Flooded with relief (updated)

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Making the rounds online is an entry titled Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? (A special report from a volunteer) originally published in ellaganda.com. When I first posted this entry, the site had vanished, but the entry had been preserved in Google’s cache; now the site is back up. Over at the Multiply site of Jenny Epperson you can find the entry reproduced as well.

The entry does not allege that relief goods donated by foreign governments are being pilfered, or have been stolen, or kept in conditions that are destroying the goods. The entry bewails the fact that the DSWD lacks manpower to repack the goods and distribute them. The entry also pointed out imported relief goods remained unopened while volunteers focused on repacking domestically-produced relief goods.

The entry allows the reproduction of photos in the entry so here they are.

First, of goods in the DSWD warehouse:

walangtao

waterjugs

potsandpans-1

kaldero400

sakodelata2

stackedcoleman

closeup

(unopened, and unused foreign bedding)

banig

(domestically-produced banig, or sleeping mats, which were repacked in DSWD relief packs)

kumot

japan

jica

laruan

porkandbeans

spain

Second, what goes into a standard DSWD relief pack:

sardines

Into an aluminum cooking pot goes ten cans of sardines and nine bars of soap (all domestic products);

lamanngkaldero

Plus a towel and a pack of sanitary napkins.

kumot2

Three rolls of bedding and a blue water jug.

repackedgoods

Followed by two banig (sleeping mats).

tinatahi

The whole thing then sewn shut.

According to the entry, in the prescribed manner, the volunteers, in one afternoon, were able to pack 150 sacks of relief goods, which were then dispatched.

do-not-delay

The relief good consisted entirely of domestic goods, while imported relief goods remained untouched. As the goods packed were dispatched, more relief goods arrived at the DSWD warehouse.

delata

But this is a far cry from the assumption many seem to be making, that something criminal has actually taken place. Surveying public opinion on Twitter, people seem upset on the following grounds:

1. The lack of a public call for volunteers.

2. Questions over what happens to relief goods, once the emergency passes.

Media’s being urged to swoop down on the DSWD Warehouse at Chapel Road, Pasay City (at the back of the Air Transportation Office, towards NAIA II) and see what’s actually going on.

The only thing the DSWD can be held to account for, at this point, is tardiness when it comes to distributing aid from overseas. Over on Twitter, there’s a claim that the Palace will be holding a relief-repacking event tomorrow, featuring United Nations workers and volunteers. So the only other criticism might be of politicking by means of turning the repacking of relief goods into a photo-op for the Palace.

4:09 PM The best I have been able to find out from my own sources is the following SMS:

Sir according to Dir. Reynes of PMS that there’s an information about the foreign donations and volunteers but not yet confirm. They will have a meeting today with Usec. Oca regarding the matter.

4:58 PM Update is that 150 United Nations people will be going to the Palace at 7 AM tomorrow, to observe relief operations taking place, and possibly help in repacking relief goods already stored at the ground floor of Kalayaan Hall.

The Palace had a problem in that public mistrust of officialdom led to a lukewarm, at best, response to its appeals for donations from the public. At one point, the relief effort going on at the Ateneo de Manila University had to give relief goods to the Palace so that something could be given the volunteers who showed up (and officials and government workers drafted into relief operations) something to do.

The entry also said the following exchange took place between Philippine News and the DSWD Secretary on October 21:

Kahapon, tinanong ng Philippine News si DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral:

Editor of Philippine News: Why are the relief goods in DSWD warehouses not moving?

DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral: Wala kasing volunteers.

This short interview was done over the phone. Philippine News wanted to hear her side pero ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa press. After four tries, pinasabi na lang niya ang maikling sagot na ito sa secretary niya – “Walang volunteers”.

The entry says a cover story in Philippine News is in the works, so let’s see if it appears. Here is the Philippine News story, October 23: Donated goods sitting in DSWD warehouse.

What the DSWD itself has said (reported on October 19) is this, in DSWD vows ‘politico-proof’ distribution of relief goods:

In a radio interview, DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral said her department will handle the food items from the UN, while its personnel will keep watch over the distribution process.

“Hindi po [mga pulitiko ang magre-repack] ng relief goods. Kami ang humahawak at nandodoon ang mga tauhan namin habang dini-distribute ang mga iyon (We will not allow politicos to repack the UN-donated goods. These will go through us and our personnel will be there while the goods are distributed),” Cabral said on dzBB radio.

An initial 100-ton food shipment from the UN World Food Program (WFP) arrived in the country Sunday for victims of cyclones “Ondoy” (Ketsana) and typhoon “Pepeng” (Parma). [See story on UN flash appeal for relief assistance]

WFP country director Stephen Anderson said another 100 tons of biscuits is scheduled to arrive on Oct. 24.

Cabral noted the UN also gave rice for the cyclone victims. But she said that while the UN-donated rice will be included in food packs for victims, it will be placed with other goods in containers with the UN logo.

“May bigas na binigay ang UN sa atin at ito [ay] isasama sa food pack na iba. Nakalagay ang kanilang tatak sa rice pack (The UN gave some rice and we will include it in our food packs. The packs with UN donations will have the UN logos),” she said.

Believe it or not? It depends on where you are in the current zeitgeist.

Postscript, 2 AM Saturday (updated further 2 PM)

In Blog about ‘rotting’ relief goods at DSWD warehouse sparks cyberspace, the DSWD Secretary answered a non-question:

According to her, it is impossible for relief goods to be rotting inside the warehouse as they do not store perishable items. She said the warehouse — a complex of five buildings — only has rice, clothes, non-food items and canned goods.

“Walang nabubulok. Stocks ‘yun na hindi perishable (Nothing is rotting. Those stocks are non-perishable), ” she said.

Cabral also explained the photos circulated from the blog showing towering boxes of relief goods, saying the stockpile in the warehouse stemmed from the outpouring of donations from various individuals and groups at the height of Ondoy and Pepeng.

Cabral said the relief goods would be used in case Typhoon Ramil, which has been forecast to hit Luzon on Sunday, causes another disaster.

She also said they cannot release the relief goods right away since they need to check on the items and make an inventory.

“This takes two to three hours to do,” she said.

“Over the past 24 days, we have already given out 500,000 family food packs, 300,000 clothing packs and several non-food items like mosquito nets, blankets and water containers. We are now distributing 10,000 packs a day,” Cabral added.

The relief goods, per the entry, were figuratively rotting in the warehouse, not actually rotting; and if you notice the entry never mentioned that there were people busily taking down inventory about the shipments; and the volunteer blogged that all they were able to pack amounted to 150 bags of goods. The blogger, ella, says so herself in her response to the manner in which the networks carried the story:

I know what non-perishable goods are. You see, doon tuloy na-focus ang denial ng DSWD, hindi sa santambak na goods. Kakaiba.

On to the next point. Marami akong nabasang comments, posts at kung ano-ano pa, doubting the veracity of my “allegations”. I was there in the warehouse. I presented the pictures. I think I’ve done my part as a concerned citizen.

To the DSWD officials and Ms. Cabral:

The burden of proof is on you. The donors expect that everything they sent be distributed immediately to the intended recipients and not be stored in some warehouse. As government officials, it is your social responsibility to the people.

The article ends with Sec. Cabral denying -or not remembering, anyway- she talked to Philippine News. Here’s a comment posted on blog ni ella by Beting Dolor, October 23, 10:51 PM:

My name is Beting Dolor and I am a columnist and contributing editor for US-based Philippine News. I have been with this paper since 2002.

I was the one who called DSWD four times to try and get their side. I was told that Sec. Cabral was 1) at a meeting, 2) interviewing applicants, 3) in the comfort room, and 4) about to leave for Pampanga.

It was her office secretary who relayed to me her message that there are not enough volunteers.

I wrote my piece for Philippine News because I was disturbed by the relative inaction of the department. The Philippines is under a state of calamity. As such, action is needed now, not tomorrow.

The hundreds of thousands of displaced Filipinos need all the help they can get. They cannot wait.

In times like these, I expect the DSWD to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DSWD says there are not enough volunteers. I disagree. There are tens of thousands of Filipinos willing to help. The DSWD should have gone to the schools to ask for volunteers. There are countless employees in the private sector willing to help. The DSWD could have asked the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police to help.

I expect the department to take a more pro-active rather than a reactive stance. I expect the secretary to DEMAND that everyone help out. Lest we forget, human lives are at stake.

The victims are dying by the score everyday. It’s in the news.

As for the rotting of the goods, we all know that it is not only food that can rot. So, too, can clothes, canned goods, biscuits, blankets and everything else that can be found in the DSWD warehouses.

Time is of the essence. The food that the DSWD hands out today will be forgotten tomorrow. Believe it or not, the victims still need to eat every day. Three square meals, if possible.

Finally, the hoarding of the relief goods for future calamities does not make sense. We have just undergone the worst calamity in 40 years. Does the DSWD plan to keep those goods for the next four decades?

Distribute them now, not tomorrow, not next week, not next month.

Agreed, Madame Cabral?

