Editorial of South China Morning Post
Oct. 5, 2009
A government’s priority is to protect the well-being of its people.
There is no better test of its commitment than when disaster strikes.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration has, in
this regard, failed time and again. It did so spectacularly with
Tropical Storm Ketsana, again revealing how little it cares for its
constituents.
The Philippines is pounded by as many as 20 typhoons a year. Dozens,
sometimes hundreds, of people are killed and many millions of dollars
of damage is caused. Nature cannot be tamed, but in the case of severe weather events, technology means its wrath can be anticipated. Arroyo for the past five years has repeatedly promised to have advanced forecasting radar systems installed; politicking, corruption and government waste means they remain a pledge.
What happens when such systems are absent was demonstrated by Ketsana. (Ondoy)
Manila has not experienced as violent a downpour in 40 years. But in
the hours before the storm struck on the morning of September 26,
state weather forecasters were predicting only moderate to heavy rain.
No alert was issued and the city of 10 million was caught off-guard;
about 300 people were drowned by floodwaters and 300,000 made
homeless. Some parts of the city are still flooded.
The government’s failure extends beyond forecasting. Disaster response
mechanisms broke down. Emergency phones went unanswered. Rescue teams
had insufficient equipment and numbers. Citizens were forced to fend
for themselves.
Arroyo has promised, as she did after devastating storm-caused
landslides in 2004 and 2006, that there will not be a repeat. The
first two of up to 10 new weather radar systems could be in place by
the end of the year. Filipinos have learned not to hold their breath:
they have watched millions of dollars that could have bought such
systems several times over frittered away and Congressional debate
focused on seemingly more pressing matters like constitutional change.
But this time has to be different. Too many lives and livelihoods have
been needlessly lost and remain at risk.
(The Morning Post today gave permission to allow anyone in the
Philippines to reprint today’s leader for free – Raissa Robles, senior
manila correspondent, SCMP)
Pledge? Promise? Pangako?
Na naman?!
We don’t need anymore promises. It’s been long nine years since this glutonria grabbed the presidency first time and cheated her way next time hanggang ngayon, puro drowing lamang ang lahat ng kanyang mga accomplishments daw.
Please naman, tama na! Mauubos na kami!
That pledge of 10 Radar system could have cost approximately somewhere in the $20 millions range…much less than the alleged kickbacks in one of the Contracts with one of the projects financed by overseas loans.
Now, I read she even promised relocations (this one will even cost in the Billions)..but her problems now, is no funds for anything..not even for “rubber ducks”…
Okay… we are talking of GMA who pledged in front of our National Hero’s monument that she will not seek the presidency. This is the same person who said “yung dagdag, yung dagdag.” We are referring to the same person who arm-twisted R Neri to approve the ZTE-NBN deal. The same person whose Georgetown’s education taught her to order buying “bahay kubo” for those ravaged by Ondoy and rendered homeless, and to impound foreign relief goods donation if not coursed through DSWD.
Hmmmmm… From where I sit, she is the antithesis of Ellen’s catchphrase for this blog – “Making life worth living.” 🙁
Now we know the legacy of Gloria, her one “spectacular” achievement…that of being “overwhelwed” by Ondoy that exposed to all and sundry her callousness and hypocricy.
Ondoy completely made Gloria irrelevant as a human being and political leader.
GMA cares. Ooppss…it’s the other GMA pala, that with a 7.
Instead of making another pledge, why can’t Gloria Arroyo just go and hang herself?!
This radar business is making me livid — if only they had accepted foreign govt grants without insisting on the bribes, they would have had them long ago.
Foreign govt grants cannot be subject to bribes. We’ve explained that on and on and on but this govt wouldn’t listen.
Usual gloria’s way of consoling her fool followers.
Sila lang namang naniniwala na merong nagagawa ang hitad na ‘yan ang kaya niyang lokohin.
Sarap ipagngudnguran ang nunal niya sa apat na sulok ng lamesa kasama na ‘yung ilalim at ibabaw pati na sa apat na paa! Baka sakaling magising sa napakahaba niyang bangungot.
Kunsabagay, itong baliw na ito at ang kanyang pamilya’t mga kaalyado ang pinakamasamang bangungot na nangyari sa atin!
There’s a saying that “people get the government they deserve… who they voted for”.
Ang masaklap sa atin ay hindi natin inihalal si Gloria Arroyo, pero tayo ang nasasalanta ng husto samantalang siya ay patuloy na naghahasik ng lagim.
