It’s likely that nobody will admit it — but it’s painfully obvious that most of us don’t know how to deal with the aftermath of massive disasters.
“On Thursday, Nov 21, confusion again arose over disaster relief operations after volunteers at the Villamor Air Base Typhoon Yolanda victims processing center were asked to relocate to the military’s Camp Aguinaldo headquarters in Quezon City,” reports Francisco Tuyay in Manila Standard Today.
On Wednesday, Nov 20, social media “exploded” with the news that the volunteers — including the team of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine National Red Cross — were allegedly told to relocate to Camp Aguinaldo by noon of Thursday.
Armed Force chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista was asked about the transfer, but he said he wasn’t informed about it because he only focuses on military operations. DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman denied she ordered the closure of the relief operations, dubbed “Oplan: Hatid” and “Operation: Yakap,” at the Villamor Airbase. Philippine Air Force spokesman Col. Ernesto Ocol dismissed allegations that the move was prompted because of “the intervention by members of the Air Force Ladies Club.”
Bottom line: Nobody knows who ordered the pull-out in the first place. (Or: Nobody wants to own up to ordering it.)
As of the latest reports, Soliman reportedly decreed that the processing center for Typhoon Yolanda victims will remain in Villamor Airbase. To be clear: Volunteer operations have restarted at Villamor Air Base. Just get in touch with the Oplan: Hatid and Operation: Yakap organizers first before you go there.
Photo by Lt. Col. Caleb Hoover via WikiCommons
