Let's Get the Goods Out!!

IF YOU WANT TO HELP MOVE THE SUPPLIES INSIDE THE DSWD WAREHOUSE -- HERE'S THE INFO:

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Today at 2:34am

Oct 23 2009 - approx: 930pm I got an SMS saying: This is Sec Espie Cabral. May I call you?

I was so happy!

I immediately replied. My hunch was right, Rep. Risa Hontiveros gave my contact number to the Dept of Social Welfare and Development Secretary. I told Risa that many private citizens are willing to help DSWD! Many are willing to pack and sort and look for options for delivery (as groups like WhiteSpace, TulongBayan, BalayExpo, Angel Brigade, LSGH, AdMU, Red Cross have been doing). Since the warehouses of DSWD are filling up with donations from overseas- then it is time they be delivered to people who are recovering and desperately rebuilding their lives from the recent onslaught brought about by the two typhoons.

Sec. Cabral and I talked for a bit and she mentioned that the DSWD is open 24 hours for workshifts so she agreed for us (private citizens) to try to come up with a shift-coordination-list of, at least, 50 volunteers per day - for Monday to Friday - 3pm-11pm.


I chose the time slot because it can fit in the schedule of students and young professionals. (somehow)

My request is this.

IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL --- Kindly email radio@rockedphilippines.org or info@rockedphilippines.org your name, contact number and available time shifts you can commit to. Or leave a message here on this post. Pls indicate if you need transportation - we can probably match pick up points or carpooling.


IF YOU HAVE A CLUB/ ORG/ BIBLE STUDY GROUP/ YOGA GROUP/ WHATEVER CLUB/ JAYCEES/ ROTARY/BARKADA/ OFFICE DEPARTMENT/ SCHOOL VARSITY TEAM or BARKADA ---any group that can actually commit 10 or more people for one night -- please send one collective email lang with all your names and identify your group leader to radio@rockedphilippines.org or info@rockedphilippines.org - or leave a message here on this post....and tell us the specific time and day your group can come. (I highly encourage this manner so that makes it easier for us to coordinate sched and you get to work with people you already know.)



IF YOU HAVE A BUS OR A VAN SERVICE THAT YOU CAN LEND FOR TRANSPO OF VOLUNTEERS FROM PICK UP POINTS IN QC, PASIG AND MAKATI TO PASAY - please email mike@rockedphilippines.org or info@rockedphilippines.org so we can coordinate the carpooling if needed.



IF YOU HAVE A TRUCK/VAN/DELIVERY PICK UP WILLING TO LEND TO DEPLOY BGY RELIEF PACKS -email sheila@rockedphilippines.org or may@rockedphilippines.org or mike@rockedphilippines.org


IF YOUR BARKADA IS WILLING BUT WILL NEED HELP WITH TRANSPO/ TRANSPO ALLOWANCE PLEASE EMAIL ME DIRECTLY - WAG MAHIHIYA- KAILANGAN NAMIN KAYO AT WILLING KAMING MANUNDO!! gang@rockedphilippines.org - hihingi tayo sa mga taong willing magdonate ng pamasahe ng mga studyante. :)


IF YOU HAVE NO TIME BUT HAVE EXTRA CASH - PLEASE DONATE SO WE CAN ARRANGE FOR SAFE AND EFFICIENT TRANSPO FOR STUDENTS TO AND FROM SCHOOL TO WAREHOUSE AND BACK. email me directly: gang@rockedphilippines.org or deposit to:

ROCK ED PHILIPPINES
BPI 3080-0073-44
Katipunan-Loyola Branch

Then msg me date of deposit and amount if you need an O.R. from Rock Ed.

Okay - with this one - we need obedient muscle - that's it. I will report to Sec. Espie Cabral first thing Monday afternoon -- I hope we have kind souls enlisted by then and a concrete shift list to send to her --otherwise... those goods will stay put in their warehouses as long as no one packs and delivers them out!


