The Poor Look for Fairness

Commentary
By Denis Murphy
10:28 pm | Sunday, January 5th, 2014

We shouldn’t be surprised if God focuses all His concern this Christmas on the men, women and children of Tacloban and the other battered areas of the Visayas. We shouldn’t be surprised if He creates a storm surge of hope, peace and courage that sweeps over the victims and prepares them for the long effort to build anew with solidarity and vision.

The task ahead is so huge, so far greater than anything the country has done since recovering from World War II, that I am surprised more of our leaders are not talking explicitly of God’s help. Is there perhaps too much self-reliance? Is there overconfidence?

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On Dec. 17 the urban poor of Metro Manila and their friends met to agree on the advice they would give to government and agencies working with the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” They were aware many groups of experts had already made suggestions on what should be done and what should be avoided. Still, they felt they had a special point of view and an organizing experience that would be appreciated by the poor people of the Visayas. Their advice is basically a request for government and others to encourage poor people to participate in all phases of development and to treat everyone fairly.

Half of the day at Ateneo de Manila was given to the presentation of suggestions by experts in and out of government, actual survivors of the storm and urban poor men and women. In the second half of the day the participants voted for the 13 most valuable suggestions. Nearly 180 people attended the workshop, but the number had dropped to 117 people by 6 p.m. when the vote was taken. The meeting was organized by UP-All, Urban Poor Associates, FDUP, PHILSSA and CO Multiversity. Here are the results:

• Number 1 with 90 votes. We need a social action structure that includes all the people willing to work: experts, Church, NGOs, fishermen and people’s organizations.
• Number 2 with 72 votes. We need programs that stress community values (solidarity,
sharing, democracy and equality), and pursue short and long-term goals.
• Number 3 with 60 votes. Here the people make a simple statement: “Distant relocation is no solution.” This refers in particular to families who may be moved from the 40-meter no-build zone. Where will they be sent? Will they have a choice of solutions?
• Number 4 with 59 votes. Have regular cluster meetings among LGUs, NGOs and people’s groups.
• Number 5 with 56 votes. The poor want a simple, transparent reporting of resources received and delivered, of plans made and rejected, of all successes and failures.
• Number 6 with 56 votes. Use community organization. In other words, get the people themselves involved in assessing, planning and acting according to their own lights.
• Number 7 with 52 votes. Treat everyone equally, especially in the 40-meter issue. In other countries there were efforts to remove poor people near the sea and replace them with resorts and businesses.
• Number 8 with 37 votes. Families should receive insurance for what they lost in the typhoon. In matters of health they should have full coverage.
• Number 9 with 28 votes. Do not let prices spike. Do something effective.
• Number 10 with 25 votes. Have common goals. All people must benefit equally. Perhaps it will be good to set up a special complaint office.
• Number 11 with 25 votes. Make sure there are at the end of the reconstruction agencies continuing to provide water, light, medical care, policing, day care and fire prevention.
• Number 12 with 19 votes. Encourage LGUs and barangays to adopt barangays.
• Number 13 with 2 votes. This suggestion wanted higher penalties be delivered by courts if people are guilty of stealing relief goods, hoarding, unjust allotment of land, etc. The suggestion was that these be made heinous crimes and therefore not bailable. Only two people voted for it. Why? Maybe the poor think it’s a useless recommendation. Even if only two people voted for it, why don’t we raise the stakes? If people decide to take advantage of a crisis, they should be fittingly punished.

The suggestions of the urban poor are in many ways similar to those of other groups. Their wish is for structures that would involve the poor, even in the planning. They stress justice and equality, fair treatment of all. They want community values highlighted, such as, solidarity and compassion. They want every child to have a chance for a healthy, well-educated and happy life.

Denis Murphy works with the Urban Poor Associates [urbanpoorassociates@ymail.com].

Gov’t Sees Economic Growth Despite Yolanda’s Devastation

 (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 18, 2013 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - The economy should grow by 7.0 percent this year and between 6.5 and 7.5 percent next year despite the devastation caused by a killer typhoon and an earthquake, the government said yesterday.

Economic planning minister Arsenio Balisacan said that while losses in agriculture caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda were expected to affect growth in the near term, rebuilding would likely make up for it further down the line.

He said 2013 gross domestic product growth should hit the “upper limit” of the government‘s 6.0-7.0 percent target, forecasts made before Yolanda hit last month and a 7.1-magnitude quake struck Central Visayas in October.

“Without all these crises, we could have achieved 7.3-7.5 percent growth this year,” Balisacan said in a statement.

Nevertheless, he said the Philippines should continue its hot streak of five consecutive quarters of at least 7.0 percent growth.

“For 2014, we forecast growth to be in the 6.5-7.5 percent range.”

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

60,000 homes

Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay said the government will construct at least 60,000 homes for Yolanda victims.

Binay, who is also chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), told The STAR the target is to build 40,000 housing units in 2014 and 20,000 in 2015.

He said the National Housing Authority, Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund and the HUDCC would jointly undertake the construction.

Binay said they have coordinated with Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Panfilo Lacson on the participation of the housing sector to rebuild and resettle Yolanda victims.

Urban poor groups, however, said Yolanda survivors should be consulted first concerning rebuilding efforts.

In a forum held at the Ateneo University yesterday, Jeorgie Tenolete, president of Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran in Baseco, Tondo said resettlement sites should not be crowded and jobs should be a priority.

