IDP for “Internally Displaced People” — give me a break. Who cares what we call them? “Refugee” is accurate as they are people seeking “refuge” from horrible conditions in their hometown. “Evacuee” is accurate as they have evacuated from a ravaged city or town. So to now do a politically correct term “Internally Displaced Person” is honestly, such a stupid waste of effort, in my opinion. Call them whatever you want, but they are now arriving by the thousands in Cebu City and they have arrived with only the damp clothes on their backs… no food, no clothing, no personal items, etc.
So in addition to helping folks in Northern Cebu, Cebu City residents (each and every one of them) need to step up to the challenge, and find new and used articles of clothing they don’t want or need, and get these to various IDP centers. They need food, water, soap, clothes, etc. Zubuchon is sponsoring roughly 1,000 pack meals tonight and another 1,000 pack meals tomorrow for folks from Leyte. Lechon sisig, rice and utan bisaya… Our way of welcoming Leytehanons to their temporary new home. The folks in our office and kitchens had a nice nervous giggle a few minutes ago because they said “how sosyal naman our meals…lechon pa”… I just had to laugh at the comment. We have a long day ahead and my sincere thanks to all donors and to my Zubuchon staff at all branches for really stepping up to the challenge and feeding not only our paying customers, but 1,000 other special diners tonight and tomorrow night… It isn’t easy to mobilize 1,000 meals on a few hours notice, and I know several other groups are trying to do the same as refugees arrive by the thousands.
I head to Manila soon to also arrange for relief goods being sent by boat directly to the island of Culion, two hours by banca from the town of Coron. With a population of perhaps roughly 20,000, Culion ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda, has been cut off from the rest of the world for several days, and only recently re-established weak communication links.
A final note on this seemingly haphazard crazed private effort to provide help. This post-disaster period is ALL ABOUT LOGISTICS. PLANNING. IMPLEMENTATION. MANAGEMENT. The larger the organization, the slower they seem to be reacting and the more infuriated the general public gets. If small private groups can mobilize and get to small out of the way barangays including remote islands days AHEAD of the government or organized aid agencies, you know things are really on a catastrophic scale (but it makes you wonder how larger groups plan and implement their response to any catastrophe).
27 Responses
May God bless you and your staff, MM, and all those exerting efforts to help our kababayans.
MM, it’s really frustrating to watch the news where any representatives from the government are being interviewed. you are right about logistics, planning, implementation and management…but when no one steps up as leader, well we can see the results…i just hope that they will get their acts together before survivors of the typhoon will become casualties of incompetence…hay, so frustrating to say the least…
kudos to you and your zubuchon family…you all have been tireless and selfless…God bless you all!!!
I always say a prayer for you, your family and crews- everyday. Thank you for helping the victims of calamities and for helping us help them.
Thank you so much, MM. God bless you!
I just accidentally happened on your blog today. I am so impressed with what you and your staff have accomplished. My heart breaks as I hear all the news here in the US that provisions are not reaching the Haiyan victims. Then, I read your blog and my hope and trust in the human spirit returns. Maraming maraming salamat po sa inyong tulong sa mga nangangailangan! Keep up the good work and God bless!!!
Your last paragraph says it all. The magnitude of this problem highlights the inadequacy of any organization, even govt. No entity can handle this properly simultaneously!
So many small private groups like yours will help turn the tide for the immediate needs. Govt efforts will be for the longer term of rehab.
The following article is a very sensible and sober analysis of the Yolanda crisis aftermath:
https://ideas.time.com/2013/11/14/stop-catastrophizing-relief-efforts-in-the-philippines/
By John Crowley, TIME magazine
EXCERPTS FROM THIS ARTICLE:
“After a disaster, there will always be delays in the delivery of aid. While planes and helicopters can arrive in 24-48 hours after the storm clears, massive deliveries can only arrive by ship, which can take several days to sail—longer if they have to sail around a massive storm. Worse, damaged ports may take weeks to fix. With severe damage like that in Tacloban, roads may be impassible for many days or weeks, making distribution of aid difficult.”
“When television crews race large cargo ships with airplanes and helicopters, the cameras will always win. Journalists will report on the gap between supply and demand. They will show the faces of people in need of western largesse. They will turn isolated incidents of foraging and removal of goods from a truck or warehouse into a report on rampant looting.”
“Here is where the reports go very wrong. According to a friend who has worked in Haiti and the Philippines, “what happens when media talk up security issues is that aid agencies get worried about security of distributions, so they hold off until they have adequate security support. The velocity of distribution is dramatically slowed down. Scare mongering undermines the relief effort.” This dynamic happened in Haiti, and it’s happening here.”
Apparently, there is a news black out
Thank you MM for your continued generosity! I’m sure your readers will also double up the effort to help you in this mission.
MM, you seem to be one of those scouring for islands who are isolated till now. I pray for more people like you whose organization is nimble and doesn’t have to go through the bureaucracy. Sana meron pa, kawawa naman yung iba na hindi pa nabibigyan ng aid hanggang ngayon. They must be feeling the world forgot them already.
Lugaw marketman. Rice makes you stronger :)
Lighten the mood a bit. But thank you all for the effort!