Affirmed by Ondoy, pinoys don’t deserve Gloria even if she was elected.
Gloria’s pledge is just a by-product of another seizure of bipolar illness…lying and stealing.
It’s good that other governments notice her incompetence. In the past, foreign government give here credit for improved Philippine economy without even thinking that it is being kept afloat by OFW money.
How can you say that you have a good economy when millions of your people are leaving their families to earn money because they will die of hunger if they don’t.
Ondoy proved that Gloria’s claims in the SONA were a lie…..
Sa lahat nga na kalamidad na tumama sa atin, ang bagyong Glueriang ang pinakamalakas.
UN sends call for $74M relief – http://www.malaya.com.ph
___
Bantayan si Mike and Gloria Pidal!
RP fares poorly in human development, says UN
Even Samoa ranked higher than the Philippines, at 94.
The 2008 human development indices (based on 2006 data) placed the Philippines at rank 102 out of 179 countries and with a human development index (HDI) value of 0.745. – http://www.malaya.com.ph
___
Dioskopo! No wonder why Ondoy happened.
sa ibang bansa,they can forecast the weather,two weeks in advance,kung totoo yong sinasabi ni adebrux,aba,malaking pananagutan ito ng gobiernong ito sa sa mga tao,sa mamayang Filipino.
Kung billiones and tongpats, action agad si boobuwit at ang kanyang mga hoodlum crew. Kung maliit ang tongpats, wa epek. These vultures will not act on it!
Wala na daw calamity fund. Kelan ba meron? The flood victims are being fed by international donations, private individuals and private corporations. Ano ang ginagawa ni boobuwit? Nagpapamudmod lang ng biyaya sa Lubao, Pampanga. Mukhang iisa lang ang kilalang bansa ni boobuwit, ang Republic of Lubao. Mmm, I wonder why?
Chinese magnate Henry Sy of SM Malls donated P10M to Kapuso Foundations relief efforts, I’m almost sure ABS-CBN got the same amount. About five of his malls went underwater and the supermarkets cannot operate, they lost millions right there. He is wise though, he can unload those stocks in these malls via donations and credit them to the group’s taxable income, at the same time, improving the group’s corporate image.
It is therefore stupid that Gloria assumes that by herself alone, she can overturn the Tax Code on donations if these were not coursed through DSWD. All hot air and a continuing manifestation of her cluelessness and incompetence.
Ang galing ng article ni Raissa Robles. Unknown to many, a number of our journalists are contributors to foreign media orgs, also, NGO/advocacy groups. Malas lang ni Putot dahil halos lahat ng mga ito’y Gloria critics. They provide the real score of the events in Manila, unlike those praise releases coming from Gloria’s own farm, which views events from rose-colored glasses. Mabuhay ang mga journalists!
Tongue, I can imagine that Raissa had some inputs in the article but I doubt if she was the one who did this editorial piece. She did not say that when I was talking with her.
What she did was ask permission from South China Morning Post if Philippine media can reprint the editorial, which management allowed.
SCMP is rather strict about copyright.
Okay lang, as long as merong balanced views abroad about the real deal here in the Phils. Obviously, it was written by or with the help of a local journalist.
I understand na pati yung Taiwan and Hong Kong, being both in Southern China, madalas dito pumi-pickup ng feedback about incoming storms dahil laging dito muna ang landfall bago umakyat sa kanila.
Could it be that they were also affected/thrown offg-uard in their own evacuation and rescue preparations because of our faulty weather prediction?
Tongue, iba ang estorya na nasa FB ni Raissa, not this one. I presume this is not hers, but I like this article puntos na puntos.
Another spin, lie and hypocrisy!
‘Ondoy’ agri damage at P6.3-B; gov’t says no food shortage
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/10/05/09/ondoy-agri-damage-p63-b-govt-says-no-food-shortage
Hindi pa ba sila nagsasawa? Hindi na ba sila nahihiya?
Putangina namang wala na silang kayang gawin at sabihin kundi lokohin ang mamamayan, eh!
Nasaan ang savings ng gobyerno?
http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/oct0609/news_story2.htm
May savings pala naman, eh!
Bakit namamalimos ng tulong sa ibang bansa?
Bakit sa mamamayan umaasa upang tulungan ang mga kababayang nasalanta?
Nasaan na nga ba ang ipinagmamalaking natipid ng gobyerno sa mga nakaraang taon?
