Amid the great devastation that has resulted from the super typhoon Yolanda, people have shown how people really are.
True characters have come out in the midst of adversity. And if you maintained your poise and sanity even in hunger, then that is who you truly are. If you became a looter, for food alone, then you have been driven by a survival need, and that’s what you’ve become in that situation. We never really know who we can be unless we are confronted by grave challenging circumstances, the Johari window simply reveals to us the unknown part of us that we only discover in serious encounters like what Yolanda and the earthquake in Bohol may have forced us into.
There is no one, and I repeat, now one, who can point a finger at one who is hungry and blame him for seeking food or water when resources are nil and conditions are severe. I would even dare to say that we cannot blame political leaders who have been victims as well, to act stunned and in a daze for a while because they too are humans and are suffering as well. But the calling of their function urges them to be selfless for a while and numb themselves to their personal concerns and move on, faster than the rest of us to take care of their constituents and fulfill their pledge of leadership.
In Ormoc City, Mayor Edward C. Codilla immediately after the storm, took his motorbike and drove around his city. No one recognized or noticed him as each one was busy trying to fathom what just happened. He drove to assess the extent of the damage the storm had done to his beloved Ormoc and immediately called a meeting among his department heads. In spite of their being affected as well the department heads attended the meeting, understanding the urgency and the need to respond.
The private sector was immediately involved. The Ormoc Builders Association (ORBA) volunteered their equipment to clear the streets of debris so transportation could be facilitated. Water hydrants were opened so that people could access water and not be thirsty. The Ormoc Water System Association (ORWASA) was instructed to ensure water would be available in the households the soonest possible time and on the third day after the storm, water was flowing in the homes. On the second day, the streets were passable. Even the mayor’s wife Violy, was seen sweeping the roadways with some of the members of the community, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible to avoid media attention and just get on with the job.
Relief operations were sorted out, involving the barangays. Equipped with a data base on the number and names of resident families, the barangay captains were tasked to help the City Social Welfare Office to mobilize the distribution of relief goods which were prepared and stocked even before the storm. There were no discriminations in the distribution of food. No political affiliations. Everything was managed according to need. Through this practice I saw the importance of getting one’s self counted in the barangay census. Those who we learned later complained of not receiving any goods were those who did not take pains to answer the questionnaire or interviews of the barangay for their data base. The same people did not take any initiative to also go to the barangay distribution center and just waited to be given their relief packs at home.
Sadly, even here in our locality, this attitude prevails.
On our way to Bogo, we saw many children, and families along the roadside asking for food. We took some short stops, carefully choosing the groups, not because we were choosey but because we experienced being inadvertently mobbed when we distributed biscuits along the way.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all those who have volunteered, students, doctors, business organizations and other hands who have joined in the packing and repacking of goods or have donated what could to this cause. My gratitude too to our foreign donors, who have also left their families to help us.
There are many people who need help. And many people willing to help. Yet, someday, help will have to come from within. When one will have to face their own lives with their own will.
May God bless us all.