Category Archive for: pangyayari

komentaryo

Criticism

I agree there is much to be done in the face of the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, and there is really only sadness and helplessness for those of us who are far away, watching these images on television, hearing about the plight of those who are now on their seventh day without food and water.

That should not, cannot mean, biting our tongues, and giving this government a break. Because anyone at all would know that there is something fundamentally wrong about the strongest storm coming to the Philippines, about a president that warned of storm surges, but who did not order an evacuation.

There is something wrong with a national government that expected their Local Government Units to take care of their towns and provinces, to be the first responders in the aftermath of the storm, without imagining that if the towns were going under, so would the homes of the mayors and governors and councilors.

No imagination
Yes, we may let all that go. Let’s say that the government prepared, but did not have the imagination to see how bad things would be. Let’s say that the government had a plan in place, but that plan was destroyed by the storm as well.

The question then becomes: why is there no Plan B? (more…)

komentaryo

Words

There are no words for what has happened.

Even as it is also all that we have, helpless in Manila as many of us are. It was words, too, that kept me watching, waiting, for government to prove that it was in control of the situation that was wrought by Typhoon Yolanda.

On November 7, PNoy had warned about Super Typhoon Yolanda’s strength. “Storm surges in Ormoc, Ginayangan Ragay Gulf in Albay and Lamon Bay in Atimonan will bring grave danger. And waves in these areas may reach up to five to six meters high,” the good president had said.

“Let this be a warning to local government units: Your constituents are facing grave danger. Let us do all we can while ‘Yolanda’ has yet to make landfall.”

To the public he said: “Coordinate with and follow authorities. Evacuate if your area is in danger. To those near the shore: do not head towards the open sea,” PNoy implored.

Filipinos were also told to stay informed about which communities will be affected by Yolanda, by checking the websites of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and Project NOAH. (more…)

komentaryo

#YolandaPH #reliefPH

reliefph

i’ve been on this site. there are no words.

komentaryo

people before buildings

In the aftermath of the October 15 earthquake that wreaked over Bohol and Cebu, with many Catholic Churches reduced to rubble, Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal has said that we must find “faith in the midst of ruins.”

I say we take stock.

And we ask questions. Say, why is it that the Catholic Church did not put out money to reinforce its churches? They can’t say there wasn’t / isn’t any money to do it, knowing as we all do that the Pinoy Catholic Church ain’t paying any taxes. What we now know is that our Catholic Church was having masses and religious celebrations in unsafe structures, putting lives of its followers at risk.  (more…)

komentaryo

miracles

I helped out with the August 26 Million People March, with the September 11 EDSA TAYO, with Pork Day the 13th and Rock and Rage Against Pork on September 13. It was all a matter of knowing that extra hands would be useful, and while for the August 26 MPM it was clear that one person who was part of the meetings to organize the event was going on a totally different tangent, the rest of us were united in the call to Scrap ALL Pork. A call that has not changed across the other rallies I’ve helped out in; a call that has been carried by other rallies I wasn’t part of (the September 19 No Remittance Day and the September 21 rally in Luneta) all the way to the October 4 MPM@Ayala. (more…)