Kung puwedeng ipaamoy sa mga pusa upang matunton ang pinagtaguan sa lahat ng bansang binisita ay baka kulangin ang bilang ng mga pusang gala!
Hindi puwedeng ipaamoy sa aso dahil ang punong askal ay nandoon sa palasyo’t laging lango sa imported na alak!
Tangnan’yo!
Tingnan n’yo nga pala.
Nakakangitngit kasi, eh!
Kapag gagala ang hitad na babae ay walang paki at ura-urada. Walang plano at parang sariling salapi ang ginagastos sa paglalamyerda at may bitbit pang mga amuyong na sangkaterba!
Bukod sa mga naipon, NASAAN ‘yung ipinagmamalaking INVESTMENTS daw na bunga ng kanyang paglalakbay?
Nasaan, ateeeeeee?
Nasaid na, MPR, sa lamyerda at nasa malalim na bulsa. As to foreign investments, bunga lang yan ng kanyang hallucination.
Free P140 billion impounded by GMA
President Arroyo has P140 billion in available funds which were impounded through transfers from the budget of the various government agencies last year which should be more than enough to augment the depleted calamity fund being used for government relief efforts, former National Treasurer Leonor Briones said yesterday. http://www.tribune.net.ph
___
Meron palang kahugot-hugot e, bakit ayaw ilabas ni Gloria? Pati ba naman ito ay kanya pang itatakbo/ibubulsa o gagamitin sa pulitika sa Pampanga?
Isama sana ni Pepeng si Gloria Arroyo paglabas ng Pinas at i-dump sa may buhawing parte ng malalim na dagat.
Since PAGASA is not yet well equipped with weather monitoring devices, I would rather rely on other weather bureau’s forecast like the Hong Kong Observatory. The weather bulletin they are giving out is either not accurate or delayed compared to Hong Kong’s.
Sa imbes na Radar para sa Ulan at bagyo ang binili , inuna pa ang radar sa mga telepono para marinig niya ang mga pinag-uusapan ng mga kalaban niya …ngayon pa ba bibili ng Radar yan eh, mag-eeleksyon na !
Bukod sa mga naipon,nasaan ‘yung ipinagmamalaking investments daw na bunga ng kanyang paglalakbay?
Yaks Kgg. MPRivera.not once, but twice na tayong niloko ni gloria…WALA nang naniniwala sa kanya except yong mga asshole nýa na parang linta?
Ngayon pa…kung kailan kinain ng delubyo ang marami nating Kababayang Pinoy? Puro sila kayabangan at ningas-kugon, wala namang ibuga kundi kahambugan ang alam.
Tinuan nila ang paglilingkod sa bayan…at wala tayong utang na loob sa mga iyan, kundi nila kaya e wala silang karapatang manatili sa anumang posisyon sa gobyerno.
Di lamang sila ang Pinoy sa Pinas…around 90M na tayo at iilan lang sila sa bilang kaya huwag nilang ipagsiksikan ang kanilang sarili sa Malacanang?
Tama ka Ka Bobitz, ngayon pa e ilang buwan na lang ang maliligayang araw ni gloria sa Malacanang? Row four talaga ang laman ng mga kukote…imagine, morethan 9-years na siya sa nakaw ng Kapangyarihan e ngayon lang naisip na mag lagay ng radar?
Alam mo, magaling sila mang radar sa mga pumupuna sa kanilang ka ek-ekan, but yong para sa ikabubuti ng Pinoy e wala sa bokabularyo nila yan? Worst leadershipsip!
Yang 140 bilyones na yan, ipamumudmod ni boobuwit sa mga kandidato niya. She has to be able to field in more tongressmen this time around kung gusto niyang maging Prime Minister. Di ba itong mga tongressmen na ito ang magsusulong ng CHA-CHA? Kung 200 na toinbgreesmen ang bibigyan niya ng mga projects, perang pangampanya, kulang ang mga bilyones niya.
Sorry na lang ang mga biktima ng bagyo, hindi kayo ang “priority” ni boobuwit!
“Isama sana ni Pepeng si Gloria Arroyo paglabas ng Pinas at i-dump sa may buhawing parte ng malalim na dagat.” – Chi
= = = = = =
Huwag naman ganyan… Kawawa naman ang mga isda, malalason ang mga yun! 🙂
My sister, who accompanied the delivery of the relief goods we managed to put together from this end, was very impressed with the efficiency of those people in ABS-CBN foundation.
An affirmation of the goodness of our people, the stall in our palengke where the blankets, panties and rubber slippers were bought, the lady donated a couple of dozens of brand new walking shorts for children.
