DSWD: Relief goods enough, but volunteers lacking

DAVAO CITY , Philippines  â€”  Relief goods for victims of typhoon “Pablo” in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental are enough to last through the next three months, but the local social welfare office lacks volunteers to help in the repacking and relief distribution, officials said yesterday.

Priscilla Razon, social welfare and development officer in Region XI, said the relief goods are stored at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) depot in Panacan, Davao City.

Razon said initially they gave out three kilos of rice to each victim. But later, she said the ration has gone up to five kilos, and now at 10-kilo level for distribution to more than 212,000 victims in the two provinces.

She admitted they badly needed volunteers to help repack the goods and distribute them to typhoon-ravaged areas.

“It is back-to-school time and the student volunteers have also returned to school. We really need more hands to help us in repacking and distributing the relief goods, Razon told The STAR.

At least 150 volunteers are needed at present to render an eight-hour workday at the DPWH depot.

 â€œWe are really in need of more warm bodies to help us in this effort,” Razon said.

Workers from the DSWD, the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command and the Southern Mindanao Regional Police Office have been handling the packing, loading and delivering the goods to relief hubs in Trento, Agusan del Sur and Nabunturan, Compostela Valley.             

Meanwhile, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the low turnout of official development assistance (ODA) commitment of only 1.4 percent threatens the rehabilitation efforts in typhoon-ravaged communities in Mindanao.

 Earlier, the United Nations reported that only 21 percent, or roughly a fifth of the UN’s initial appeal for $65 million (P2.7 billion) in aid for Pablo victims has been filled – with $13 million in total international donation and up to $7 million in pledges.

“I don’t think it is donors’ fatigue since there is a high level of international support to climate-driven humanitarian problems,” said Salceda, champion of United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDRR).

He expressed dismay with the very low 21 percent commitment level, saying it must be due to the lack of central institution to secure the pledges, as well the low coordinative system on the ground because of relatively weak damage assessment and needs analysis.

As a result, he said, the quality of the recovery plan or reconstruction program also suffers.

“In comparison, Albay’s typhoon ‘Reming’ reconstruction was footed more proportionately between national and international funding - with greater international aid of P4.8 billion versus P3.5 billion from GAA,” he said.

“Right now, the ODA (some of which are regurgitated or recycled) will account for only 1.4 percent of Pablo’s recovery. And, if we adjust these ODA aggregates for their historically high overhead, the net benefit to climate victims from ODA will even be smaller than 1.4 percent,” he added.

Earlier he called for the creation of a National Coordinating Group to focus on the UN flash appeal and special pledging session in the forthcoming Philippine Development Forum.

Availment of ‘Pablo’ loans clarified

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has explained that not all its members affected by typhoon Pablo can avail of the emergency loan due to a requirement in the net pay.

GSIS chairman Daniel Lacson Jr. said the law puts a cap on the borrowings of government employees to make sure their take home pay (net pay) every month would not be less than P5,000.

Early last month, the state pension fund announced it is granting emergency loans amounting to P20,000 to its more than 345,000 members in Visayas and Mindanao who were affected by the typhoon.

In a dialogue with the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in Bacolod recently, Lacson said the General Appropriations Act of 2012 stipulates that government employees must have a net pay of at least P5,000 every month, after all dues are deducted from the gross pay.

“Let us look at the bigger picture. All the government wants is to ensure that you bring something home on pay day,” Lacson said, addressing GSIS members across the country.

He said while the GSIS and the government wanted to fulfill the needs of the people, it was imperative to temper this with realities.

Lacson assured all GSIS members that the state pension fund continues to strive for transparency and responsiveness to their needs.

He cited the GSIS office in Bacolod headed by Vilma Fuentes, which was able to attain zero backlog for 2012, having attended to all claims and reconciliation issues for the year. – With Celso Amo, Danny Dangcalan