After Odette: Providing relief aid? Or plain patronage?

After Odette: Providing relief aid? Or plain patronage?

(thoughts after Typhoon Odette
and how the current administration and its politicians
still treats disaster relief and assistance as such)

At first, note expresses sympathies to the victims of Typhoon Odette last December 16 to 22 that swept communities in Eastern, Central, and Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao regions, and in Palawan.

According to reports, it stated that at its peak, Odette had maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h. Signal No. 4 and was the highest wind signal raised during the onslaught of the typhoon, which destroyed thousands of homes, agricultural fields, fishing boats, and other sources of livelihood. Worse, its destruction has worsened their grave socioeconomic conditions and will surely aggravates further poverty and hunger. 

In response, politicians from various groups, civil society, to international aid agencies are carrying out relief and rehabilitation efforts in the wake of widespread destruction brought by the typhoon. Countries like Japan announced it would offer disaster relief assistance through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), while the United States offered PhP10 million ($200,000) in immediate assistance would also be provided to communities affected by Typhoon Odette. 

But like any other catastrophe, politicians came into the scene making assistance in various forms: ranging from Leni Robredo’s immediate disaster response to that of her rival, Bongbong Marcos providing money to local governments whose communities affected by the Typhoon. Ironically, these politicians happened to be running for the presidency in 2022, which reminds of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009. And both Odette and Ondoy happened months before the contested national elections. 

And since politicians are using this tragedy in seeking support from desperate masses, not surprising that they will spend every peso in distorting charity all in enticing people to vote for them, regardless of their political colour. Days ago, President Duterte declared regions affected under “state of calamity” while claiming about depleted funds. Bah humbug! Why on earth he said so while the detested Robredo immediately did her part in helping providing relief? The latter has made people willing to help as opposed to the former who’s worth lambasting. Also not surprising that people will still cry this as “politically-tainted” no matter apologists trying not to associate their actions with “dirty politics”. 

To be honest, some may be true to their heart in being charitable; but as some engaging in partisan politics and using the idea of helping as some kind of political patronage and vote-seeking then it really distorts the essence of helping people especially those whose hunger pangs, chill, and desperate cry for help resorts to illegal means local government units feared about. Worse, the government talks much about resilience as these typhoons, like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions happen. Is “resilience” should be treated as a showcase of national pride? This reminds of crime syndicates using beggars to beg for money if that’s the case! And no wonder why preparedness is not seriously being discussed if not half-heartedly done, for it hinders politically-laced “relief” if not using a catastrophe to fill their pockets with money from foreign aid! 

But regardless of these situations, this Typhoon and its tragic results should be a time for unity and cooperation. For sure the government would again use that kind of word, but these realities has really urge all walks of life to unite, help, and recover, rebuild lost communities, livelihoods, and even lives and sanity. For sure politics continues to reek this matter time and again, but hopefully, what people needs is a real relief that truly helps and not some form of patronage politics.