This is “Madame” Cabral’s official statement on the matter, see Statement of Dr. Esperanza Cabral on the issue of relief goods in the DSWD Warehouse:

When typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng hit the country, we received and are continuing to receive donations. Our warehouses are indeed full, inspite of the fact that we have distributed 500,000 food packs and 200,000 clothing packs as well as thousands of sacks of rice, blankets, beddings, and items of personal hygiene in the past almost 4 weeks. That is the reason why when asked if we still have enough goods, my constant reply is yes, so far we do, thanks to the many kind-hearted individuals and organizations as well as countries who responded and are still responding to the plight of the typhoon victims.

There are no rotting relief goods in our warehouses as we do not keep perishables there and the relief goods that are there, save for the donated old clothes are quite new since they have been either recently purchased by us or have been just donated.

Our goods are repacked by volunteers who are there because they want to help. But they are volunteers and report when they have time to help us. Sometimes there are two hundred of them and sometimes there are only a dozen. However many or few they are, we appreciate their presence and their assistance. Weekdays are usually quiet but on Saturdays and Sundays, the students, along with others who work Monday to Friday, including our own employees, are there.

Our staff at the warehouse work round the clock even now, making sure that the requests for relief goods are met in a timely manner. They work hard, they work quietly and they work humbly and I feel bad that they have been subjected to public vilification that they do not deserve.

Around the clock!?

DSWD01

Around 11 PM some friends and I went to the DSWD warehouse, just to take a look-see.

DSWD02

The warehouse is located near the NAIA Centennial Terminal (DSWD National Resource Operation Center, Chapel Road, Pasay City, behind the Air Transport Office).

DSWD03

According to Gang Badoy, DSWD Sec. Cabral had agreed to allow her to organize shifts of volunteers to sort and pack relief goods at the DSWD warehouse from Monday to Friday, 3-11 PM.

DSWD06

So at the time we showed up, I was expecting to see things winding down, the last trucks loading or in the process of departing, or people filing home after a tiring day’s work.

DSWD04

There was a white fluffy dog that was awake, and a guard that was asleep; through the gate I could spot part of the open-sided warehouse in the last picture above. Otherwise, everything was sleepy and quiet.

DSWD07

The guard, when he finally woke up, mumbled something about our being at the wrong gate. We asked whether volunteers were coming in, and he said yes, and when asked what time, replied, all the time, but when pressed further said only until 11. He said a few days previously, 200 students from the Philippine Maritime Institute had shown up; and more recently, 50 volunteers had shown up.

Asked how much got packed and shipped out, he declined to guess. And then said if we wanted to know details about volunteering, to go to the other gate.

Here’s how one of my companions related the conversation that night to blogger Bury Me in This Dress:

friend#1: Gusto namin mag volunteer, san kami pupunta?
guard: Ah, punta kayo sa kabilang gate pero wala ng volunteers ngayon, umalis na at kakaalis lang ng 3 truck dala ang relief goods papuntang region 1 and 2.
friend#2: Marami bang volunteers pumunta dito kanina?
guard: Oo, madami.
friend#2: Ano sila? Puro estudyante?
guard: Oo, mga 200 sila.
friend#2: Ano? Mga elementary students ba to? (feigning ignorance at the kind of volunteers that shows up)
guard: Hindi, mga college students to, mga taga-PMI.
friend#2: Anong oras ba nagsisimula at natatapos?
guard: Sa umaga, tapos natatapos kahit anong oras sa gabi.
friend#2: Kahit anong oras? So bakit sabi mo tapos na ngayon at di na pwede mag volunteer?
guard: Nagsisimula minsan sa umaga tapos hanggang alas-9 or 10 or hanggang 11pm.
friend#2: So san nga kami pupunta kung pwede pala hanggang 11pm?
guard: punta kayo sa kabilang gate

DSWD08

The other gate was a big one covered with rust-colored sheet iron and after knocking on it another guard in a sando said that three military trucks full of goods bound for Regions 1 and 2 had left earlier.

DSWD09

But he kept asking why we were asking questions, if we were doing “coverage,” and that he should get clearance first; he said volunteers could show up at 8 AM, even on weekends, but seemed less certain about what time things were supposed to wind down.

DSWD10

Here’s how one of my companions related the conversation to blogger Bury Me in This Dress:

friend#1: Dito kami tinuro ng guard sa kabilang gate para mag volunteer sa relief operations.
guard: Ha? Anong balak nyong gawin? San kayong grupo?
friend#1: Sa RockEd kame. Gusto namin sana makita ang warehouse para sa volunteer work.
guard: Ah balik na lang kayo bukas, kse sarado na ang warehouse.
friend#1: Bakit di pwede tingnan, sabi sa balita na pwede kami mag volunteer kaya nga nandito kami eh tapos sasabihin mo sarado?
guard: Sarado na kse nag lo loading ngayon dun ng relief goods.
friend#1: Eh bakit sinabi mo sarado kung may loading pala nangyayari dun.
guard: Ano ba balak nyo? Di pwede dito ng coverage. Di pwede tumingin lang, kailangan mag volunteer.
friend#1: Sige, pero gusto namin tingnan para lam namin kung pano magbigay ng instructions sa ibang volunteers pero since ayaw mo lang na tumingin kme, mag vovolunteer na din kami ngayon na.
guard: Magbubuhat kayo ng carton?
friend#1: Hindi, magre repack kami.
guard: Bakit gusto nyo lang tingnan?
friend#1: Sinabi na nga namin mag vo volunteer na nga kami kse ayaw mo na tumingin lang kami eh. Lam mo ba na wala kaming problema na makita ang relief goods sa red cross at sa abs-cbn kahit late na ng gabi? Sikreto ba ang location ng sardinas?
guard: (already pissed off) Bakit paulit-ulit ang sinasabi mo?
friend#1: Bakit nga? Anong problema talga? Talgang sikreto nga ang taguan ng sardinas?
guard: akin na ID mo.
friend#1: eto.
guard: (went away for a few minutes and returned with the ID)
friend#1: So ano?
guard: Balik na lang kayo bukas ng umaga.
friend#1: Anong oras ba talga relief ops dito? Meron ba kanina?
guard: Oo meron, mga 50 lang na estudyante.
friend#2: 50 lang? Pano sila makaka repack ng marami para sa 3 trucks?
guard: (irked again, maybe he was irked of how stupid his answers were.) Bukas na lang kayo bumalik kse walang advise sa amin sa ganitong oras ng pag volunteer.
friend#1: Eh bakit sabi sa amin ng isang guard minsan hanggang 11pm or hanggang gabi talga ang repacking? Anong oras ba talga nagsisimula at natatapos?
guard: basta bukas sa umaga tapos hanggang hapon o gabi.
friend#1: anong pangalan mo?
guard: bukas na lang.
friend#1: Bakit ayaw mo ibigay pangalan mo? Di ba sa gobyerno ka nagtratrabaho? Kinuha mo ID ko, alam mo pangalan ko tapos ayaw mo ibigay pangalan mo sa akin?
guard: (hesitated and stalled) Jay Lou Sadaya
friend#1: Jay Lou Sadaya? Jay Lou Sadaya?
guard: (nodding)
friend#2: sige babalik kami bukas.

DSWD11

One thing’s certain: the place is not a beehive of activity, even in what is an ongoing emergency with areas still needing relief.

If there hadn’t been the blog entry and pictures that provoked so much indignation, the public would never have been alerted to the -apparently- great and pressing need of the DSWD for “volunteers,” something the state media and all media could have amplified if a call had been made.

I asked a senior Red Cross official what their protocols are concerning foreign aid shipments.

My Red Cross source said upon receipt of inventory, the packages are opened, to check their contents, make a preliminary allocation of the contents based on the Red Cross’ protocols for sending relief (there are different stages of relief: the first round, for survival, and subsequent rounds for more sustained relief), the contents are therefore unpacked and resorted and repacked in combination with other items, and then dispatched as requests from various chapters and localities come in.No effort is made to “conserve” one kind of donation in favor of using up another.

An editor I talked to reminded me of past practices in the Visayas some years back when government officials set aside imported canned food, and sent domestic items only as relief, in some cases the domestic items sent were past their shelf life.

At this point I think it’s safe to say that the DSWD was caught:

1. Reacting slowly to an ongoing emergency;

2. Trying to blame the public -the “lack of volunteers”- for not getting its (the DSWD’s) job done (within hours of the story gaining wide readership on the Internet, guess who Tweets an appeal for volunteers);

3. Trying to reassure the public by means of press releases saying they’re “working around the clock” when the only thing awake tonight was a fluffy white dog.

Gang Badoy on her Multiply site lists ways you can help to do the DSWD’s job for it.

Here is the DSWD’s official list of donations received, last updated September 27, 2009. Note that the donations from the Kingdom of Jordan and the US Peace Corps, for example, are classified as “for monetization,” which I guess means they cannot be dispatched until their value has been calculated.

Here is the DSWD’s official list of donations sent out, last updated October 22, 2009.

You’ll notice a lot was sent to the Palace (recall early on it had to ask for relief goods from Ateneo de Manila University to keep operations going):

DSWD Disbursements to Malacanan

For affected personnel of the government or released to specific officials (Secretary Bello, Reps. Puno, Ermita-Buhain, Abayon, Antonino, Arquiza, Crisologo, Pizarro, and Senator Revilla, a certain Atty. Maramba and the Vice-President:

DSWD Disbursements to Officials

And here is a list of institutional donations, including international agencies, foreign governments, and large corporations; the items should be easily cross-referenced with the official list of disbursements; a spot check of some, e.g. bananas and Coca-Cola, suggests most items should be trackable based on donations received and goods sent out.

