Said President Duterte in a recent late-night talk: “We are trying to raise the money … Alam mo depleted ‘yong budget natin immensely because of the COVID, naubos talaga ‘yong pera natin” How daft and ineffectual this government is. While arrogantly praising himself for his killing projects aimed at the poor and perceived dissenters, the President is helpless in saving the people from the vulnerabilities of their communities. While the human capacity to cope with and survive the impact of calamities is much evident — a testimony to the people’s will to rise from disaster — it is still the main responsibility of the government to lessen vulnerabilities and to strengthen the capacities of people and communities.
This is where the framework of genuine social justice is much needed in addressing vulnerabilities. It is an issue of good governance — how it cares for the victims of calamities, how humane and scientific the approach is, how efficient and effective the methods are, and how the government is working on the economic, social, and political infrastructure to prepare and protect the people from the impact of natural calamities.
Unfortunately, the administration only exposes its own ineptness when Mr. Duterte verbalizes his incompetence. How come the government is pathetically trying to raise money? Zero balance na ba? Why not immediately divert the billions of NTF-Elcac funds? The work of this agency destroys the fundamentals of democracy; the funds could be best used for worthy endeavors like relief and rehabilitation assistance. Why not clean up corruption and demand payoff and accountability so the funds can be effectively used to support the victims of disasters? Why not repeal the automatic debt servicing law that the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos had decreed? The corrupt loans that taxpayers are forced to pay must be stopped and the budget used instead to serve the basic social needs of the Filipino people. Finally, can the President explain where the $3.07 billion borrowed from the World Bank for fiscal year 2021 has gone?
Until we have a government that values the primacy of responding to people’s needs, we will always be in need of an effective and efficient disaster response.
NORMA DOLLAGA
Coordinator
Dambana
dambana.church@gmail.com