Super Typhoon to hit Philippines

If you read the comments beneath relevant news stories in the Filipino press, you'll see reports by volunteers working in these repacking stations which claim that donated canned goods are being swapped-out for locally sourced ones that are damaged and/or date-expired.

Bar Stewards

I have been reading quite a few "good news" articles about Tacloban City via the "I Love Tacloban" facebook group.

The Tacloban water supply was back online a couple of days ago, most fuel stations are open again, mobile Atm's have been open for a couple of days, and now Gaisano Mall is set to re-open next week.

Looks as if the basic infrastructure is falling back into place.

Of course people have had great personal loss, and individuals will still suffer for a long time.

I just hope that the nice staff at Mr Donut are soon back serving their brewed coffee and donuts. (Best breakfast in Tacloban)

That is shocking, I hope when the dust settles these types of people are removed from their positions of power.

This does start to wind me up when you hear about those willing to further their cause whether it be political or finacial off the back of a disaster such as this. Obviously some will make money, especailly those in the supply side of things. They obviously need to sell items what ever they be but to increase prices by such large amounts or turn people away make me sick.

My wife all of a sudden declared yesterday she wants to buy land in Olongapo and build some apartments as a little business! Obviously very little thought has gone into this and I'm hoping its a passing fad. But to be honest unless something happens soon to change my mind I'm looking at getting back to the UK or maybe Spain as soon as we can in 2-3 years. I know on the whole the filipino population are a friendly, pleasent poeple but its bastards like those that i've mentioned above who make no bones about preying on the disadvantaged and unfortunate in an already over populated, poor country. I think the effects of this type of behaviour are magnified because alot of the population are so poor and struggle anyway on a day to day basis.

Rant (hopefully) over

Very sad and disturbing too, Rob
68 years old having just survived a Supertyphoon

After I wrote the above, I came across a message on another Forum that a Barangay Captain - who is an Expat's significant-other - from just outside Tacloban City, is reporting that the only (single) aid delivery they've had from the government has consisted of insect-infested rice and unlabled date-expired canned goods. That shipment could only have come from DSWD or the Philippine Red Cross: do those organisations -that purport to be concerned with health and welfare - consider it morally acceptable to distribute aid that's potentially poisonous?

I suppose it is what it is, Stu and there's not much a Brit can do to change anything there.
Try to enjoy your years over there as best you can.
There will be many good things to come your way.
If you are coming back, you will need money in the UK on return.

Dear me, that's scandalous

Waiter, there's a fly in my rice.

Keep quiet sir, everybody will want one.

(sorry for the crap joke...)

True, true. Just gets on my wick when those in power, be in nationally or locally in such a generally poor country with such a gap between social / economic classes very few of them actually do the right thing for those less well off themselves. Invariably its seen as an opportunity to make money or political point scoring. Gets right on my f****** nerves. It'll get worse as well as I'm due home this weekend so I'll be seeing these numpties all around me. Locally and on the telly.

Still hopefully the beer will be cold when I get home!

Wonder whats happening to the good indate, non infested food that is getting swapped out?

A cynic might suggest that a supermarket chain will be offering some imported specialities as part of its Christmas line-up.

Please treat all these stories with caution.

There is a tendency amongst expats to swap rumours about the nation we find ourselves living in, and a tendency to believe stories that reinforce our conceptions of what people are like. There is a tendency for expatriates whose partner is a local to accept their partner's point of view and to espouse it (note the phrase!) with enthusiasm and little knowledge.

Keep in mind that there will be an election in 2016, that the President and the Secretary of the Interior are the leaders of the Liberal Party, the party of the Cojuanco-Aquino dynasty, and the Vice-President and the Mayor of Tacloban are members of the opposition and in the case of the Mayor a member of the Marcos dynasty.

Above all please apply the political version of Occam's Razor - do not multiply entities needlessly - the political version of which is, "Do not ascribe to conspiracy, that which is sufficiently explained by ineptitude."

Samar and Leyte were the poorest provinces before the typhoon hit. They had the worst infrastructure in the country and they were controlled by dynasties. To get to Leyte you need to take a ferry from Sorsorgon; that ferry has limited capacity so the quantity of aid that can get to Leyte by road is limited by the ferry. The Philippine Air Force has three serviceable C-130s and about half a dozen Hueys - Vietnam War era helicopters. The navaids at Tacloban airport were knocked out. Cellphone masts are down.

In these circumstances, rumours spread. Let us please not add fuel to the fire.

You can also take a ferry from Cebu to Ormoc and there are also ferries from Surigao to the southern tip of Leyte (eastern maritime highway).

As for airlift capability, the PAF had only two of its three C-130s "available" and they're engaged on maintaining the airbridge from Manila. They were joined after two days by at least three more USAF C-130s and two Ospreys flown-in from Japan - a further two C-130s have since arrived and they've been joined by a RAF C-130, here on a minimum ten-day tour, to be based at Cebu. There are also now numerous US Navy and Marine Corps helicopters on the George Washington and her escort and they will be joined later in the week by those on HMS Illustrious.

It's a good idea to verify stories like this before posting them. A lot of claims are being made with an eye on the next elections, so treat them with a good degree of suspicion.

One thing that is certain is that is you want to try and buy decent rice the price has gone up by three times. It's also true that spoiled rice that got ruined in the typhoon was being sold to people.

Also it's reported in a New Zealand newspaper that when they enquired where to send money for an appeal they were sent a list of government bank account numbers!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11158686