Institutional Donations to DSWD

You can help correlate the DSWD’s list of items received, with items sent out, by helping with this Google Doc. By correlating the two, we can figure out: What items have been sent out, and to where, and which items have not.

Update Sunday 12:09 AM

From Deviliscious’ Blog, this entry which ties all of the above together, worth quoting extensively:

I just want to share my experience at the DSWD to shed some light into the DSWD controversy because I had enough of the online speculation and just wanted to go there and see it for myself and volunteer to help.

When I got there I looked for Miss Fabian who’s managing the warehouse for DSWD. She informed me that they no longer need volunteers for the weekend because they have too many. So I asked about UNICEF and they exclaimed that I could help there. UNICEF needs volunteers.

So I met with Ensha of UNICEF, some volunteers from Don Bosco and Jordan, a volunteer from Boston. We were about 15. After about an hour, my fellow volunteers from Red Cross, including Geraldine Repollo, who’s managing Rizal chapter, followed and relieved the students from Don Bosco. We were still about 15.

There are 5 (if my memory doesn’t fail me this time) huge warehouses. 1 warehouse housed the goods from UNICEF. The rest housed rice and other food stuff. The UNICEF goods are packed as starter packs for those families who have been relocated due to the floods. A starter pack consists of cooking pot stuffed with towels, bath soap, laundry detergent, water jug stuffed with 4 blankets, 2 plastic mats. These are then picked up by trucks and supposed to be delivered to the relocation centers. The rest of the warehouses pack food and snack packs, as far as I know because I did not actually pack one. Distribution is centralized through DSWD.

Those are the facts as I’ve seen them.

The blog that started it all, after checking the posted pics and what I actually saw, referred to the UNICEF warehouse. Is there corruption? I don’t think there is. At least not at the warehouse packing stages. Ensha and the volunteers seem intent only on the job at hand. (Bless you guys!)Security seems strict and I see no signs of pilferage. I’m not sure what happens after the goods leave the warehouse. I just hope they get to their supposed destinations. Someone needs to check on that.

Is there intentional hoarding? I don’t think there is either.

Goods are just moving slow. I posit 2 reasons:

1. There are not enough volunteers. Ms. Fabian says that on weekdays they only get around 40 volunteers. When I came there, there were not more than 15 working on a Saturday even when I posted on my FB page with my 1800 “FB friends”, several FB groups totaling around 400 members, twittered it, and SMSed to 20 buddies. 15/2000 is not a good ratio. Gang, I hope you are more successful. No volunteers.

2. Limits set by the management. When I was told that DSWD is no longer accepting volunteers for the weekend because there were already a lot of volunteers from UPS. I don’t have the exact count but I saw several hundreds. However, after 2 hours of work, I noticed that the other warehouses were empty. I strongly think the 5 huge warehouses could accomodate and harness at least 1000 per warehouse. When we were repacking at Red Cross Rizal in a 40sqm room, we had 600 volunteers at some points and managed to release 1000-2000 packs per mission and we ran several missions per day. The DSWD warehouses should be able to improve their output. They could run 24/7 on continous shifts when volunteers and managers (from DSWD, UNICEF, or volunteers) running the packing lines. In business, we call this a good problem. It is a scale problem.

My recommendations:

  1. Train more packing line managers from staff and volunteers.
  2. Run the lines as a 24/7 operation with your trained line managers.
  3. Make the schedules public. Use social media, the internet, radio, whatever. (I know of some who volunteered but returned home when they were told they need no more volunteers. If I, myself, [emphasis mine] did not ask for UNICEF, the peeps at the DSWD office wouldn’t have volunteered the info. Clearly, we have communication problem here.)
  4. Get more volunteers.

Those are my recommendations to the people in charge of the warehouses.

From the above then, it’s safe to conclude the following:

1. There isn’t, hasn’t been, and there’s no reason to suspect, will be, pilfering/stealing of relief goods. Most accounts have been careful to avoid any such insinuations; if you go through the documents, as I’ve begun to do, it’s safe to say the government is trying its best to be transparent about what’s received and sent out. One problem is the (necessary) bureaucratic nature of things (having to assign a monetary value to donated goods, for example); another is receiving goods in one kind of quantity (per box) and doling them out in another (per piece): unless, from the very start, a standard unit is assigned from receipt to disbursement, it makes for a messy inventory system. Messy inventory systems do not inspire public confidence, but it’s not proof of anything other than a sloppy system.

2. The DSWD, dependent on volunteers, lacks them. A public fuss led to appeals for volunteers. Sometimes, even those willing to help can’t help because of scheduling/management snafus. This brings up a policy question: the President has the power to compel the attendance of the necessary manpower or hire necessary manpower to get the job done.

3. The goods are moving slowly. This is the main cause of the public fuss.

Final update Sunday 1:31PM

Blogger Delivilicious posts YouTube video of his visit:

Avatar
Manuel L. Quezon III.

246 thoughts on “Flooded with relief (updated)

  1. this is plainly another “kambyo” from the government.
    another project to counter the “blog ni ella”.

    kala mo sobrang haba ng sinulat mo e mabobored kami at maniniwala na lang?!?

    tsk.. tsk.. nice try buddy, but it didnt worked.

  2. Wow! So much talk and so many extra issues.

    I personally went there this afternoon to (1) help move the goods that were supposed to be not moving and (2) see for myself what’s happening and see what else I can do. (MLQ3, thanks for quoting my blog. I wanted to clarify things for myself and hopefully for others. I did not insinuate that original blogger talked about pilferage. I was just clarifying through issues that could be going in people’s minds.)

    To everyone who has not gone there, stop the talk and go there before you pass any judgment.

    As far as I could actually see for myself, the DSWD, UNICEF personnel, volunteers were working as hard as they can and sweating it out there, getting cuts in their arms trying to insert those blankets inside the water jugs.

    I see a lot of people talking and commenting in this blog. While I will kill and die to defend your right to free speech and expression, I want to request that you please stop for a while and just go there, if not to see for yourselves what is happening but to lend a hand. I twitted, FBed, SMS, called everyone I know and only 15 came earlier. We need all the hands and less talk.

    Can things be improved there? Yes!

    I may disagree with how DSWD is managing the packing lines but I understand it. I wouldn’t have if I didn’t go. The DSWD warehouse management is limiting the number of volunteers, a choice they made because it may have been to them the most optimal way to manage the process better. I disagree with it and think the warehouses could handle more (if more volunteers come) but I feel that it was done with the good intentions of delivering the goods where they are needed. I feel no malice.

    My suggestion: recruit line managers, delegate responsibility to them and have 24/7 shifts. (Assuming volunteers come.)

    There’s also a very obvious communication problem. I do not personally know Dr. Cabral but it seems to me that what she thought at her level was implemented, was not implemented down the line, eg security guards blowing off would be volunteers. This happens in any organization.

    My suggestion: As soon as the 24/7 production line is organized, get everyone in the organization on the same page, including and especially the guards and the front office for they are what volunteers encounter first. (If I didn’t ask for UNICEF none of the people would have suggested it and I would have spending that Saturday afternoon reading your blogs instead of stuffing pots and soaps in sacks.) Then recruit, recruit volunteers. Many are willing.

    Are the goods going to where they are intended? I don’t know.

    Suggestion: Call Dr. Cabral and find out how you can help with deployment. Then go with the deployment teams. Then you can see it first hand and give it from your hand to hand of the very person receiving the goods.

    There are a lot of corruption in the government but not everyone is corrupt. There’s a lot of things that needs to be improved in the way the government is handling things. Question is: “Are you just gonna talk about it or get up and do something?”

    From someone who’s been there and still trying to do that.

  3. People, you are falling into the paternal trap. Ganito rin parents natin, napaka manipulative, binabaliktad ang issue at sila palagi ang tama. The difference: our parents only want the best for us. Ito, mga manloloko lang. Pinapa-guilty pa tayo.

    Wag nyong awayin kapwa ninyo citizens. Hindi kailanga ng kakampi ang DSWD, eh Gobyerno yan. If you want to volunteer because it makes you feel better, go ahead. Tutal naman hindi mo talaga mababago ang mga kurakot. Ang pwede lang gawin sa kanila eh bantayan.

    To those people who belittle the part being played by “spectators,” listen to me. We all do our part. We work, pay our taxes, we obey the law. Some people volunteer, they give to charity, but being charitable doesn’t give you more right, being a participant or a player doesn’t give you special status in a democracy.

    To verify DSWD’s explanation, simply visit a few refugee centers. If you find families there needing blankets, clothes, food, etc.,then you know who’s lying and who’s exaggerating.

    If we were unfair to DSWD then sorry nalang, but that is democracy. We err on the side of free speech. I’m not encouraging slander or libel, but as far as EllenGanda is concerned she merely reacted to the bounty of relief goods inside the DSWD warehouse. My own experience tells me relief goods are often converted to ukay-ukay. I’ve been to some of these ukay-ukays (these are the really low-end ukay-ukays selling t-shirts for 5 pesos) and the people selling them would openly admit they were relief goods. There were also rumors that some legit retailers would buy relief goods and sell them as regular store merchandise. Rumors lang. If DSWD’s conscience is clear, good. We trust the disaster victims would have relief made available to them for many weeks to come.

