A true and timely accounting of disaster funds and donations
Since we have an endemic culture of suspicions and a long history of corruptions, it is not only preferable but even essential that all officials concerned should render a true and timely accounting of all funds, whether allocated from the national budget or donated by local or international relief agencies and charitable institutions. The reason why many individuals and organizations experienced what you may call a ''donor fatigue'' or ''donation allergy'' is because the recipients do not render a report on how the money or goods have been distributed. In the absence of such reports, all speculations may becloud the matter and this would engender all kinds of doubts, suspicions, and charges.
In the case of Yolanda, billions of money had been allocated by the national and local government. This money was spent by various agencies like the DSWD, the DOLE, the DILG, and also the local government units, including the province, the city, municipality and even the barangays. Long after storms and typhoons in the past as well as after volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, fires and floods, the agencies and individual officials never came out with a detailed accounting, much less present them to the people for their information and scrutiny. For lack of such reports and accounting, people venture their own speculations. In time, the trust of the donors are irretrievably lost. Never again can we expect them to help.
What is worse, billions worth of goods were likewise donated and large sums of dollars were remitted by way of help to the victims. Since the donors have no way of knowing the names of the victims, their donations are coursed through some government agencies like the DSWD. Boatloads of clothing and other things were sent by Filipino communities abroad, and many foreigners from the Americas to the Middle East, from Europe to Asia. Money came pouring in emanating from OFWs and their employers. But nobody would get back to the specific donors and give them a feedback on where their donations went.
There must be law establishing the norms and guidelines on how to manage donations and making it mandatory to render a report within forty-eight hours from receipt of the donations. Donors would want to know how their donations were distributed, who and from where were the recipients. I have some brothers and sisters in the US west coast. They have not been remiss in sending their help, both financial and in kind. But none of them receive any feedback. Too much work cannot be used as an excuse in failing to make a true and correct accounting of them all. Reports should be made compulsory, with a penal clause in case of refusal to obey.
We should have learned from the many experiences that we all have had in managing post disaster donations. We are hit by no less than twenty-four or more tropical cyclones, weather disturbances, depressions and typhoons every year. We are not strangers to all these calamities and disasters. We have earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods. And so, we should have gained enough knowledge about this, and we should have learned our lessons long ago. But we continue in our ineptitude and neglect. We should have become experts in disaster preparedness and post facto interventions by this time. It is a pity that many of us seem never to learn at all. Sayang Kaayo.
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