“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trusthworthy in handling worldy wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
– Luke 16:10-11
PEOPLE from Yolanda-affected areas have shown the ability to bounce back. International disaster workers have been unanimous in praising the resilience of our people. “We have never seen a recovery happen so quickly,” as one of them puts it.
Civil society, NGOs, but local and foreign; international aid agencies; groups from different religions and Christians denominations; and the Catholic Church have been a big part in the relief and rehabilitation work. We are very grateful for this surge of charity and hope.
In the post-Yolanda relief, recovery, and rehabilitation work, the sector mandated to lead the effort of various social sectors is government. There are certainly cases of effective government-led work, particularly on the local level creating space for various sectors to come together.
Sadly, there are also cases of partisan politics getting in the way of helping victims recover.
There is also a nagging question in the minds of many citizens on how rehabilitation money is being used? The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) website posted a P20 billion budget for the rehabilitation and recovery program, and P139 billion special purpose fund (unplanned programs) from the National Government.
In addition, there are billions of pesos pledged by foreign countries for the rehabilitation program. Where are these funds now?
Many local government executives from affected areas claim they have not received any help from the national government. Is this really so or just a perception?
Whatever the case, much is writing in the government’s effort to be transparent and accountable about the use of disaster funds. Why can’t there be a centralized website that would allow ordinary citizens and groups to monitor the funds?
The existing government website. Faith, only records the amounts promised by foreign governments. This is not a trust-building resource.
Whose responsibility is this: DBM or the office of the Disaster Czar, Sen. Panfilo Lacson? If other social sectors have sown their willingness and capability to offer effective service to victims, the least the Philippine government can do is strengthen such effort since rehabilitation is still far from over.
The ball is in the court of the government.
(Mark Allan Palanca and Mayren Cogtas, Circles of Discernment for Empowerment Dilaab Foundation Inc., Cebu City)