  4. People, you are falling into the paternal trap. Ganito rin parents natin, napaka manipulative, binabaliktad ang issue at sila palagi ang tama. The difference: our parents only want the best for us. Ito, mga manloloko lang. Pinapa-guilty pa tayo.
    — your parents manipulated you? No wonder you have so much distrust and misplaced anger.

    Wag nyong awayin kapwa ninyo citizens. Hindi kailanga ng kakampi ang DSWD, eh Gobyerno yan. If you want to volunteer because it makes you feel better, go ahead. Tutal naman hindi mo talaga mababago ang mga kurakot. Ang pwede lang gawin sa kanila eh bantayan.
    — again, another person who think the government is a singular entity devoid of all good. i suggest you run the government yourself then. but that might be misunderstood as volunteering which you’ve made very clear in your previous statement, is something you would never do. guarding or watching other people do somehting productive is hardly productive in itself

    To those people who belittle the part being played by “spectators,” listen to me. We all do our part. We work, pay our taxes, we obey the law. Some people volunteer, they give to charity, but being charitable doesn’t give you more right, being a participant or a player doesn’t give you special status in a democracy.
    — yes excatly, i believe platterofpeaches started all this “spectator” talk so you should probably address this to her!

    To verify DSWD’s explanation, simply visit a few refugee centers. If you find families there needing blankets, clothes, food, etc.,then you know who’s lying and who’s exaggerating.
    — so why don’t you do what Mr. Bacareza did? or are you scared to find the truth for yourself?

    If we were unfair to DSWD then sorry nalang,
    — ahhh, an admission of guilt

    but that is democracy. We err on the side of free speech. I’m not encouraging slander or libel, but as far as EllenGanda is concerned she merely reacted to the bounty of relief goods inside the DSWD warehouse.
    — and unfortunately for her, she must be held accountable for slander

    My own experience tells me relief goods are often converted to ukay-ukay. I’ve been to some of these ukay-ukays (these are the really low-end ukay-ukays selling t-shirts for 5 pesos) and the people selling them would openly admit they were relief goods. There were also rumors that some legit retailers would buy relief goods and sell them as regular store merchandise. Rumors lang.
    — exactly, rumors, rumors are not admissible in court!
    — its rumors like these, from people claiming of previous experiences that do harmful things like destroy the reputation of good people

    If DSWD’s conscience is clear, good. We trust the disaster victims would have relief made available to them for many weeks to come.
    — disaster victims cannot make relief goods available to themselves
    — now, it does not take a person “weeks” of relief goods to recover. how long do you think dole-outs are necessary before these people start acting independently
    — what of the people who abuse the system? are you watching guard over them as well?
    — if you are the guardian you claim your self to be? and this is your contribution to volunteerism, then you should be watching ALL involvled. not just those for whom you are biased against.

  5. i want to share something. my sister is one of those who got affected by ondoy. she lives in don mariano subd. cainta. water filled the ground level of her 2-story apartment, and she got trapped in the second floor of her apartment for 2 days without food and water. when there was relief giving at cainta after a few days, the staff were asking for IDs. by golly, how can these people have IDs? almost all of their belongings were washed out by the flood. so she wasn’t able to get relief goods because she didn’t have ID. she walked to another center giving out relief goods. again, she was turned away, they told her the relief goods are only for flood victims. *$%#@@$$&*^$#@*!!!! that’s why my sister was there, because she was a flood victim!! again she got turned away. she has been starving for some days. so when the waters subsided and i was finally able to see her, i brought her to a restaurant so she could eat, and i also brought her clothes. my sister never got anything from the DSWD.

  6. The truth of the matter is Cabral does not think that imported goods are fit for the consumption of the poor that she regards as animals and subhumans. She feels that imported items should not be wasted with these animals and to satisfy their needs by feeding or equipping them with these shiny utensils,Coleman lights and other quality goods would be an exercise in wastage. I know Cabral personally since she was director of the Heart Center and you should experience her calusness and it is frightening. But she loves the good things in life but I would not delve into that because I have no hard evidence to back up my claim but many will attest how she has mastered the art of stealing without being caught – ask the personnel of the Heart Center where she was petitioned out. My position is this – if she can do that at the Philippine Heart Center what more at DSWD where she is the sovereign queen and where the budget are in the billions. She’s just getting around us with her smiling face and girlish tone of voice because she has mastered the art of hypocrisy in front of the cameras. Her best friend they say is Miriam Santiago and as they say “birds of the same feather…get crazy together”. Need I say more? By the way I know many things about her because I am a relative of the late Director Finard Cabilao, our social welfare attache who was killed in Malaysia in the performance of his duty. People at DSWD know how the callus Cabral almost ignored to recognize the death and heroism of my cousin Finard. But maybe because of her advisers she attended his burial and after giving him a measly sum my cousin’s widow was appeased because of their want for money. Cabral is a user and is an evil person but we are comforted by the fact that she is suffering fron breast cancer. One of these days, the Social Welfare Association of the Philippines or SWEAP will stage a lightning rally that will spill the bowels of Cabral if she will not change her ways – her high handedness and her verbal brutality at DSWD. We will call for her ouster and we will not stop till she is thrown out of DSWD – a great institution that she is treating as her personal property. I’m calling all Social Work graduates of the University of the Philippines – my alma mater – to stand firm behind this call to action. She has to go soon, not in May or June 2010 but NOW……lET ME ADD THE FACT THAT WAS PROVEN CORRECT BY THE CONGLOMERATE OF HENRY SY OF SM – CABRAL IS RUSHING UP THE SALE OF THE GOLDEN ACRES COMPOUND SITUATED AT THE BACK OF SM AT NORTH AVENUE, QUEZON CITY FOR BILLIONS OF PESOS AND ACCORDING TO SOURCES SHE WOULD GET COMMISSIONS IN THIS TRANSACTION AND GUESS WHAT: SHE WILL BE THROWING THE OLD PEOPLE TO THE MOUNTAINS OF TANAY TO RESIDE BESIDE THE YOUNG CRIMINALS OF BOYS TOWN – SHE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR GOLD!!!!!

  7. Have you also tried getting photos and data (from ABS-CBN, GMA, Philippine Red Cross, etc.)? warehouses? I think it would have been a better “journalistic” story if you also did a comparative study on all the organizations doing relief efforts. That way, you can compare how many volunteers, how goods are delivered, where to, etc. With the way you presented your story, you were downplaying the DSWD, when in fact you could have taken the issue intelligently by doing that study.

  8. @apple – were those staff from the DSWD national office or regional office. please verify your fact first. if they were not from those offices, please refer to the devolution of social services. please be well informed.

  9. – again, another person who think the government is a singular entity devoid of all good. i suggest you run the government yourself then. but that might be misunderstood as volunteering which you’ve made very clear in your previous statement, is something you would never do. guarding or watching other people do somehting productive is hardly productive in itself
    ————————————–

    Not “the” government, just THIS GOVERNMENT. Gloria and her minions (to include you.

    cybernothottie – the opposition need not spend for black propaganda against THIS government, it just has to BE ITSELF, its doing perfectly well showcasing corruption, incompetence, callousness, and stupidity in believing that hiring people like you can help at all. You and Grace shove it where the sun doesn’t shine!

  10. @Joby – Wow, huwag ka namang sumigaw. Matanong ko close ba kayo ni Dr. Cabral? Tinanong mo ba siya bakit nangyari ang mga nangyari sa Heart Center? Hindi mo ba alam napulitika siya dun?
    Hindi mo ba alam ang lungkot niya sa nangyari sa Malaysia sa pinsan mo? O pinsan mo ba talaga yun at gumagawa ka lang ng personal attack kay Dr. Cabral?
    Hindi mo ba alam kung gaanong ka-dilapidated ang mga gusali ng DSWD pag pasok ni Dr. Cabral sa DSWD? Napakaliit ng budget nila nun pero napagawa niya mga yun! Ang dami na nyang nagawang maganda para sa DSWD. Alam mo ba yun?
    At hindi mo ba alam na relocation ang ginagawa sa mga taga Golden Acres kasi napaka-usok, polluted at fire hazard ang mga tirahan nila dun. FYI, wala siyang commission na makukuha dun.
    Ako, nagtatanong muna ako sa mga nakakaalam bago magsabi ng mga masasamang bagay na ganyan. Ewan ko sa yo. Palagay ko disgruntled employee ka ng DSWD at mawawalan ka lang ng trabaho kapag na-relocate ang Golden Acres.
    Personalan na pala. At ang spelling pala ay “callous.” Hindi ako empleyado ng DSWD at nakilala ko siya nung tinilungan ako at mga anak ko ng DSWD. Mahiya ka sa mga sinasabi mo.

  11. @joby aquino – napuntahan mo na ba ang goden acres na ito sa tanay? ako kasi napuntahan ko na at nakita ko na mas maayos (by 100%) na paglagayan yun ng mga matatanda natin kesa sa sikip na sikip na golden acres dyan sa likod ng sm. try mo puntahan at lumanghap ng sariwang hangin doon sa tanay para malaman mo na mas maigi pala ito na pagtirhan ng mga matatanda. at tsaka, kaya nga rehabilitation ang tawag sa mga bata sa boys town kasi binibigyan natin sila ng oportunidad na magbago. hindi naman lahat tayo dapat magsang-ayon sa mga adhikain natin, pero mas maganda na mas isipin natin ang kapakanan ng nakararami. tanungin mo na lang sa sarili mo kung ano ang naitulong mo at ano pa ang maitutulong mo kesa sa gamitin mo ang mga salitang nakakasakit. i would go more for truthful and sincere choice to help!

