PostHeaderIcon As the calamity fund dries up, human suffering continues in Manila's flood

Typhoon Ondoy and the Manila Flood



















Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo admitted that the government is helpless in answering the needs of the victims of the massive flood brought by Typhoon Ondoy. Hundreds of hapless Filipinos drowned and thousands had to be evacuated to emergency shelters. Others had to wade through muddy streets that posed myriad dangers to their health. The president could only appeal to international donors to help the city that was 80%submerged at the height of heavy rains.

Congestion of about 10 million people in an urban setting, squatting, inadequate sewer drainage, clogged waterways, silted rivers, and lack of disaster preparedness were among the factors that aggravated the misery of the people. The clean-up and rehabilitation could be staggering.

The pictures here have been among the most harrowing I’ve seen in the internet and in the email. They remind us of the horrors of Hurricane Katrina that devastated Louisiana. (Photo Credit: Phils 600; anonymous; AFP/ Getty/ Jay Directo/ the globeandmail.com; Ray Bruna/ Reuters; YahooNews)

"Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez says the government has set aside P2 billion to cover for natural catastrophes, but the money spent so far in 2009 is already more than P20 billion. The entire budget has been spent in the first three months of the year."---UP Ibalon Bicol (09/11/09, mesiamd)

The calamity fund for the nation was reported to have been depleted as soon as the typhoon season started. No one on the top leadership thought this was an urgent priority. Our national leaders as usual, had been distracted by politics----the slow prosecution of the Dacer-Corbito murder case involving warring national political figures and the fielding of candidates for the May 2010 election. =0=

RELATED BLOG: Severe shortage of calamity fund in RP Posted by mesiamd at 9/11/2009


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