Where is government?

Almost all disasters are measured by the inherent destruction they bring. But almost always, they are also brought into context by the kind of response they generate. What a sad commentary it is then, for us as a nation, than in almost every disaster, it is the private sector rather than government that responds better.

The irony cannot be more stark and apparent. Almost always, the private sector responds from scratch. Except for a few foundations that have made it their mission to respond to relief emergencies, private citizens and organizations do not make disaster response a part of their daily lives and routines.

On the other hand, it is government that has the mandate to make itself always ready to respond to any and all emergencies. Yet, when such emergencies arise, it is always the private sector that is there first. It has to take government quite a while to get there, and always with so little.

Take the case of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that crippled Bohol and shook Cebu and neighboring islands last week. There was almost total chaos when the first responders -- that's right, private entities -- got there. And that is because government was not prepared to step in quick and take charge.

Take no less than President Aquino. He came to Cebu a day late, and provided nothing but unspecified financial assistance as relief. What he prominently did instead was visit political allies and the collapsed belfry at Santo Nino when there was nothing presidential to do there except to have his photos taken.

Over in Bohol, he did hand out assistance -- small plastic bags containing food items that probably cannot cover a day's meals. And he was smiling a lot as he did that. Whether that is a facial quirk of his, I don't know. But if it is, he should strive mightily to control it because it doesn't go well with the occasion.

After visiting the mess caused by the quake, Aquino flew to South Korea and spent two days there. I agree with Federico Pascual that he could have served the national interest better if he had postponed his trip to South Korea and stayed in the country instead to lend his presidential presence to the quake relief.

But clearly, quake relief is not preoccupying the mind of Aquino. The Palace even announced that funds are running out. Instead, what is central in the mind of Malacañang is how to channel more funds to the DAP, or Development Acceleration Program, the shadow pork barrel of the president.

And where does that leave the poor victims of the earthquake? They are now relying almost exclusively on the relief efforts of the private sector. All over Cebu, and in many other parts of the archipelago, there is a frantic marshaling and mobilization to bring aid to Bohol, where the devastation is greatest.

In fact, what a fine picture it depicts of us that while our government is saying it is almost running dry, foreign countries are rushing to join the private sector in trying to head off a far worse disaster than just what the earthquake wrought.

In times like these, I distinctly remember the tragedy that befell Ormoc City in Leyte in 1991 when a flashflood killed more than 3,000 people and brought life there to a standstill. Once again, in that tragedy, the once shining moment that will forever be remembered was how the private sector saved the day for Ormoc.

When the flood happened, the people of Cebu rose as one to come to Ormoc's aid. It was an aid that was marshaled and directed by a lone Cebuano voice that happened to be in Ormoc under a different circumstance -- the voice of Gwen Garcia.

With the city crippled, Garcia took to the airwaves and gave clear and precise accounts of what happened and what the situation was on the ground. This defined for the private sector the shape of its response. It is no wonder that Garcia eventually went on to become one of the best governors Cebu ever had.

But guess who had her unceremoniously removed from the Capitol? Why, no less than the president we have been talking about, Noynoy Aquino. Nobody could have done what had happened without his blessings. How ironic that a doer should get the boot from a do-nothing.