“Barangays of different affected areas must do an assessment and planning for their short- and long-term rebuilding activities together with the residents. Funders and the national government can now directly provide funds to barangays based on their identified needs. The barangay must allow active participation of its constituents so that all funds for rehabilitation will be carefully accounted for by the community,” Celia Santos, one of the speakers and advocacy officer for Urban Development and Housing Act Amendments said.

The Urban Poor Alliance, Urban Poor Associates (UPA), Community Organizers Multiversity and other people’s organizations said the proper approach is “build back better in disaster areas.”

“Recovery must promote fairness and equity. Government must ensure that in the reconstruction process, ordinary citizens and their communities will be involved,” they said.

Alice Murphy, UPA field director, said the government should adopt the best practices in reconstruction to ensure that Yolanda survivors are “served with integrity” and their needs are given priority. 

19 schools

Apart from building 159 bunkhouse units for 3,816 families, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it would also repair 18 schools and a regional office of the Department of Education (DepEd) damaged by Yolanda.

In a statement, DPWH Eastern Visayas regional director Rolando Asis said the schools are in Tacloban City and the DepEd regional office in Palo, Leyte.

The 18 schools are the Caiba-an Elementary School, Kapangi-an Central School, Dr. A. P. Bañez Elementary School at Barangay 77, V&G Elementary School in Barangay 109, San Jose Central School, San Jose National High School, Marasbaras Central School, Rizal Central School, Sagkahan National High School, Lorenzo Daa Elementary School, Sto. Niño SPED Center, Tacloban National High School, Lucio Vivero Memorial School, B. Bolante Elementary School, Cabalawan Elementary School, Bagacay Elementary School, Marasbaras National High School and Salvacion Elementary School.

DPWH has started clearing the damaged schools and conducted an assessment of the needed materials.

Seeds for farmers

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said it had begun supplying farmers with emergency seed supplies that will allow them to collect a harvest in March and April.

FAO’s representative in the Philippines, Rodrigue Vinet, said that without the harvest, vulnerable farmers would not have been able to harvest rice for almost a year -- until October or November 2014.

“Seed distributions have come at a critical moment,” he said in a statement.

FAO said more than 1,000 farmers from the hardest-hit areas will each receive 40-kilogram bag of seeds.

It said it was also delivering bags of fertilizer as well as tools and small irrigation water pumps.

No holiday break

Employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Yolanda-hit areas will have no holiday break to ensure there will be no interruption in the distribution of relief goods to affected families.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman said there would be a shifting of employees in Field Offices 6, 7 and 8 on Christmas and New Year.

The DSWD is also beefing up its personnel with the deployment of additional personnel from Quezon City.  – Jun Elias, Rainier Allan Ronda, Rhodina Villanueva, Evelyn Macairan

Urban Poor Groups say, “Build Back Better in Disaster Areas”

Urban Poor Associates

25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.          Telefax: 4264118          Tel.: 4264119 / 4267615

Ref:  Princess Asuncion-Esponilla      Mobile phone: 0908 1967450     http://urbanpoorassociates.blogspot.com/

** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE **

17 December 2013. Urban poor groups composed of Urban Poor Alliance, Urban Poor Associates, Community Organizers Multiversity, and different people’s organizations believe the proper approach is build back better in disaster areas. Recovery must promote fairness and equity. Government must ensure that in the reconstruction process ordinary citizens and their communities will be involved.

The group held a forum entitled “Will We Build Back Better?” December 17 at the Ateneo De Manila. The purpose of the forum was to gather suggestions for ensuring national reconstruction following on Yolanda will be a success. The suggestions cover different aspects of reconstruction—land, houses, jobs, health, administrations of the work, necessary participants in the process.

The forum also remembered Panunuluyan. Ivy Pagute, community organizer and one of the UPA group who went to Tacloban for rapid-assessment said, “Usually every December we hold our annual event, Panunuluyan— which how Mary and Joseph search for a place where Jesus could be born. Because of devastation brought about by Typhoon Yolanda we won’t have one this year. However, this meeting reminds us almost a million people are looking for a home. This forum can be another form of a Panunuluyan because we are helping a million families to find a house. “

Before the program started the participants were asked to pray in silence while the recorded sounds of Typhoon Yolanda were playing. Participants and victims of Typhoon Yolanda were moved to tears.

Jeorgie Tenolete, President of Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran in Baseco, Tondo said, “When we visited Tacloban last December 6 it seemed that nothing had changed since the typhoon a month earlier. The survivors of typhoon Yolanda should be consulted. Resettlement sites should not overcrowd and jobs must be given importance.”

Celia Santos, one of the speakers and Advocacy Officers for UDHA Amendments suggested, “Barangays of different affected areas must do an assessment and planning for their short and long term rebuilding activities together with the residents. Funders and national government can now directly provide funds to barangays based on their identify needs. The barangay must allow active participation of its constituents so that all funds for rehabilitation plan will be accounted by the community.”

The speakers of the forum were from World Bank, NGOs, Urban Planner, People’s Organizations, government and the Church. The participants selected the top five suggestions that will be given to the President and his assistants.

Alice Murphy, UPA Field Director concluded, “we are doing this to make sure that the government acknowledges the best practices in the reconstruction. We want worldwide acknowledged best practices to ensure that the majority of Yolanda survivors to be served with integrity and that all their needs will be given priority.”

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