flooding in Metro Manila.

Donations from local and foreign donors continue to come in.

The government has been spending P2 million a day to feed thousands of people in 2,000 evacuation centers in the metropolis and elsewhere, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said in a report to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Medical and dental teams are also making regular rounds in the evacuation centers to provide free checkups and medicine, and help prevent an outbreak of diseases, she added.