For additional info: 0917-7346742


If you're wondering: this action plan (and we're so LUCKY Sec Cabral actually called us!) this is a reaction to the news that many warehouses are filling up with foreign donations and the deployment is not fast enough for people who are in dire need of resources to rebuild their lives. Or even just to exist with a little dignity while waiting for chances to rebuild come around.

Political leanings are not primary at this point. After the work is done - then we can go our separate ways again if that works for us. Personally, for now - I will be more than happy to help the government if that means more Filipinos get what's rightly theirs.

Thank you very much and I look forward to your generous response to this request for committed hours - I have a feeling efficiency is the key right now - and it's about time we try helping our DSWD out. This is new for all of us, but I have a feeling it's worth a shot.


Sincerely,

Gang Badoy
www.rockedphilippines.org

Rotting Relief Goods?

This is a repost. There's a lot of discussion going on about this issue now. I hope with all my heart it isn't true, but if it is then word has to get out. If it is, it's criminal. Right now, the pictures tell a damning story, but I'm willing to keep an open mind....while my fingers are tightly crossed.

Oct 21st, 2009 by ella

Dear friends,

I’m asking your help to spread the word. Tulungan po ninyo akong ikalat ito. Beyond this, we should also demand action. I disabled a plugin so you can copy the photos of relief goods rotting in DSWD warehouses. You can link this post to your blogs, facebook, websites etc. You can also email the photos.

Philippine News (US based Philippine newspaper) will use this as its front page story this week. Every Filipino has the right to know where the tons of donations from the UN and other counties go. Kahit po nakakahiya sa mga nag-donate. Kung sa ganitong paraan, matutulungan natin ang mga nasalanta, then by all means, let’s do it.

For those who have the time, please try to volunteer sa DSWD warehouses. Getting in was not easy. A friend had to put in a word for us. Let’s see kung madali nang makapasok sa DSWD warehouse ang mga volunteers.

Please read on and good luck to us.

Ella

(This post was last edited Oct 22, 12:30 pm)

Kahapon, tinanong ng Philippine News si DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral:

Editor of Philippine News: Why are the relief goods in DSWD warehouses not moving?

DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral: Wala kasing volunteers.

This short interview was done over the phone. Philippine News wanted to hear her side pero ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa press. After four tries, pinasabi na lang niya ang maikling sagot na ito sa secretary niya - “Walang volunteers”.

I don’t want to accuse her of corruption but at the very least she is showing signs of being totally incompetent. We are in a state of calamity where every second counts. May namamatay araw-araw dahil sa sakit.

In my opinion, these deaths could have been prevented if Secretary Cabral had tried a little harder to do her job.

Deaths from Philippine storms nears 1,000

“Tropical Storm Ketsana left 420 dead and 37 missing when it flooded 80 percent of Manila on September 26, a disaster the government said affected 4.35 million people.

Some areas are still flooded three weeks later and 189,000 people remain in evacuation centres,

Typhoon Parma hit the northern Philippines on October 3 and lingered as a tropical storm for a week, triggering landslides that killed 438 people and leaving 51 missing mostly in mountain communities.

The government agency said Parma affected 4.16 million people, including more than 32,000 who remain at evacuation centres.”

During the first week after the storm, lumabas ang “bayanihan spirit” ng mga Pinoy. “Makatulong lang kahi’t konti,” katwiran nila.

kung walang volunteers, ano ‘to, komiks?

From Stella Arnaldo’s blog:

“At the offices of many civic groups and private organizations, hundreds of people showed up to volunteer in packing relief goods.

At the Tulong Bayan center at the Expo Centro in Cubao, Most of the volunteers were adolescents as young as 10 years old, along with their kuya or ate in high school and college.

They came in huge numbers, many of them barkadas, classmates or siblings, dressed just in their tees and shorts, wearing their Havaianas. All were just enthusiastic to do their share!

Photos by Leah Navarro

Even grade school kids pitched in to help!