  12. @ramrod – kaya nga po bodega ang tawag kasi dapat paglagyan ng goods. kung wala naman laman, magagalit din naman. ano ba talaga?

  13. @ramrod – ah. maniniwala pala ako sa picture ni angelina jolie na nakahalambitin….pero nung pinakita sa sunod na picture, set pala ng pelikula. ganun ba yun?

  14. I would love to help DSWD improve its system of distribution and management of volunteers. But I believe they’d prefer inefficiency and helplessness to persist as both are convenient covers for corruption. I’m not surprised that everything is still “all talk”. The lower ranking officers will always reflect what the highest ranking leaders do. Even in the evacuation centers we’ve been to (right after Ondoy struck), sacks of rice and noodles were left untouched even in the presence of hungry evacuees. We asked why they were not being distributed. The reply: “naubusan ng plastic bag” and “nasira ang kalan”, when we suggested to cook them. No matter what help you offer, they will always have excuses for not taking action.

    Thanks for exposing these and bringing the appalling situations into the people’s consciousness.

  15. I agree. Most people think that the government is a singular entity devoid of all good. Now, if we say we still have hope for this country, then believe that THERE IS GOOD left in the government. Did someone even bother to ask what the DSWD has done (waaay before this sensational story came out)? The people I know who work at the DSWD (national and regional offices lang, kasi yung iba akala eh ang provincial/municipal/city social workers eh sa DSWD pa rin, when in fact devolved na ito sa LGUs – another information you may want to study further) work so hard, even prioritizing serving other people first rather than helping their own families during disasters. Ang nakikita lang kasi natin sa tv palagi ay ABS-CBN, GMA, Red Cross na tumutulong. Naiiintindihan ko na kailangan nilang ipakita ito para masabi nila sa mga donors nila na may ginagawa sila. Pero alam niyo ba kung magkano talaga ang pumupunta sa disaster operations at administrative costs nila? Kung comparative study lang ang pagbabasehan, di hamak naman na mas matataas sweldo ng mga taga NGOs na ito pati na sa mga UN agencies. May mga pangilan-ngilan din namang nagpapakita ng kabayanihan ng DSWD sa tv pero di lahat ipinapakita sa tv kasi mas mabenta ang pangungutya. Doon na ako sa maging mapagmatyag tayo sa katiwalian, pero ang kinukutya ninyo kasi eh ahensyang di dapat ikutaya kung hindi tulungan para maiparating sa bayan na may ginagawa tayong tulong. Kung di naman lumabas ito sa blog ni ella, di rin naman ninyo malalaman na pwede palang mag volunteer. Eh bakit yung ibang nag volunteer noon pa sa warehouse ng DSWD, nalaman naman. Ang ibang mga ahensya, mga fraternities, at schools ay nag volunteer agad ng serbisyo at oras nila noong kasagsagan ng bagyo at sila ang matatawag kong mga bayani.

  16. @lya – i read about your comment on evacuation centers. i know that the management of evacuation centers is the responsibility of the LGUs already. try reading more on the devolution of social services. maybe the confusion is always coming from misguided information so please do your responsibility and get more information on this. akala ng lahat ng tao, sakop pa rin ng DSWD national at regional offices ang local social welfare offices kasi. please be well informed. it pays to know, you know. spread valid information only.

  17. @Joby: O, ito pa. Nagtanong muna ako para sigurado. Tungkol diyan sa Heart Center, na-clear si Dr. Cabral ng Ombudsman. Pinagbintangan siya na walang namang basehan, naghahanap sila ng butas para mapaalis siya. Baka gusto mong kausapin si Presidente Ramos na ang doktor niya ang may pasimuno ng lahat ng gulo? Alam mo ba na ang doktor na yun ay nakulong dahil sa pagdispalko ng pera ng pasyente? Kausapin mo kaya ang mga tao sa komisyon na nag-imbistiga na ang isa sa kanila ay Supreme Court justice ngayon. Alam mo ba na hindi pinaalis si Dr. Cabral sa Heart Center pero kusa siyang nag-resign at umalis nung na-clear siya.
    Palagay ko hindi mo talagang nakilala si Dr. Cabral sa Heart Center at gumagawa ka lang ng panggulo.
    At oo nga, “callus” si Dr. Cabral. Marami na siyang kalyo sa paa dahil sa paglalakad and pagtrarabaho para sa DSWD at ang ating mga kababayan. Ikaw, ano na ang ginawa mo?

  18. ano ba yun, nag-aaway na. sabi lang naman ni ellaganda, ba’t ambagal? walang sinabing, ay hinohoard yan, ay kinukurakot yan.

    ang problema nga lang siguro, kulang ng empleyado ang DSWD. Oo, may heart at may will ang mga taga-DSWD, pero kulang lang talaga sila. kelangan nila ng kasama.

    as far as i’ve read (and am thinking) (di ko na binasa lahat, nag-aaway na e, umabot ba naman ng golden acres?), ‘madali’ lang i-solve yan

    1. kung nagawa ng Palasyo manghingi sa Ateneo ng i-rerepack, sila naman ang mamigay sa NGOs at yung mga tulad ng GMA Kapuso Foundation at Sagip Kapamilya. bawal ba?

    2. Tutal hindi na binigay sa mga taga-public school yung sembreak (screw you, Lapus. ay joke lang po yun), paano kea kung yung mga nakaririwasang school (na under pa naman ng gov’t), yung mga barely binaha (Kisay, MaSci, PiSci) magpa ‘Day of Repacking’. Tignan mo, kung ‘compulsory yan kht isang araw, may isang araw ka nang may 1000+ ‘volunteers’. Kung enjoy ng Palasyo magbigay ng holiday, a ‘day of repacking’ shouldn’t hurt.

    3. Repack on summer para handa na sa rainy season.

    4. Let the rest of the Philippines do the repacking. Pano kea kung ilabas natin sa ‘Imperial Manila’ yung mga yan at ipa-repack na lang sa mga taga-Visayas at Mindanao. Ay wait, may transpo pla yun. Edi sa mga taga-Quezon, basta yung lugar na hindi bahado.

    5. Pag sinabing ’round the clock’, dapat walang tulugan! Wala dapat supladong guard

    6. isip pa ko, uhm, hmmmm. tanong lang. kung naliligo sa noodles ang mga kababayan nating nasalanta, pano nangyari yun? e de lata lang nasa loob ng sako. ayan may naisip na ko, nabasa actually. kumuha ng seswelduhang repacker. minimum wage ok na. at least doble doble na pagtulong un. nakatulong ka na sa nasalanta, nakatulong ka pa sa mga walang trabaho 🙂

    7. Ingredients: at least dalawang pulis/sundalo, at least dalawang DSWD Social worker, isang truck, 50-70 box ng sardinas, (bahala na sa pagbubudget ng mga ipamimigay, basta no discrimination kung imported o local ha?), pagkarami-raming table, stub, taling straw. Imbis na i-repack pa, abot abot system na lang. yung tipong parang oorder ka sa cafeteria. Sa simula ng line, ibibigay ay sako. sunod, kaldero, tapos yung other goods, tapos banig. tapos, tapos na. yung mga nasalanta na ang nag-repack!

    *about golden acres, hindi magiging logical ang expansion ng SM sa site nila, without buying QUESCI. remember, ang dakilang kapitbahay ng golden acres? sana lang hindi maging super kapitalista ang pamahalaan natin at instead kung mag-rerelocate sa Tanay ang Golden Acres, ibigay na lang sa Kisay yung lupa para pampalawak ng Education Complex dun na kinabibilangan ng San Francisco High School, QC Polytechnic Univ., Division of City Schools QC, DepEd NCR, at QC Science High School aka Kisay. (Malapit din ang Philippine College of Surgeons at QC Academy)

    Ewan ko n lng kung isasama ang Kisay sa dakilang expansion ng SM. cOME On, nagpapatayo kaya si Belmonte ng building sa’min. kay Henry Sy, well, hindi ka pa ba kuntento na ang SM North ay 1st (or 2nd na ata ulit) largest mall by gross leasable area? na may pagkalaki-laki ka nang MOA sa Pasay? Ang sabi pa naman ni Lord, mas magandang makuntento sa buhay (lalo na’t bilyonaryo ka naman)

  19. Yung pinapakita pa yung script ng conversation sa opening page ng site na ito ng security guard sa warehouse, what is your point? your egos are bloated and you just seem to prove that you are definitely more educated, and there is no need to make that point. they may not have the masters in journalism or whatever, but they do work hard. if you would have wanted to “survey” the warehouse, please talk to the warehouse manager. And not in the wee hours of the morning. Please give them a break. Did you even bother to ask how they are doing there? (Bago pa po kasi sinulat ni ella ang kwento nya ay nagtatrabaho na yan sila at konting idlip lang ay maligaya na sila).

