Philippines awash in donations; how much impact?

Videos of localities in the Philippines still submerged, people on rooftops flagging for help, neck deep water raging at some places and stagnant pools at other places, victims at evacuation centers still cooped up, and now pleas for international help sounded off by the Ms. Arroyo to combat the plague of Leptosperosis, bacteria found in animal urine, and isolated incidences of dengue attacks continue to stream online and in news coverage.

Among the faithful who might have viewed this initially as calamity attributable to some kind of Providential wrath are now having a second thought. The protracted misery suffered by the Filipinos could now be seen surfacing from the filthy waters are forensic evidences of grave neglect on the infrastructure of the Philippines by the government. That too speaks volume about the Filipino people´s lack of attitude, gone too resilient they no longer have the respect of the ruling elites. Their worth is matched only by specific nominal tag price in every election politicians exploit for their own self-serving agenda.

Of course, it is a pathetic scenario that no longer spark pity, but repulsion and cynicism from among the expatriate compatriots. Like a human body, the Philippines suffers from systemic malfunction. Easily, one could point a accusing finger at corruption as the single virus causing it.

As of this writing, estimate of total damage of Typhoon Ondoy and Parma to the country was put at more than 14 billion pesos and climbing. About donations the figure quoted in news from the Philippines were near million dollars in cash, and might have already exceeded as more donations pour in like the typhoon rains. The numbers might never be exact due to the complexity of the donation structure or a lack of it.

Fortunately, in the midst of the magnitude of crisis many countries, organizations, individuals coalesced to send donations in all forms: cash, clothings, goods to volunteer efforts. Here in America all kinds of fundraising were being solicited in churches, organizations, among networks of friends and families. Just about everywhere else I see donations banners posted. Online donors´ lists take up pages and pages with names of organizations and civic-minded Filipinos worldwide.

Now, we come to the ugly part of the travails, and the disgraceful head rearing. News reports in the Philippines already talk about misappropriation of funds to unfair and discriminatory distributions. In reality, knowing the character of the country as very corrupt, I and the many Filipinos are no longer shock. The reverse is what might have made it to scoop news.

What I heard most atrocious and prodded this article to be written was my hairdresser breaking to me and egging me "You should write about it" stemmed from chagrin he strongly felt that some donation money were said to be being loaned to the people, the very victims deserving of the donation funds.

Another, a local Filipino woman dismayingly imparted to me "The politicians and everyone else having their hands in the cookie jar are claiming and manipulating the funds like their own properties." More colorfully described these personas with power meddles in the donations are stirring in frenzy like cadaver flies hovering over a carcass. It is always an odious scene but a reality in the country.

From a Filipino blogger, had come an expose at how some Department of Social Welfare warehouses were actually bursting to the seams in donated goods that are undelivered. The department head when asked skirted the question with a curt reply "There are no enough volunteers" and she has since refused to speak to the media. The blogger, apparently a volunteer, reported that good quality goods are being set aside, like Pork and Beans from Spain, and to the victims are thrown the bones like dogs. In their estimate only 150 sacks are filled up in a day for distribution. And to complete the parodical saga of volunteering, this blogger/volunteer cynically reported that DSW could not afford to offer volunteers decent ride home citing the lack of funds for gasoline.

What is new in the Philippines? Everything has been patterned from a blueprint of a certain behavior dastardly inimical to inroads of human progress. So the Philippines continue to reap disrespect and low image projected to the world.

The onslaught of Ondoy and Parma to the country, like an evil twin, might be the worse in the annals. It shook and terrified the people as they witnessed the power of nature to destroy and terminate life in snuff, as it did to countless lost lives. Uncontrollable force of nature typhoons are, that we know. But in our present history, some men we call scientists are the learned to make us understand in its simplicity that life is an interdependent coexistence. Our individual behavior minutely contributes to the overall proper functioning of our world.

On that, the Filipinos, after the catastrophe, need to recalibrate its attitude and values. Glean from the experience a new internal outlook, and more importantly, adapt.