Ayuda for Thought

Do you hear that? The sound of the wind howling non-stop. The radio uttering emergency contact numbers.
The deafening silence after the storm's passing. I haven't slept at least 2 hours, and for all I know, my loved
ones might be in danger. Comforting my stressed dog from the frightening thunder, I'm not alone, awake in the
wee hours of the morning of December 17, when Typhoon Odette wrecked Iloilo. As soon as the storm made
landfall, there were mass evacuations and relief efforts that took place. We then see ayuda operations happen,
calamity after calamity, but none of it seems to be significantly helpful.

As soon as possible, Iloilo City announced itself to be in a state of calamity. The indifference Ilonggos express
to this news isn't surprising, as they know that the national government’s funding won't directly go to its
constituents. One can only imagine what happens behind the iron curtain that exasperates the aftermath of the
tragedy, not to mention it's Halalan Season. According to Rappler, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said
declaring a state of calamity will allow a price freeze for the next 60 days. It would also speed up the financial
assistance for Typhoon Odette victims.

The city will give P10,000 to those with destroyed houses and P4,300 to partially damaged homes. This is
barely a sustainable response to the disaster, as the money isn't guaranteed to be spent responsibly. There's
no need for further aid from other government sectors, as declaring a state of calamity will automatically render
funding from the national system. Yet, Trenas says, "they (city government) are also facilitating assistance
from national officials." Moreover, the province, which experienced a more significant amount of damage
compared to the city, didn't declare itself to be in a state of calamity.

Needless to say, politics, power, and justice are the primary field of inquiry relevant to this text. The price
freeze will allow the government a small budget for buying resources for the relief goods, and the more
considerable amount is to be used for election campaigns. The report also explicitly states donations from
2022 electoral candidates such as Vicente Sotto and Franklin Drilon. The (pathetic) use of pathos is shown
through Trenas' statement, saying that the government wants "our people to celebrate the new year with a
good feeling of help." How can the people celebrate the holidays with the government's unsustainable
assistance? As there is no other sustainable or concrete solution, the individuals turn to the NGOs for help. In
addition, no one is policing online donations handled by NGOs, and it may also be taken advantage of given
that there is no proper auditing in place.

On average, the country is hit by about 25 typhoons per year. This requires a genuinely sustainable plan to
ensure enough resources to conduct relief efforts whenever calamity strikes. Of course, the heroic efforts to
help others are consistently recognized and acknowledged. However, ayudas represent more than the
Bayanihan spirit present. It's another opportunity for corrupt systems to happen.