MM, i agree that this is not time to waste energy labelling people, be they refugees, IDPs, evacuess, etc. However, please allow me to point out that intergovernmental and international and local agencies need to do that because agencies have specific mandates and are tasked to head, administer, and/or manage specific programs/projects/operations targetted towards specific groups. For instance, UNHCR heads all refugee-related ops (and by refugees they are those that were forced to cross country borders), IOM is charged with IDPs ( particularly with camp management), those that have been forced to relocate to other areas but still within the country.
During emergency ops, all agencies assist all victims/survivors regardless of the “label”. But during the transition period, the importance of the “label” is stressed so the international community knows who is tasked to head clusters, sectors that need to be addressed. The UN has deemed it necessary to clearly define natural and man-made disaster affected individuals/families for that reason (among others). While all agencies are expected to coordinate and collaborate, certain agencies are tasked to head specific interventions depending on the “type” of victim (refugees or IDPs).
Apologies if this is a long-winded explanation but i wanted everyone to understand why some people are quite obsessed with “labelling” the people affected by disasters. In the meantime, let us join forces in helping everyone:young, old, male, female, able-bodied, disabled, etc victims/survivors of yolanda.
MM your generosity and hard work is much appreciated..Thanks..my hats off to you..such a wonderful decent man..who is always there for those in need!!
Mr. MarketManila, all I can say is “More Power” and God Bless to you and your staff. I guess no words can describe the time, money and effort you are putting to make all of this possible.
MM, Just wondering if the locals can pick some leaves, branches and stones off the roads to make them passable. There maybe something left of the ruins to re-erect makeshift structures for an organized distribution of relief goods.
MP, I get it now, nomenclature for international standardization. I suppose what set me off was a local papers admonition that we should refer to all evacuees as IDP’s as the latter was the more “correct” term. They should have said it is the internationally accepted term. Filipinos don’t bother to follow international road signs, how funny in a bizarre kind of way that we should follow disaster nomenclature… I suppose if we are to get funding, we need to… but I do get the reason for it, thanks.
Thanks to you, our poor kababayan nakahigop ug masustansyang sabaw, More power MM!
May God who cannot be outdone in generosity bless you, MarketMan. Your family and staff and of course the benefactors.
Thank you for your efforts MM, family, benefactors and staff. They are truly appreciated.
For those who are concerned about their families in the Island of Panay, the focus of Canadian efforts will be in Iloilo and Capiz province. The plan is to also focus efforts in the city of Roxas.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/up-to-six-helicopters-may-join-canadian-forces-relief-efforts-in-the-philippines-1.1543122
Hope this news reaches your readers who are concerned about Iloilo and Capiz.
Just Fyi, they are need of volunteers to transport evacuees coming in to Manila from Leyte to wherever they need to go. The evacuees, as you can imagine, generally have no money and are hungry when they arrive, and without volunteer transportation, will have no means to get to friends or family, some of whom don’t know they are alive.
More info here: httpss://www.facebook.com/james.deakin
It’s his latest status message, I believe. Or contact Junep Ocampo 0917 583 1122.
Hello Marketman,
In light of your relief operations, I think you might find this video useful. It shows how to open a can without an opener or knife. It will be very useful for those who received canned goods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH2NahLjx-Y
Thank you MM, you family and staff!
I think it’s important to remember that larger organizations, especially those who do not have a strong local presence, also have to put up with interference from local (federal/provincial/municipal) governments, while private relief efforts often do not.
It’s unfair to point fingers at organizations who may be feeling just as frustrated at the delays as everyone else (except perhaps those who need the aid the most).
After food and water, here’s something to consider. After learning about this, I was inspired to get one. Let the sun shine on our storm ravaged towns and cities:
https://www.getwakawaka.com/Results2.asp
Rona Y, government and large agencies who do this for a living SHOULD be the first on their feet — they have the benefit of resources, experience, planning, logistics, etc. — but in huge catastrophes, anywhere in the world, it seems they often seem a bunch of chickens with no heads, running about. I know that’s an unfair comparison, and I mean it only figuratively, but if private groups can mobilize and get to remote locations and islands with food aid DAYS AHEAD of the large organizations or government, THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG. But more on that later…
As an example of frustrations experienced, Doctors Without Borders (I think this was the french group) was staying in Mrs. MM’s hotel from Sunday the 10th, just 48 HOURS after the storm, and WERE STILL there on TUESDAY waiting to cross to Tacloban. Meanwhile Philippine press, and other folks managed to make it into Tacloban airport on Monday… Shouldn’t some disaster protocol prioritize medical care and food for all available transport? It’s little ridiculous things like that that people see, and no one can adequately and logically explain.
However, I will say that EVERYONE IS TRYING THEIR BEST. I am sure this is an unprecedented event. It just seems so less than ideally coordinated. Thank goodness for the Americans landing and taking control of opening the Tacloban airport and getting it to operate 24 hours a day. Kudos to all the Philippine officials who have put in herculean effort as well.
I would trust my donations with this blogger over any large organizations and the government. God bless you, Marketman & family, and crew!
Thank you, MM, family and staff and volunteers. God bless all of you.
Thank you for everything MM Family, MM community and the Zubuchon Family. When people wanted to achieve something, they will always find a way…May God Bless you more as you tirelessly lend and give a hand to those who are in need…