Youth volunteers repack detergents for distribution


Making beds from carton boxes

GMA asked world for donations

Our government begged the world for more donations. Sumagot ang buong mundo sa ating panawagan. In less than three weeks, dumaong ang mga barko, ibinaba mula sa mga cargo planes, i-diniliver ng mga trak at container vans ang sandamakmak na relief goods. Cash donations were in the millions of dollars.

But these donations must be coursed through DSWD

Nagpalabas ng directive ang pangulo. Individuals, private companies and other nations were ENCOURAGED to send their donations to DSWD. I blogged about it here and the video of her announcement here.

This PGMA directive sounded suspicious to me then. Now I know why. Here’s the story.

A group of eight people, your ate Ella included, went to one of DSWD warehouses to help in repacking relief goods. We know they need volunteers pero hindi namin akalaing WALANG TAO TALAGA SA LOOB NG WAREHOUSE!

As in sa isang humongous warehouse (1000++ sq.m) NA PUNONG-PUNO NG RELIEF GOODS HANGGANG BUBONG, ISANG DSWD employee lang at ISANG SECURITY GUARD ang tao!!

Kailangang magpa-register at i-schedule ang volunteering

1) UNICEF Registration (as a volunteer)

The warehouse can only take as much as 50 volunteers at a time or per shift. Here you will find that there is a 4-hour shift, and an option for a 6-hour shift for the volunteers to indicate their availability.

What “volunteers”? Nasaan?

Aside from the 8 of us? Nope, there was nobody there. Bakit kailangan ang scheduling? Feeling hindi ba magkamayaw at nagu-unahan ang mga volunteers?

I know somebody who wanted to volunteer many times. She was always bumped off, laging nirere-schedule kasi “there were too many volunteers” daw. At tuwing Sunday lang daw puwede. What the hell is going on here?

Nakatambak ang donations ng UNICEF sa warehouse, local and international

Mga banig na dapat ay nahihigaan ng mga nasalanta. Mga imported camp beds na hindi na yata masisilayan ng mga biktima. Mga kumot na hindi naman nakabalot sa katawan nila. At mga pagkaing hindi sumasayad sa sikmura nila.

The relief goods are not going anywhere

We arrived at about 8 am and left by midafternoon and yes, you guessed it right. Kami pa rin ang tao bukod sa isang DSWD employee sa loob ng warehouse maghapon. Walang ibang dumating.

The relief goods are not moving. By the way things look, they are not going anywhere. Hindi maglalakad mag-isa ang mga donations na ito papunta sa mga evacuation centers.

LET THE PICTURES DO THE TALKING

Note: Pinagbawalan kaming kumuha ng pictures sa loob ng warehouse. I wonder why.

“Not a creature was moving, not even a mouse.”

Parang haunted warehouse ang dating. May multo na yata.

Kahit na daig pa ang tindahan sa Divisoria sa dami ng naka-stack na kaldero

At walang katapusang kaldero pa ulit

Kahit halos natakpan na ang mga bintana sa dami ng mga kahon

Kahit umabot na hanggang kisame ang stack ng mga kahon

(Close up ng Coleman camp beds sa previous photo) Hindi ito kasama sa ni-repack naming goods. Para sa mga “special victims” kaya ito? Ire-repack kaya ang mga “imported” camp pads na ito ever?

Sabagay, may BANIG naman para sa “ordinary victims”. Ito ang kasama sa inimpake namin. Sayang ‘yung imported.

Ano kaya ang laman nito? Hindi rin pinabuksan. Pang-special victim din kaya ito? (teka, dito nga pala galing ‘yung mga kumot)

Mahiwagang mga kahon from Japan Aid.

(close up ng mahiwagang kahon) Hindi rin ito kasali, of course. Hindi namin alam kung ano ang laman nito. “Imported” are not included, we have concluded.

Marami ito, mga laruang kasinlaki ng tao. Hindi nakunan ng pic kasi nasa tabi ng sikyo.

