At Large
Other victims, other needs
By Rina Jimenez-David
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:38:00 07/02/2008
Filed Under: Sulpicio ferry disaster, Maritime Accidents, Disasters (general), Typhoon Frank, Relief & Aid Organisations
Credit must be given to the lawyers of Sulpicio Lines for finding the “silver lining” in the generally gloomy clouds floating above the shipping line in the wake of the MV Princess of the Stars sinking.
They have certainly found the disaster a lucrative source of business, doubtless convincing Sulpicio management that “the best defense is a good offense.” How else to explain the suits the shipping line filed recently against, first, the weather bureau PAGASA, blaming it for not giving them accurate information on the movement of Typhoon “Frank”; and then against Del Monte Philippines, for not telling them that the exact nature of the cargo of endosulfan that sank along with the ship.
PAGASA and Del Monte are capable of defending themselves, but to my view these are frivolous suits meant to distract and win wiggle space for the shipping line, rather than serious cases that raise serious legal issues. I mean, if PAGASA was so negligent, then why did other vessels seek shelter and anchor in safer waters when Frank gained power and veered off its predicted course? What was the difference in the decision-making process within Sulpicio and in other lines that made this one shipping line decide to brave the inclement weather? And having calculated the risk and losing, why should Sulpicio now seek to pin the blame elsewhere?
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If there is one thing I blame Sulpicio for, it’s the way it has mishandled the post-disaster scenario, turning a blind eye to the grief and anger of families of passengers, and doing nothing to speed up the recovery of remains, record them correctly so that relatives are sure the bodies they bury are those of their loved ones, and finally inter the remains with dignity and spiritual solace.
The owners of Sulpicio talk and act as if the P200,000 they will pay the families of each passenger listed in the manifest is enough to assuage the pain of loss, when in fact nothing can compensate them for the death of loved ones. The way they have been treated by Sulpicio is downright criminal.
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Most of the headlines may be focused now on the retrieval efforts at the wreck of MV Princess of the Stars, where more than 600 people are believed to have lost their lives at the height of Frank. But the typhoon cut a broader path of destruction beyond this one passenger vessel. Panay Island (the provinces of Iloilo, Aklan, Antique and Capiz) and the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar and Romblon bore the brunt of Frank’s wrath, although the rains, floods and landslides likewise hit other areas, including Metro Manila.
The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) estimates the total damage wrought by Frank at over P1 billion, with floods affecting more than 800,000 in Antique and Iloilo.
Though more than a week has passed since Frank left the country’s “area of responsibility,” the need for help remains and may even be more urgent than ever. In an appeal for donations, the Black and White Movement notes that “lack of attention aids in the natural and rapid decline in donations and relief operations. Donations usually peter out within two weeks of a disaster, and this is the period where our help becomes vital.”
In an appeal for donations, the PNRC listed the following items as urgently needed: food items—rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans and potable water; medicines—paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrhea; non-food items—bath soap, face towels, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water purification tablets, plastic sheeting and laundry soap. In the longer term, the PNRC said they will need housing materials—roofing materials, plywood, construction items—for the repair if not outright construction of new homes.
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Even as government agencies scrambled to assess the damage and waited for higher authority to issue the orders and funds to help the disaster victims, the PNRC immediately sprang into action.
PNRC chair Richard Gordon, with other Red Cross officials, boarded a C-130 as early as June 23 to bring aid and relief goods to 162,522 families in Iloilo. Each of the families received a pack containing six kilos of rice, canned goods, and noodles, enough to tide them over for two to three days. On June 27, a Red Cross team headed for Aklan and Iloilo with 2,000 packs of relief goods.
The B&W Movement, for its part, has partnered with the Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR) and other allied networks in “Operation Compassion,” starting with cash donations to typhoon victims on Panay Island. But as the statement notes: “There is still so much work to be done, lives to be saved, and spirits to be raised.” Surely, the rebuilding work will have to go on, and for this the sustained attention and efforts of everyone in government and the private sector will be necessary.
For support and donations to the ongoing Red Cross operations, contact the PNRC trunk line +632 5270000 or the hotline number 143. Those wishing to donate to “Operation Compassion” may deposit the amounts to the Black and White Movement Inc., account number CA 000712-0175-1, Equitable Savings Bank, Moonwalk-Merville Branch. After making the deposit, they request that you write them at info@BlacknWhite-Movement.com to inform them of the details. They will keep a running tally of donations on their website.
For donations in kind, you may deliver the items to drop-off points set up by CNDR: Petron stations, Ayala Foundation drop-off points at Glorietta 4 and Ayala Malls, ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya at 11 Examiner St., Quezon City, and Manila Water offices.
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