  20. problem w/ you all is puro kayo dada ng dada, kung yung oras nyo ba na sinasayang sa harap ng computer e vinolunteer nyo na lang sa pag rerepack, nakatulong pa kayo, sobrang galing nyo kasi lahat, kayo kaya magpatakbo ng gobyerno, am sure, pati kayo, mangungurakot, hahahaha, wag na kasi
    magmalinis,angagaling nyo,kaya less talk, more action please. oo na, nagkulang ang DSWD, oo na, naka tenga yung mga corned beef and imported goods, oo na, mabagal ang distribution, would all these kagalingan nyo sa pag cocomment help solve all this? lahat kasi kayo tingin nyo sa sarili nyo perfect, hay naku, lumabas kayo ng bahay, pumunta kayo repacking centers ng me magawa pa kayong matino…… as said earlier, LESS TALK, MORE ACTION…. BTW, I don’t care what comments you give me after this, It wouldn’t help anybody if I respond back, I hope I got my msg clear.

  21. @anna: bat hindi ka na lang gumawa ng sarili mong blog at discuss mo yang ‘devolution of social services’ na yan. peace! 😉

  22. @JOBY AQUINO: CRYING WOLF!
    1. The truth of the matter is Cabral does not think that imported goods are fit for the consumption of the poor that she regards as animals and subhumans. She feels that imported items should not be wasted with these animals and to satisfy their needs by feeding or equipping them with these shiny utensils,Coleman lights and other quality goods would be an exercise in wastage.

    –I’m really amazed at how you claim to know Dr. Cabral’s mind very well. Have you ever talked to her personally about this? Did she share her thoughts with you?

    2. I know Cabral personally since she was director of the Heart Center and you should experience her calusness and it is frightening.

    –Oh you mean, “callousness.” So you are a self-proclaimed confidante of Dr. Cabral. I wonder how “personal” was personal? I could say I’ve known Judy Ann Santos personally since she was with Mara Clara because I saw her PERSONALLY in one of their shoots and I knew the Director and we were PERSONALLY introduced and I went home with a picture and a big smile on my face.:) get my drift?

    3. But she loves the good things in life but I would not delve into that because I have no hard evidence to back up my claim but many will attest how she has mastered the art of stealing without being caught – ask the personnel of the Heart Center where she was petitioned out.

    –This is SOOO yesterday. Haaay. Wala na bang iba?

    4. My position is this – if she can do that at the Philippine Heart Center what more at DSWD where she is the sovereign queen and where the budget are in the billions.

    –FYI, the budgets of DA, Dep Ed, DPWH, and the other government agencies are way bigger than the budget allocated to the DSWD. In fact, the DSWD has one of the smallest budget among the government agencies. Verify first before you make comments such as this.

    5. She’s just getting around us with her smiling face and girlish tone of voice because she has mastered the art of hypocrisy in front of the cameras. Her best friend they say is Miriam Santiago and as they say “birds of the same feather…get crazy together”. Need I say more?

    –Tom Grace was right. This one also lost his/her educated means of arguing a long time ago. Tsk Tsk.

    6. By the way I know many things about her because I am a relative of the late Director Finard Cabilao, our social welfare attache who was killed in Malaysia in the performance of his duty. People at DSWD know how the callus Cabral almost ignored to recognize the death and heroism of my cousin Finard. But maybe because of her advisers she attended his burial and after giving him a measly sum my cousin’s widow was appeased because of their want for money.

    –Same as #5.

    7. Cabral is a user and is an evil person but we are comforted by the fact that she is suffering fron breast cancer.

    –Check this one out. Joby playing God!

    8. One of these days, the Social Welfare Association of the Philippines or SWEAP will stage a lightning rally that will spill the bowels of Cabral if she will not change her ways – her high handedness and her verbal brutality at DSWD. We will call for her ouster and we will not stop till she is thrown out of DSWD – a great institution that she is treating as her personal property.

    –This has been said like, a hundred times already. But just like the weather who can’t seem to make up his mind, you’ll see the clouds gathering then the thunder rumbling, but never see a single drop of rain falling.

    9. I’m calling all Social Work graduates of the University of the Philippines – my alma mater – to stand firm behind this call to action.

    –Wag mo naming solohin ang UP-CSWCD. I graduated from there, too. But unlike you who seem to thrive on rhetorics, heresies, self-serving idealisms, and innate malice for others, I chose to do my best to serve the people humbly and quietly—just like what a TRUE-BLOODED SOCIAL WORKER SHOULD DO! Note: HIRAP KASI DAMI DADA, KULANG GAWA. BATO-BATO SA LANGIT….:)

    10. She has to go soon, not in May or June 2010 but NOW……

    –Gusto mo ikaw na mag-Head?

    11. lET ME ADD THE FACT THAT WAS PROVEN CORRECT BY THE CONGLOMERATE OF HENRY SY OF SM – CABRAL IS RUSHING UP THE SALE OF THE GOLDEN ACRES COMPOUND SITUATED AT THE BACK OF SM AT NORTH AVENUE, QUEZON CITY FOR BILLIONS OF PESOS AND ACCORDING TO SOURCES SHE WOULD GET COMMISSIONS IN THIS TRANSACTION AND GUESS WHAT: SHE WILL BE THROWING THE OLD PEOPLE TO THE MOUNTAINS OF TANAY TO RESIDE BESIDE THE YOUNG CRIMINALS OF BOYS TOWN – SHE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR GOLD!!!!!

    –Such a hopeless case. Nakiki-ride lang sa issue. Haaay. Again, proofs? Have you ever been to the GA inTanay? Why don’t you/SWEAP go to Tanay and visit the place to see how those elders would really be better taken care of in a cleaner and safer environment than the cramped space beside SM North that you so insist on where there is only one passage for the entrance and the exit? Why all the fuss? Kasi gusto nyo mas malapit sa mall? Sabagay, sayang naman pag may sale sa mall.

    Finally, I thought UP ka. It doesn’t show eh.

  23. It is amazing how the comments to this blog had grown from a measly 56 last night to about 174 this very moment. However, it is definitely disheartening to read that majority are from people who decided to use this site for their personal attacks and “mud-slinging” to one another. The tone had completely became off topic and nonetheless became vicious and downright filthy. Example, a medical doctor was completely dragged into the mud and was called a “pig” because of his body size. Come on guys, grow up. The main concern here are the VICTIMS of typhoon Ondoy. A calamity of biblical proportion. When I heard of this situation, I just got home from school and getting ready to do my homework in the comfort of my bedroom with a view of the ocean and the nice street of Wilshire . But I was touched and was moved to pull my credit card and donate cash to Philippine Red Cross.
    I wanted to stand up and be counted. I wanted to share although I was thousand of miles away in United States.
    Then, I started making appeals via Twitter and have asked Hollywood celebrities to get into action. Now, that the donations had arrived in your homeland, all we could hear are bickering and delays in giving the much needed help to the victims.

    It is indeed outrageous to learn that after a month, the goods are still sitting in some warehouses. Whether it is true or not, the pictures said it all. There was no Philippine media reports on how the foreign aids was distributed. We, in USA will be as generous at all times but we also deserved to know as to whether the true people who are in dire need were in fact given the much needed help.

    That’s all. We need to see the displaced families and children receiving the food and fresh water and warm blankets. Not tomorrow but now. Right now. I hate to see crying children because they have not eaten for days.

    Open your hearts and may God touch all of you into positive action to help the disenfranchised. Please do not contribute to their early demise.

  24. @JOBY ASSHOLE- if you dont have evidence to prove it it is because it is not true! she was petitioned out of heart center? i dont think so you dumbfool! it just so happend that she is identified with miriam santiago thats why when FVR won he took her out as the director of the heart center! people in the dswd know how callous dr. cabral is? thats why she is pushing for the transfer of the GA to Tanay for the elderly to have a better quality of life! I have a BIG question for you JOBY which i think you cant answer because your brain will merely shut down while trying to analyze the question! If you are an abandoned elderly person what quality of life would you choose: STAY IN A FACILITY THAT HAS BEEN BUILT DURING THE MARCOS REGIME WHICH IS SURROUNDED BY BUILDINGS AND HAS A NARROW PASSAGE WAY THAT A FIRETRUCK CAN’T EVEN PASS IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY AND IS WAY OVER POLLUTED. OR TRANSFER TO TANAY WHERE THE BUILDING ARE NEW, FACILITIES UPGRADED AT PAR WITH THE MODERN STANDARDS OF THIS GENERATION AND CLEAN FRESH AIR? your main concern is not for the welfare of the RESIDENT’s of the GA but the welfare of the well abled bodied employees of the GA that doesnt want to get relocated because that would take them out of their comfort zone! AND ONE MORE THING! for the PEOPLE TO KNOW HOW STUPID JOBY and THE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE LIKE HIM OR IT? HAHAHA! THEIR FIRST OBJECTION TO THE TRANSFER OF GA TO TANAY WAS THE RELATIVES OF THE ELDERLY RESIDENTS OF THE GA WILL NO LONGER VISIT THEM BECAUSE TANAY IS FAR! DUH! STUPID! IN THE FIRST PLACE THEY WOULDNT BE IN THE GOLDEN ACRES IF THE HAVE RELATIVES RIGHT? STUPID!

    Your a relative of DIr. CAbilao? i see that’s why you are ranting here! Dir Cabilao was a good man! way better than you…By millions of miles. it just so happend that in Muslim countries they are not a liberal when it comes to third sex! not like in this country….liberal and free that’s why your still alive right? FAGGOT!