PORK AND BEANS? Yup, you’d think kasama ito sa relief bag. Pork and beans lang ‘to, puwede na sigurong ipamigay,

Naaah! “Imported” pork and beans from Spain po ito. Sorry, hindi pa rin included

Now let’s take a look at what a victim will get from DSWD

Look Ma, sampung lata ng sardinas! How generous! Kaldero ang unang ilalagay sa sako. Sabong panglaba (bar soap) at sampung sardinas sa ilalim. Siyam na sabon sa gilid ng kaldero. Local goods lahat syempre.

Tapos papatungan ng isang tuwalya at isang pack ng sanitary napkin.

Sisiksikan ng tatlong rolyo ng kumot(?) ang blue water jug tapos ipapatong sa kaldero sa loob ng sako.

Last but not the least, lalagyan ng dalawang banig.

Sabay tatahiin na ang sako. O di ba, parang asong tinapunan ng buto ang mga nasalanta? Eniwey, busog naman sila sa SAMPUNG lata ng Mega sardinas

Do not delay

YOU THINK?? WTF is the matter with these people? Mag-iisang buwan na mula nang masalanta ang mga kababayan natin. ISANG BUWAN!!Do you mean “do not delay ang dati nang delayed”?? Shet.

Anong ginagawa ng mga donations na ito sa warehouse?? APAT na warehouse ang nasa loob ng compound na ‘yon! APAT na warehouse na punong-puno ng inaalikabok na relief goods! Relief goods na ayaw yata ibigay sa mga nasalanta. Halatang-halata.

Marami pang pabubulukin

Wow! May bagong shipment na naman! At the rate DSWD is moving, next year na madi-discover kung ano ang laman ng mga kahong ito.

“The first of two of the largest high-energy food shipments from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) arrived in the country two days ago for victims of storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”

The biscuits were fortified with essential vitamins and minerals for supplementary feeding to children, pregnant women and the elderly in evacuation camps. Another 100 tons of biscuits will arrive on Oct. 24, in a continuing effort to provide food assistance to flood victims.

Sige, ideretso ‘nyo ulit ‘yan sa DSWD warehouse. Para AMAG naman ang abutin ng biskwit… at sapot ng gagamba.

Conclusion

Sa maghapon namin sa warehouse,nakagawa kami ng 150 sacks of relief goods. 150 bags of relief goods lang ang lumabas sa warehouse na ‘yon that day. At nandoon pa rin sa loob ang mga imported relief goods, safe, sound and packed as the day they arrived.

Nakisakay kami palabas sa isang DSWD delivery van. Gusto sana kaming ihatid ng driver hanggang Makati pero wala raw siyang sobrang gasolina. Ibinaba na lang niya kami sa gitna ng EDSA. Millions of dollars in donations, walang extrang pang-gasolina.

Susulpot din siguro ang laman ng mga mahiwagang kahon at mapapasakamay din ng mga tao…sa ARAW NG ELEKSYON. O mabibili na nila ang mga imported goods na ‘yon sa mga puwesto sa Quiapo at Divisoria.

Suggestions lang po sa DSWD:

Alam ‘nyo palang walang mag-volunteer sa inyo, bakit hindi kayo mag-hire ng mga tao? Bayaran ‘nyo ng arawan para mag-repack. Ang daming walang trabaho, makakatulong pa kayo. Hindi naman malaking kabawasan ‘yon sa bilyong pisong donasyon na natanggap ninyo.

Isa pa, gaano ba karami ang mga sundalo natin? Hindi ba puwedeng ipagawa sa kanila ‘yan? Baka isang araw lang, tapos na ang problema ‘nyo

Bakit hindi ‘nyo ibigay ang trabaho sa mga NGO, churches, private charities, TV stations? I’m sure they are more than willing to help. Time is of the essence. Huwag kayong suwapang. Obvious ba, hindi ‘nyo naman kaya.

• Kung talagang gugustuhin ninyong makarating agad sa mga kawawang biktima ang mga donasyong ‘yon, nagawa ‘nyo na ‘yan. Maraming paraan…kung talagang gusto ‘nyo lang.

• You are the government. You have the power, the resources and the money. You just have to really care.

SOURCE: BLOG NI ELLA