Slow gov't action haunts survivors

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — As thousands of survivors in Eastern Visayas are about to observe today Yolanda's first anniversary, the city government maintained its disappointment on how Councilor Edwin Chua described as "slow response" of the national government in providing assistance to devastated areas.

"Not only in Tacloban that people has been appealing to the national government to do its part in helping Yolanda affected areas, but unfortunately its promise of building 20,000 houses for homeless survivors ... only 500 core shelters were built," Chua said.

Chua however thanked the aggressive response of the different non-government organizations in helping rebuild the devastated city. The local government has provided bunkhouses as temporary shelters and then allocated hectares for relocation of Yolanda victims for them, but then the national government has not yet acted on providing permanent houses.

As part of commemoration activities, a group of about 10,000 will hold today a protest rally against the Aquino administration, demanding for immediate rehabilitation of areas devastated by Yolanda.

This will be followed by a memorial candle lighting, headed by One Tacloban consisting of at least 3,000 Yolanda survivors, with a walk from the city airport to Barangay Nula-Tula in the northern part of the city.

Chua, also a Yolanda victim and a businessman, said it is one year already and most businesses in the city have declared bankruptcy and left the city already.

"There are many who have not recovered yet from their businesses, although there are newcomers. There are now some improvements of course and we are hoping that before the second year of Yolanda, Tacloban will fully rise with more investors coming in," said Chua.

Amid the lack of government response, a group of volunteers, who went to areas hard-hit by Yolanda before, has again banded together and yesterday returned to these sites to find out more needed items for the people.

The "Akbayanihan Volunteer Bus Mission," is an "8-day journey on the road to Ground zero" of volunteers who are now "retracing their steps" back to the communities they served a year ago, while looking for more participants.

Akbayan chairperson Risa Hontiveros, who also joined the Akbayanihan volunteers in their jourmey, encouraged the nation to revisit the victims of the typhoon, and work with them in rebuilding hope for stronger, disaster-resilient communities, for better welfare and equal opportunities of all the peoples made vulnerable by disasters.

The Akbayanihan Mission started its journey last November 3, around Albay province, Tacloban and some parts of Leyte and some towns in Eastern Samar, where it has been organizing "mobile forums" in several pit stops to discuss issues such as climate change and disaster preparedness.

The Akbayanihan volunteers also donated some 10 "Emergency Response Vehicle" to the different barangays in Leyte and Tacloban. — Miriam Garcia Desacada (FREEMAN)