    Petition for Sec Cabral to step down or throw her out? what a dingbat! best performing cabinet secretary? number ! department in the Integrity Development Action Plan! Number 1 least corrupt agency under HER watch!

    Your a graduate of UP? your ALMA MATTER? is it yours?since when? or just because that’s the only school you can remember because your dumb brain wont process no more?

    YOUR A FUCKING ASSWIPE JOBY! YOU DONT KNOW SHIT AND YOU WILL NEVER KNOW SHIT!!!!!!!

  25. @RAMROD- Yes pictures do speak a thousand words! that’s why its unfair to pass judgement just because of pictures right?

    what would you choose to have a situation where there is an empty warehouse and an overflooding of relief goos to areas that are already over served by both NGO’s and Government? Or a Full WAREHOUSE that anytime time a request is made by Local Government units for relief goods there is an available stock?

  26. @STOCK- “KAMBYO” by the GOVT?how sure can you be? DON’T think your wise enough to analyze all the conspiracies we have know!!!! YOU DONT KNOW SHIT! ASSHOLE!!!!!!

  27. MANUEL L QUEZON III= ABNORMAL LOOKING MOTHER FUCKER! LIKE YOUR BOSSES THERE IN ABS-CBN! and like your PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE!

  28. Funny how some of the comments bash mlq when his blog is the most un-biased entry on the topic. If everyone took the time to read the entire post (which is kinda long), you’ll notice that he presented both sides fairly–Ella’s and Cabral’s. Based on what I’ve been reading (and hearing, and watching) since yesterday, I would like to raise these points:

    1. Ella raised valid points in her blog. Ella is not a journalist–she never claimed to be. She was merely relating her experience as a DSWD volunteer. Masama bang magkwento? Magtanong? Magtaka? It’s disturbing to note that there are a lot of people trying to discredit her. Questioning the government should NEVER be discouraged.

    2. Personally, I think burden of proof lies in DSWD being that it is a government office and is accountable to the people.

    3. Most of the people who read Ella’s blog overreacted. Living in a country where you expect the government not to do any good is no excuse to immediately bash the agency without waiting to find out its side of the story.

    My family and I are victims of Ondoy–we almost lost our home and all our belongings. Maybe I’m speaking for the rest of us when I say that bickering about the issue isn’t helping. The good thing is that we are again reminded that there are still people out there who need our help.

    @Tom Grace: Technically, Ella can’t be sued for slander because slander refers to a malicious, false and defamatory SPOKEN statement or report. She may be sued for LIBEL if DSWD wishes but they have to prove in court that there was malicious intent on her part. From a personal standpoint, I didn’t find anything libelous in Ella’s post but this is what makes this law tricky; reading malicious intent can be somewhat subjective.

  29. Funny how some of the comments bash mlq when his blog is the most un-biased entry on the topic. If everyone took the time to read the entire post (which is kinda long), you’ll notice that he presented both sides fairly–Ella’s and Cabral’s. Based on what I’ve been reading (and hearing, and watching) since yesterday, I would like to raise these points:

    1. Ella raised valid points in her blog. Ella is not a journalist–she never claimed to be. She was merely relating her experience as a DSWD volunteer. Masama bang magkwento? Magtanong? Magtaka? It’s disturbing to note that there are a lot of people trying to discredit her. Questioning the government should NEVER be discouraged.

    2. Personally, I think burden of proof lies in DSWD being that it is a government office and is accountable to the people.

    3. Most of the people who read Ella’s blog overreacted. Living in a country where you expect the government not to do any good is no excuse to immediately bash the agency without waiting to find out its side of the story.

    My family and I are victims of Ondoy–we almost lost our home and all our belongings. Maybe I’m speaking for the rest of us when I say that bickering about the issue isn’t helping. The good thing is that we are again reminded that there are still people out there who need our help.

    @Tom Grace: Technically, Ella can’t be sued for slander because slander refers to a malicious, false and defamatory SPOKEN statement or report. She may be sued for LIBEL if DSWD wishes but they have to prove in court that there was malicious intent on her part. From a personal standpoint, I didn’t find anything libelous in Ella’s post but this is what makes this law tricky; reading malicious intent can be somewhat subjective.

  30. @psycho- have you ever thought also that majority of the employees of the dswd are also victims of the calamity? but instead of tending to their personal needs they still go to work because they are so dedicated to the job the promised to do with all their heart?

  31. @psychogoddess

    @LovelySoul

    Most people think that the government is a singular entity devoid of all good. Now, if we say we still have hope for this country, then believe that THERE IS GOOD left in the government. Did someone even bother to ask what the DSWD has done (waaay before this sensational story came out)? The people I know who work at the DSWD (national and regional offices lang, kasi yung iba akala eh ang provincial/municipal/city social workers eh sa DSWD pa rin, when in fact devolved na ito sa LGUs – another information you may want to study further) work so hard, even prioritizing serving other people first rather than helping their own families during disasters. Ang nakikita lang kasi natin sa tv palagi ay ABS-CBN, GMA, Red Cross na tumutulong. Naiiintindihan ko na kailangan nilang ipakita ito para masabi nila sa mga donors nila na may ginagawa sila. Pero alam niyo ba kung magkano talaga ang pumupunta sa disaster operations at administrative costs nila? Kung comparative study lang ang pagbabasehan, di hamak naman na mas matataas sweldo ng mga taga NGOs na ito pati na sa mga UN agencies. May mga pangilan-ngilan din namang nagpapakita ng kabayanihan ng DSWD sa tv pero di lahat ipinapakita sa tv kasi mas mabenta ang pangungutya. Doon na ako sa maging mapagmatyag tayo sa katiwalian, pero ang kinukutya ninyo kasi eh ahensyang di dapat ikutaya kung hindi tulungan para maiparating sa bayan na may ginagawa tayong tulong. Kung di naman lumabas ito sa blog ni ella, di rin naman ninyo malalaman na pwede palang mag volunteer. Eh bakit yung ibang nag volunteer noon pa sa warehouse ng DSWD, nalaman naman. Ang ibang mga ahensya, mga fraternities, at schools ay nag volunteer agad ng serbisyo at oras nila noong kasagsagan ng bagyo at sila ang matatawag kong mga bayani.

  32. Sorry my countrymen, makapal na, makapal na ang mukha nila.
    Yung hiya, wala na. Garapal na. Mga manhid ang pakirandam.
    Tayo dito nataranta na sa mga masamang nangyayari, pero sila
    bali wala.
    Kon hindi sila gaanong concerned bakit kaya tayo nagkaproblema?
    What are we going to do?

  33. @ella panget:
    hindi ko alam kung ano ang kinakagalit mo…if you’ve read my post, I clearly stated that people should have waited for DSWD’s side of the story before reacting.
    …and using expletives and insults are such great ways of driving your points across. 😛

    @ella panget, @anna:
    If you read and understood my post, wala akong masamang sinabi tungkol kay Cabral at sa DSWD. Di ko talaga alam kung bakit ang init ninyong dalawa.

    Ewan ko talaga kung bakit feeling ninyo may pangngutyang kasama yung post ko. This is exactly the kind of bickering I was talking about.

  34. TO : anna on Sun, 25th Oct 2009 1:55 pm

    Anna, if you just read between the lines and thoroughly with an open ended mind, correct me if I’m wrong (I stand corrected), it is not DSWD (deeeee is dabolyo deeeee) that is on the hot seat but the appointed people that are supposed to run and manage the department efficiently and without partisan mind what so ever when it comes to public service.

    At any rate, what can we expect if the one who appointed Sec Cabral has no leaning towards public service but thinks only how to eat caviar and travels on a Learjet.

    Thanks but no thanks to the efforts of Sec Cabral in explaining how her department should run and work along side with other cohorts.

  35. My God! After my appeal for everyone to just go there and help if you are really concerned, there’s still too much of talk and no action. Just go and get your hands dirty and your shirt sweaty. The goods really need as many people to move them. Really help if you’re concerned. If you’re from Metro Manila, there is really no excuse for you to just type around instead of packing those goods so they move.

    I sent that appeal this morning, slept only to wake up and see there’s still too much talk.

    Let’s go! You know where it is right? DSWD warehouse, Chapel Road, Pasay City (behind ATO Office, towards NAIA II). If DSWD says they have too many volunteers, say you wanna pack for UNICEF.

    You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?

  36. Sometimes, we people are like ants in the face of giants. We need to create an itch for them to realize what they need to do. Although we know that DSWD is an entity that is in charge for the wellness of our people, they too have people devoted to their work, while some of them just sit down and do some work, and yet they oversee what’s been happening in their department- I have some news that some members of the agency is doing lame stuffs what I mean (unacceptable) as they were supposed to be the role model of some government agencies- but we cannot say that all of them are corrupt, we just say, they must perform their work, for the benefit of the people not for the benefit of the few, we are thinking that in this very same freedom of writing we can at least create an itch for them to realize that crucial task are needed to be transparent, especially when they are given the much opportunity to help. People are doing their part. We just hope for the best, ANG BLOG NI ELLA got fame, and creates hatred and followers but then, the core thing is, she was the first one who exposed this thing, it really blew up, as we are in the world of NEtshepre, but still Ella is right, Time is of the Essence, actions are needed to be done, but her allegations came too close enough to destroy the agency’s long time credibility. Now is the time to wake up the government that people are watching and doing their part. We all work for the well being of each other to take care of our fellow countrymen, just do not spread hatred, you can spread what public needs to know, but be at least responsible for WTF you are writing. I posted a comment in her blog ellaganda.com but my comment was erased. Hope this will be posted. I think this blog has more reason to survive. Keep up the good job,MLQIII More power!