She herself expressed her distrust of coursing her help to DSWD.
A sad indicment that indeed, Gloria’s misgovernment has zero credibility. People prefer to donate and help through the private sector….
I meant – the lady who owns the stall…
MR at Balweg, tingnan nyo ang comments nyo. Pinalitan ko ang mga salitang ginawa nyong all caps. Nababasa at naiintindihan naman.Mas maayos pa kahit small letters.
Salamat.
Hindi pa ba na-break ni gloria ang travel record ni tabako?
Gusto ‘ata niyang mapalagay ang pangalan niya sa Book of Guiness, eh. Bilang the most travelled unelected and lying acting permanent president of the first world from behind country, the Philippines.
Masama ang umasam ng ikapapahamak ng kapwa, pero dahil na rin sa kanyang mga kawalanghiyaan gayunbdin ng kanyang mga alipores na suwapang sa salapi at kapangyariha kasama na rin ang kanyang asawa’t mga anak at kamag-anak, abutin sana sila ng hindi maliligtasang sakuna sa sussunod na biyahe nila!
Baka sakaling makaahon na rin tayo sa napakalalim na balon ng paghihikahos na dulot ng pagnanakaw at kasinungalingan ng isang babaeng punggok!
marian… na break na yata ni Gloria pekeng pangulo na may peking suso… exced ng 1.6 billion travel nya… hindi nya sinunod ang gen. app. act. dapat managot c Gloria. Ang deficit nya now… P 210 billion peso ipamamana nya sa susunod na president.
“.. na break na yata ni Gloria pekeng pangulo na may peking suso..”
heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh ! Nathan, …nautot ako ah!
Folks,
The ball is rolling. This government is blaming the illegal urban settlers for greatly contributing to the recent flooding while insisting it was not the irresponsible release of water from the dams that caused the rapid rise and flow of water in different areas.
Sige, para matigil na lamang sila, tutal kahit alam nilang ang dahilan ng lahat ay ‘yung kanilang kapalpakan sa pamamalakad kasama na rin ang kawalang malasakit nilang mga nasa poder mas lalo’t higit ang walang hintong malawakang kurakutan sa gobyerno, AAKUIN ko ang kasalanan.
Wala kasi akong makitang bukas na palikuran at lalong walang arinolang mahagilap kaya UMIHI na lamang ako sa isang sulok na siyang naging dahilan ng malawakang pagbaha kaya patawarin ninyo ako. Ipinapangako ko, sa susunod na makaramdam uli ako ng matinding pag-ihi ay sa Malakanyang ako tatakbo!
The job title is pretty detailed – an emergency preparedness NDCC- National Disaster Coordinating Council Chairman Sec. Gilbert Teodoro is responsible for planning for an emergency. How will the city/province handle a crisis? For example, a major rainstorm that results in widespread flooding, blocking roads and taking down power lines; or an earthquake, or a terrorist attack. How will the various city departments coordinate their efforts to recover during an emergency and help the residents of the city? The Government is the person responsible for drafting strategic plans and ensuring the city departments are trained and knowledgable of those plans with enough BUDGET. The person may also coordinate drills or practice sessions when the emergency plan is put to the test.
Prevention is better than CURE and their job is…
1 – Prepare for emergency situations.
2 – Respond to emergency situations.
3 – Recover from emergency situations.
4 – Mitigate and prevent emergency situations
Nathan, when I was still Kabataang Barangay Chairman, (not too long ago, heheh) there was the National Disaster Coordinating Council, which supervises the Provincial DCCs, which in turn supervises the Municipal/City DCCs, which finally supervises the street-level Barangay Disaster Brigades. All actions are coordinated via constant reporting all the way from the grassroots.
This is where Gibo’s organization failed. He micromanages the whole thing ala-Gloria that even the transfer of relief from his warehouses to the distribution to the final beneficiaries are all centralized. It used to be the Office of Civil Defense that coordinates the disaster efforts of the AFP with the local gov’t heads. The PNP was an active player in the whole affair then. During Ondoy, not a single cop was seen maintaining order in the streets.
At the height of Ondoy, all eyes where on him, waiting for his orders, and nothing was moving unless he ordered it. He was overwhelmed and it only demonstrated his incompetence. One man’s failure brought down the whole response mechanism.
Gibo was the weakest link in the chain. He was an amateur and doesn’t deserve a position any higher.
Gibo should be FIRED!!!