Bohol mayor drives out Red Cross team(EARTHQUAKE RELIEF DISTRIBUTION)

[badkuk]

“It’s wrong to keep relief provided by the national and provincial governments inside their offices. If the reports are true, those responsible should be held accountable for relief hoarding,” he said.
Aquino returns
President Aquino will return to Bohol on Wednesday, ostensibly to bring a sense of order to the distribution of relief on the ground.
As many survivors have complained of receiving too little aid from the government a week after the earthquake, the President ordered national government agencies in charge of relief operations in the Visayas to implement an efficient system of distributing relief stocks, according to Secretary Herminio Coloma.
Aquino will personally check the progress of the relief efforts in at least three towns—Loon, Sagbayan and Tubigon.
He ordered national government agencies led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to intensify their coordination with local government officials, said Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
Centralized scheme
In an interview, Evasco said he imposed the centralized system of distribution to ensure that all 27 villages would receive relief.
He said the local disaster council and the barangay captains had agreed that all relief be coursed through the municipal government while they would identify the victims who would receive the items.
The mayor said he told the barangay officials to set aside politics at this time and focus on bringing help to the villages.
The public market has been converted into a repacking center where each barangay has a representative, Evasco said. The village chiefs would then pick up the relief for their constituents.
To ensure that the intended recipient would receive it, Evasco said the chapel leaders would monitor the distribution.
One of the Inquirer sources expressed fears that the nongoverment organization’s relief packs—intended for a family of six and good for five days—would be given by the barangay officials in smaller quantities to reach more families.
He said it would be useless to provide packs good for a day because the survivors would need another round the next day.
Barangay polls
“The danger is that they might use it in the campaign. That was my impression,” the source said, referring to the barangay elections scheduled on Oct. 28.
The barangay chair of Aliswag stopped volunteers from distributing the goods in the evacuation center on Monday, claiming that any donation should be coursed through the municipal government, another source said. The source, however, said she failed to get the name of the official.
At first, the source said, the local leader told the volunteers that he had yet to discuss the matter with his councilors. Later, he told them that he was following orders from Mayor Evasco.
“We stood our ground. We told him that there is no law that stops us from distributing,” she told the Inquirer. “At least, they didn’t tell us to pack up like what happened to the Red Cross.”
“Proper authorities should know about this so something can be done. A lot of people want to help but they cannot trust the LGUs (local government units),” she added.
Playing favorites
The residents were hesitant to accept the relief from politicians because they might call their attention if they wouldn’t vote for them in the elections, the source said.
Some have complained that the distribution of relief had been politicized, citing the case of Barangay Candavid, she said.
Randy Camoras, the chair of the Sangguniang Kabataan in the village, said the barangay captain, Julio Barace, had given priority to his allies in the distribution of relief.
Secretary Coloma called on municipal mayors and barangay captains to refrain from playing favorites. “We continue to urge [the local officials] to adopt a very proactive and a very positive outlook and, if possible, to minimize the issues that obstruct instead of help the victims,” he said in a media briefing.
The President “wants to eliminate things that hamper the efficiency of distribution of relief,” Coloma said while acknowledging that the relief agencies were experiencing “challenges” in logistics.
“Those are the guidelines of our officials who are on the ground … efficiency of distribution and the quality of support we give to our people,” Coloma said.
‘Ambush relief’
Because of the meddling politicians, the source said her group had adopted what it called an “ambush relief operation” that allowed the volunteers to go around the province and give the goods directly to the families.
In some areas, she said, barangay councilors would volunteer to help in the distribution but would later claim credit for the relief work.
Interior Secretary Roxas said he received a report from the DSWD that survivors had been complaining about some erring municipal and village officials who were keeping relief items.
Roxas ordered Chief Supt. Danilo Constantino, Central Visayas police chief, to make sure that relief delivered to town officials would be distributed to the intended beneficiaries.
“I also instructed all chiefs of police in Bohol to help in monitoring the delivery of relief. They should make sure the items will reach the earthquake victims even in far-flung areas,” he said.
“There’s no need to hoard for fear that the supplies may run out. The DSWD has enough supplies to feed residents affected by the earthquake every day.”
Roxas said members of the Armed Forces and other volunteer groups were helping DSWD personnel in sending relief to distant villages.
“DSWD personnel in the province are also stepping up their repacking operations in order to increase their delivery to 30,000 a day for at least another week,” he said.
Citing a report from the department, the interior secretary said government and volunteer workers had already distributed a total of 94,300 food packs, or an average of 22,000 packs a day, in Bohol as of Sunday night.—With reports from Michael Lim Ubac and Marlon Ramos in Manila; and Connie E. Fernandez, Inquirer Visayas

SEE ALSO:
Relief goods distribution in Bohol delayed by meddling, campaigning politicians


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[badkuk]

i've heard some Boholanos from the more remote villages coming down and begging on the side of the road for food....then you hear this.

Our office recently passed out an envelope for donations. Reading this just makes we wonder who will be taking credit for it.

[NiCe2KnowU]

ganyan pala mga namumuno sa bohol tsk tsk tsk!

[Lew_Alcindor]

centralized relief distribution????
yan ang gusto ng pulitiko para bumango sila.
gusto nila dadaan sa kamay nila lahat ng resources.
between this mayor and gordon (both politicians), i'd go with gordon and the red cross.
you don't stop relief operations just because it did not pas your office.
PRC is a well-established organization. It is not a fly-by night org that can be used for politics.

On a related note, search for "community driven development" and you'll see how politicians and even govt agencies dislike development projects whose funds doesnt pass their offices. tsk tsk tsk

[vinj]

ganyan pala mga namumuno sa bohol tsk tsk tsk!

Er.... hindi lang sa Bohol unfortunately.

[uls]

gusto yata ni mayor mag tayo ng grocery

gagawin niya paninda mga relief goods

business na walang puhunan hehe

seriously, he wants credit for giving out relief goods

pag red cross ang namigay no credit goes to him

ganyan talaga politician

yung pag tayo lang ng waiting shed ang laki laki ng lettering THIS IS A PROJECT OF _________________

[NiCe2KnowU]

Er.... hindi lang sa Bohol unfortunately.

pero mukhang talamak sa bohol. dyan lang pakapalan eh haha
dto manila wala pa ako naririnig masyadong ganyan, kakapanibago lang

[uls]

politicians are in perpetual campaign mode

kakaupo lang they're already looking to the next election

lahat ng ginagawa nila kailangan alam ng tao

lahat ng project may pangalan nila

they don't let opportunity go to waste (they even see opportunity in disaster)

kaya etong mayor gusto niya siya bahala sa relief goods

[Altis6453]

I'd love for Dick Gordon to to Maribojoc and do the distribution for PRC despite Mayor Evasco's objections. In fact, if I were one of those affected by the earthquake and the mayor prevents me from getting relief aid, I'd kick his a$$ and tell him that everyone affected by the earthquake needs help and no amount of "systema" by his baranggay captains can erase that.

[yebo]

He wants the barangay chairmen to handle the distribution, e lapit na election kasi. Baka sa kanya lahat yung mga barangay chairmen and he wants to use the relief goods for vote buying.