  37. @ella panget, no matter how valid your argument is ay walang makikinig sayo if you continue to insult people. peace.

  38. @BernardBasher: di ka ba nagbabasa? BERNARD SINGCUENCO BALATBAT, MD wasnt expecting payment when he volunteered. It was just unfortunate for DSWD when he learned that he was supposed to receive an allowance that he did not receive. Kung hindi nya nalaman yun sana hindi sha na turn-off sa DSWD.

    @Tom Grace: people in government agencies like DSWD or whatever agency arent there because they want to.. but because they can. Karamihan sa mga govt employees nasa govt kasi may mga kamaganak cla na nag t trabaho doon. Kung wala kang backer… mahirap pumasok sa gobyerno.

    Wala akong tiwala sa government employees kasi maraming beses ko ng napatunayan na halos lahat sila corrupt and greedy. Marami na akong first hand experience on dealing with them.

    My friends and I went to a relief center with food and clothes. There were so many people there and less than 10 of us. So we considered going to DSWD sa munisipyo para sila nalang mag bigay.. thinking theyd be more organized. Pero nakausap nung friend ko yung mga evacuess doon and they said it would be better if we just give it straight to the people kasi daw yung mga donations na nasa DSWD hindi naman daw nakakadating sa kanila. May mga nareceive pa cla na expired delata. WTF diba?
    That evacuation center was living off from donations and cooked food served by volunteers and not by government people. So anong ginagawa nila sa mga donations na natatanggap nila if hindi natatanggap ng mga evacuees?

    Bago kayo kumampi sa gobyerno, umalis muna kayo sa harap ng mga computers nyo and magpunta talaga kayo sa relief centers pra malaman nyo ang real score. Halos lahat ng relief efforts are done by private groups & individuals halos non-existent ang govt. So hindi nyo masisi ang mga tao when they get furious by news/blogs like this.

    Ako din, I wanna know what will happen to those imported items. BS yung excuse nila na inventory and giving monetary values.. plain BS… if thats the protocol dapat mabilis nilang nagagawa yun… private people were able to organize relief ops in a day or 2 tapos government cant do it in 1 month? BS BS BS! I hope someone can cover this to make sure these items all go to the victims. Nakakahiya.

  39. You bastards! You been blogging negatives and non-sense. You didnt even spend time to investigate and invest your egoistic minds into looking at the benefits. Pareha tayong mga Pinoy. Mga SIRA ANG ULO NYO. Ang kawawa ay ang mga disaster victims, wala ng tutulong sa atin dito sa Pinas. Kayo bang kunyari concerned citizens and ganda bloggers ay gustong tumakbong Pnagulo ng Pilipinas?

    Spare the innocents. Dapat kayo ang nabahaan. Wala naman kayong nagawa para ikasaya namin.

    Hoy Ella Panget, you live with your name. Mag-aral ka muna ng Logistics Management bago ka mag comment ha? Kung ikaw ay taga PAGC talaga you should know the real procedures in managing stockpiles, right? Do not pretend to know. You are an evil pretending to be an angel by using “volunteerism” as a venue for your evil scheme. You know, kahit gaano kaganda ang smile mo sa blog pic mo, there is no denying you are Pangit. Sana yung earnings mo in the blog and whoever is/are behind you will suffer the consequences one day. Ikaw na sana ang mabaha!

    On the sale of Golden Acres, how knowledgeable are you of the facts? Why will DSWD sell the property when it does not even owns it? Ano ang tingin nyo, matinik ang analysis nyo? Mga pare at mare, bago kayo masunog sa mga accusations nyo, tingnan nyo muna ng mabuti ang mga facts nyo ha? Tira kayo ng tira without knowing the facts.

    Is Director Finard the only DSWD killed in action? Mahiya kayo, why will his family be the only one to benefit the help? If you claim to be a concerned relative, you should also be fair. Kung may Dir. Cabilao ka, ako ay mayroong Dir. Maglunob, who really died in the line of duty and deserved the help more. Huwag ka ng magtago pa, kung sino kaman kilala ko ang true color mo, you are not a concerned relative but a family outsider who pretends to be an insider. Sinungaling ka.

    Sana tamaan kayo ng kidlat. Hindi na ninyo naisip ang tunay na nagsumikap at naghirap para sa mga biktima ng kalamida. Makonsensya kayo, DO NOT USE YOUR IT LITERACY TO GAIN MONEY.
    STOP IT GUYS SIRA TAYONG LAHAT HERE AND ABROAD SA MGA GINAGAWA NYO.

  40. Pinoys-in-Pinas approach events expecting their fellow Pinoys to be cheats and scums. Walang tiwala sa kapuwa Pinoy. [Which makes sense. Pinoys are not trustworthy.]

    Now 10% or 15% are scum. Which means if you help, then 85% of your effort goes to help a fellow Pinoy in need.

    Pick your poison — you don’t help, then you don’t help.

    You help, then 85% goes to good use and 15% goes to a scumbag. Pick your poison.

  41. hehehhe grabe talaga!!!! malamang yan bukas makalawa binibenta na yan sa duty free philippines!!!

  42. @mytcz – maybe this information might clarify the confusion with local social welfare services and the national social services. —- I agree. Most people think that the government is a singular entity devoid of all good. Now, if we say we still have hope for this country, then believe that THERE IS GOOD left in the government. Did someone even bother to ask what the DSWD has done (waaay before this sensational story came out)? The people I know who work at the DSWD (national and regional offices lang, kasi yung iba akala eh ang provincial/municipal/city social workers eh sa DSWD pa rin, when in fact devolved na ito sa LGUs – another information you may want to study further) work so hard, even prioritizing serving other people first rather than helping their own families during disasters. Ang nakikita lang kasi natin sa tv palagi ay ABS-CBN, GMA, Red Cross na tumutulong. Naiiintindihan ko na kailangan nilang ipakita ito para masabi nila sa mga donors nila na may ginagawa sila. Pero alam niyo ba kung magkano talaga ang pumupunta sa disaster operations at administrative costs nila? Kung comparative study lang ang pagbabasehan, di hamak naman na mas matataas sweldo ng mga taga NGOs na ito pati na sa mga UN agencies. May mga pangilan-ngilan din namang nagpapakita ng kabayanihan ng DSWD sa tv pero di lahat ipinapakita sa tv kasi mas mabenta ang pangungutya. Doon na ako sa maging mapagmatyag tayo sa katiwalian, pero ang kinukutya ninyo kasi eh ahensyang di dapat ikutaya kung hindi tulungan para maiparating sa bayan na may ginagawa tayong tulong. Kung di naman lumabas ito sa blog ni ella, di rin naman ninyo malalaman na pwede palang mag volunteer. Eh bakit yung ibang nag volunteer noon pa sa warehouse ng DSWD, nalaman naman. Ang ibang mga ahensya, mga fraternities, at schools ay nag volunteer agad ng serbisyo at oras nila noong kasagsagan ng bagyo at sila ang matatawag kong mga bayani.

  43. What Ella exposed may have done something “good”. But the way she gave the title and deliver her blog it’s not good for those people working in DSWD providing assistance not only for this calamity but also to the abused and the poor. The fact that most of the DSWD volunteers are also social workers, they don’t deserve this kind of negative commentary. I know most of you care for the victims of this calamity and yes they too because they are Filipinoes like you and me. The response may have been slow but they are not super heroes. Even you can pack 1000 bags a day, if there is nothing to transport this goods to the site it’s useless. In the end of the day as you can see in the news the government is trying their best to acomodate all the victims needs and even those that are not really victims.

  44. @mytcz – at pano mo naman nalaman na karamihan sa mga nasa gobyerno ay may kamag-anak din sa gobyerno? nagsurvey ka ba o nanghula ka lang? Hulaan ko din, gusto mo sanang pumasok sa gobyerno pero di ka natanggap at sinasabi mong dahilan para di ka mapahiya ay wala kang backer? hmmm.

    Noong nagpunta kayo sa relief center, umatras agad kayo sa pamimigay ng mga dala nyong relief goods kasi maraming tao sa evacuation center? duhhh? what the heck? did you expect na konti lang ang madadatnan nyo dun? at dahil umatras kayo, pinuntahan nyo taga DSWD para saluhin ang trabahong ayaw ninyong gawin? Akala ko wala kang tiwala sa gobyerno? Besides, hindi dahil nakapunta ka sa isang “relief center” ay magfeeling ka na ha. naghamon ka pa talaga sa iba na pumunta sa mga evacuation centers, hello, sa yo na mismo nanggaling na humingi kayo ng tulong sana sa mga taga DSWD.

    AT isa pa, sana alam mo yung devolution ano, ung DSWD sa munisipyo hindi yun under ng national DSWD. Gets?

    @nhoi – magFilipino ka na lang. ang sakit sa ulo ng pinagsasasabi mo. ANong open-ended mind? kumusta naman! Joke ba yun?

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