Note: If you wanted to get in touch with groups or organizations to
help, send supplies or donate cash or in kind, please check this link compiled
by my blogger friends. If it is not so much, please share this link to your
social media handles so that others will also be informed.
On the 8th of November this year, the strongest typhoon
recorded in the history of manind (so far) hit the islands in the Visayas region
of Philippines. At around six in the morning the same day, I received a
notification in my mobile phone from our co-employee based in Tacloban informing
us of the heavy downpour of rains in their area but electricity and network
coverage was still okay. By the time I get to read her email, all the
electrical power lines were cut-off in Tacloban while flying debris from houses
and buildings were also being shown in the news clip in the television. I never
heard anything from my friend not until yesterday through a short call from a
phone that she probably borrowed.
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A streak of hope and positivism for my fellow Filipinos. Light shines brightest at the dark.
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The internet was also flooded with updates and news about the extent of
damage and the many efforts to help reach out to the victims. The sad part is
that this flood of information also included stories that make the situation
worse.
- People blatantly saying that they were GLAD THAT IT HAPPENED claiming
that the VICTIMS DESERVED THE PAIN. It did not end with postings of people who
apparently lack the sense of symbiosis but also, to my opinion, “kulang sa
pansin” (attention-seeking). They continue to justify that they are entitled to
their opinion and they should not be condemned.
- While help is pouring even from our international counterparts,
QUESTIONS ON FAIR DISTRIBUTION became a trending topic in the internet. As the country now also fights one of the
biggest expose in corruption of the Pork Barrel, people asks whether the
billions of donations from other countries reach the victims or will the
culture of corruption reign even at this devastating incident.
- POLITICIANS as well as other NARCISSISTS bragging about their
contributions, counting what they donated and using this incident to campaign
for elections if not, simply brag.
- HEADLINES OF PEOPLE LOOTING from stores and even from relief operation
vehicles clearly describes that the human system is now operating in a survival
instinct to feed and protect oneself and their families.
- SECTORS REFUSING TO HELP people not coming from their sect also raised
many eyebrows in the social media walls. If this is true or not, the fact the
people START TO DIVIDE INSTEAD OF WORKING IN SOLIDARITY is as obvious as the
lack of unity killing more people each day.
I would agree that the Filipino spirit is waterproof, storm-proof and that
even a super typhoon cannot break it but it many instances, while many are trying
their best to help, some cannot really resists to be self-centered, tactless
and destructive. I would like to tell myself that perhaps, these people lack
self-esteem that they needed to put somebody down just to feel good or catch
any attention, even the negative attention, just to feel they exist. I do not
like to believe that they lack souls but I also do not choose to be of very
sympathetic to these selfish people right now.
I’d like to hope that the donations will be coursed through organizations
that are focused to aiding the victims and assure the relief will reach those
who needed it most. While I am still trying to convince myself that the current
government is trying their best to remove corruption in the system, I’d prefer
that other countries would course though their help to reliable organizations
that will have no personal gain when helping the victims. While we lack time to
debate or argue, others are already moving so let us go with the actions
flowing.
Let us also avoid re-affirming these people with publicity (even
negative) because it is exactly what they want and rewarding them with
attention cookies will only promote them to repetitively do what they do.
Collective effort creates an impact. Surely, reposting what they did, even for
the purpose of putting them to shame, will not really put them in shame. They
will only get that 30-second fame that they wanted. Don’t reward them and see their
negative actions disappear in the middle of the generosity and kind-heartedness
of other people.
While the news of looting and refusing to help other to protect their
own maybe expected, it is still a sad reality to hear and raises an alarm to
immediately send in help so that people will not be pushed back to the wall
with this choice nor will it marginalize those in the hard-to-reach area. When
survival is at stake, we cannot really expect a high rate of selflessness. No
parent in their right mind would sacrifice the life of their children just to
do the morally-correct act when stealing or refusing to share is the only way
to survive.
I may not be in the best position to fully explain the psychology of
what happened with my fellow countrymen but my humanness is calling me to be
more human than ever. Today, may we choose to help and help without expecting anything
in return. May we choose to lift other people up, and shun away from the
negative stories that will not help make the lives of the victims better. May
we choose to salute those who put their hearts and minds to contribute in
helping in with fund and donations drive. May we choose to learn from this
tragedy, to be more prepared, to avoid the mistakes that sacrificed many lives
and may we choose to remember that we do not forget.
