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Palace hopefuls race to help flood victims
October 02, 2009 03:21:00
Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — The race for the presidency is being run on a timely frontier—the need to help the flood survivors.

Senators Manuel Villar Jr. and Benigno Aquino III, standard-bearers of the rivals Nacionalista Party (NP) and Liberal Party (LP), respectively, have organized their own relief efforts.

In separate press statements, the two camps claimed to have helped more than 100,000 flood victims in a span of four days.

In terms of speed, Villar beat the LP camp of Aquino and his running mate, Sen. Mar Roxas, with the self-made billionaire from the slums of Tondo doing his thing in a chopper as soon as the sky cleared on Sunday afternoon, a day after Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana) hit.

Villar dropped food packs and bottled water to famished families trapped on their rooftops in Cainta, Rizal, and the cities of Marikina and Pasig, who were then still waiting to be rescued by the National Disaster Coordinating Council.

He told the Philippine Daily Inquirer he had to do it because he had heard that the families could not be reached due to the still high floodwaters.

By its own reckoning, “Tulong Villar Relief Assistance” has distributed food packs to 68,372 people, rescued 4,040, and helped 400 clean up their homes as of press time Thursday.

It said that since Saturday, 40 relief trucks had been deployed to areas in Metro Manila, and that those in need of assistance could call its 24-hour hotlines: 0905-3316626 and 0917-4226800.

‘Tulong Bayan’

On the other hand, the Aquino-Roxas tandem through “Operation Tulong Bayan” has distributed relief packs to more than 34,000 families in 45 areas in Metro Manila, Rizal and Bulacan since Sept. 27.

Around 1,000 volunteers, mostly young, come to the relief center every day to help arrange and distribute relief packs containing bottled water, rice, noodles, canned goods, clothing and candles, Aquino and Roxas said in a statement.

They called for more donations, saying that the most needed items were rice, water, canned goods and clothes.

Other goods, like instant noodles, snacks and others, are also accepted, as well as donations in cash, he said.

The Operation Tulong Bayan relief center is in Balay, Expo Centro (formerly Seafood Market), EDSA corner General McArthur Street, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City, inside the parking lot fronting the fruit section of Farmers Market.

Its hotlines are 0908-6579998, 9137122, 9136254 and 9133306.

Under the radar

The other presidential aspirants are also helping the flood survivors, but are keeping their efforts largely under the radar.

On Sunday, staff members of Sen. Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition started distributing relief goods to affected families in Marikina, Malabon and Cainta.

On Monday, Legarda helped deploy medical teams of the health department to the Rosario Sports Complex and Manggahan Elementary School, both in Pasig, and seven hard-hit areas in Cainta and Pasig.

Forty sacks of rice were also transported to as far as Famy, Laguna, and assorted goods to two barangays in San Mateo, Rizal.

A total of 22,550 bags of foodstuffs have been distributed so far, Legarda’s office said.

Legarda will distribute P15 million worth of relief goods to top 20 evacuation centers through the social welfare department starting Oct. 8.

‘Team Chiz’

Her partymate, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, has mobilized volunteers to repack relief goods.

These volunteers have given out food packs, including bottled water, canned goods and rice, to 10 areas.

On Friday, “Team Chiz” will motor to Marilao, Bulacan, to distribute relief goods, and a medical team will be sent to Barangay Manbugan, Antipolo City.

Repacking of relief goods is being done in Galas, Quezon City, and in Bay Center, Malate, Manila.

Gordon on the scene but …

Sen. Richard Gordon, accompanied by an army of volunteers from the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), which he chairs, has been on the scene since early Sunday.

But only show biz personalities have been given TV airtime, he complained.

Gordon has formed Red Cross 143, a network of 44 volunteers (one leader plus 43 members) in every barangay.

“They must be the first to prepare, first to report, and first to respond during disasters and other emergency situations,” he said.

Gordon on Thursday called on Filipinos, especially the flood victims, to rise from the devastation caused by Ondoy.

“Now that Ondoy has passed, our people need to focus on rebuilding their lives,” he said.

On Wednesday, the PNRC mobilized its volunteers for relief and cleanup operations in Quezon City and Marikina.

Gordon spearheaded the relief distribution and cleanup drive at Diosdado Macapagal Elementary School in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City, in which US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, American soldiers and workers of the US Agency for International Development also participated.

He proceeded to other sites, including Benitez Elementary School in Quezon City and Nangka Elementary School and H. Bautista Elementary School in Marikina.

The PNRC has set up community soup kitchens and provided water purifiers and portable toilets for the victims.

Generators and floodlights will also be installed in communities with no electricity, Gordon said.

Estradas et al.

Joseph Estrada and his son, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, will not be outdone in relief efforts.

The ousted President has started distributing relief goods in Tanay and Taytay, Rizal, and his son, in Marikina and Pateros, among other areas.

So far, 40,000 bags have been distributed to victims, but the relief efforts will continue, Senator Estrada said.

Even those not aspiring for the presidency have pitched in.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri set up soup kitchens on Tuesday.

Senators Edgardo Angara, Alan Peter Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Rodolfo Biazon and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile are pushing for a P10-billion supplemental budget for the calamity fund.


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