GOOD DEEDS RUN A MUCK IN THE PHILIPPINES

This story has two versions. The version from the Philippine press, and the version from the jungle of the Philippines.


Version One:

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign countries are providing emergency relief to the Philippines following the destruction of tropical storm “Sendong,” which left more than 1,000 people dead.Several countries, particularly France, Japan, United States and Spain, have expressed concern and sympathy for the victims of the massive flooding that hit northern Mindanao.

According to the French embassy in Manila, an emergency relief of €50,000 (approximately P2.8 million) will be donated to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), apart from the €3 million donated by the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines, which is partially funded by the French government. 

The embassy contribution will be turned over to Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Richard Gordon.

Ambassador Thomas said that the US government, through the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), will provide immediate relief assistance in partnership with Catholic Relief Services, US-based non-governmental organization.


A team from USAID and OFDA was earlier sent to visit flood-hit areas in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. The team is assessing the damage to determine if additional US funding will be needed.


"As a good friend and long-standing development partner, the United States will continue our work with the Philippine government and remain committed to help Filipinos overcome this great tragedy,” Thomas added.
READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE




Version Two:


This report comes from e-mail received from the Philippines by a Philippino who was on a relief delivery mission that turned corrupt........


RE-POST: Actual report by Volunteer =Tess: last dec. 19 @ 2pm more or less my son with other abs cbn volunteers reported for duty.. when the truck abs cbn streamer was full of relief goods already, the team was instructed to proceed to Balulang evac. center to download and be ready for distribution the goods in the truck. while on their way to balulang, a call from the base instructed them to stop and wait for kris aquino and party. so the team waited for for these people. @ 6pm, a call from the base advised them to proceed instead to Brgy. Consolacion since Kris and party was there already. Imagine 3 hrs naghulat mga volunteers only to be instructed to go to Consolacion instead. Nag yawyaw na volunteers ngano ing ana pamaagi and my son even said in a loud manner " kang Kris ba diay ning mga relief goods? but the wala choice man but to heed to the instructions given...unsay pagtuo nila sa mga volunteers mga robot nga bahalag abtan midnight hulat2x ok lang di na kailangan foods to sustain them from doing the tasks? again, the team proceeded to Consolacion. sobra kaayo jud ka heavy ang traffic so hinay jud ang dagan sa truck....dawbe kay ang mga tao didto gutom na jud kaayo kay halos man pangbirahon na ang mga sinako relief goods but no instructions given yet if i distribute ang goods. ila na lang gi explainan volunteers ra sila and have to wait for further instructions..ga singgit na sila" unsa man na bay inyo ra na paibog. para unsa ra man na nga gidala dala dili ihatag?"gutom na daw sila kaayo. kinsa sad kaha wala nagutom sa nahitabo. hadlok na kaayo ang volunteers basin musaka na ang mga tao then sakwaton mga sinako nga goods.wala sad sila gipakuyugan ug volunteer-soldier or police for security reasons unta.. after a while, there came vans in convoy. Kris and party naman diay muagi with arrogant PSG men shouting "tabi kayo..saan ba mga pulis dito. sus nakurat tawon ang team nga mulakaway naman diay kris and party why pa man paadto pa sila didto? minutes after, a call from the base instructed them to leave Consolacion and head for Balulang again. OMG, ang relief goods gipalaway lang jud diay...upon reaching Balulang around 9pm more or less gisunodsunud jud tawon ang truck sa mga victims..wala lang gihapon instruction if i download na relief goods sa evac center. gihikap na pud sa mga evacuees ang sako2xng goods..they are shouting na nga manghatag na kay gutom na kaayo. wa man jud sila instruction as in pa lamo2x na lang sila di mamansin. kay nakita man lagi nila ang atreamer abs cbn relief ops. ug wala man sila balebaleha..nisinggit sila "aha naman inyong presidente?" Among Binay gkan na dinhi...nadawat nasad dayon sila call from the base instructing them to go back to base..grabe ila kauoy sa mga tao nga grabe pa trauma gidaladala then wla pa tagda ila pangamuyo tagaan sila. wal choice ang team but to go back to base but ni sekreto sila open sako then secretly hand in goods sa malabyan nila pero ila sad sinyasan "psst ayaw saba sa uban". hadlok man sila basin kalit mangdasuk mga tao..maapsan baya sila kay traffic pud hinay dagan sa truck.. mao na ila ordeal murag mas na trauma sila sa mga actuations sa network kay kita nila mismo ang mga situations sa mga areas affected nga ila naadtuan unya nag location-hopping lang man diay sila. ako na siya pa stop volunteer sa network and instead get involved thru NGO's or schools or any parish.


This was a mix of Philippino and English, so it is a bit tricky to understand, but there is enough there to make it clear that the food went part way to the starving people, was stopped by headquarters, went to another city, had a ruckus with local police, and was sent back to base where it was unloaded secretly.


So, there is where your tax money and contributions go to help starving people in far away place.


And, we are financially busted in the USA.