CNN journos on Tacloban ops: Disorganized, no one in charge

[Dorothea]

Anderson Cooper should interview some more Filipino politicians, ma brain freeze lagi na siya sa mga tubag. Maayo kaayo manubag among mga politiko noh, Anderson? Naa kay pangutana, lain ang itubag. Mga masters sa art of deflection, art of denial, art of avoidance and art of giving out answers that are utterly nonsensical.

Kamong mga Americans, Germans, Israelis...at the end of this, when you are ready to get out of our country...you guys should all grab coffee together and sit down and talk about the conversations and interactions you've had with our govt people. Di ba frustrated kaayo mo noh, kay naa moy pangutanga, mo simang ang tubag. You walk away from the conversation more confused than when you came in. Naay moy ing-ana sa inyong nasod? Wala moy ing-ana nga talent. Onli in da Pilipins ra na.

[brian joshua]

^^ niay pahabol maam ay

US docs perform surgeries in Leyte with flashlight | ABS-CBN News

and then this morning mar roxas said: we don't need that much doctors and nurses.

i mean, are you all brain-dead?

[mybuuz]

lingawa sa tubag ni Mar uy.
na-mention pud niya sa local interview nga needed ug more medicine.
pero unsaon kaha nga dili needed ug Doctors and Nurses pero medicine kinanglan? mga tao lang mag-tambal tambal nila.

[Dorothea]

^^ niay pahabol maam ay

US docs perform surgeries in Leyte with flashlight | ABS-CBN News

and then this morning mar roxas said: we don't need that much doctors and nurses.

i mean, are you all brain-dead?

Lahi ra jud ug talent atong officials. Pildi ang mag lagot.

[ian_1983]

PNoy aides admit gov't response to Yolanda inadequate
by Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 11/14/2013 6:00 PM | Updated as of 11/14/2013 6:00 PM

MANILA - At least two Philippine top disaster officials admitted before media six days after the "Yolanda" tragedy that the national government's response in typhoon-hit areas has been wanting.

When asked about observations made by foreign media on the seemingly slow pace of relief distribution, Transport Secretary Jun Abaya answered, "there’s a challenge up ahead. We are still behind the curve, and that is recognized.”

Abaya said the distribution will now be on all fronts of transportation - land, sea and air – after debris have been removed.

"We are using all dimensions, goods are now being shipped by land, there are companies who lent their buses, there are also companies who lent their vessels," Abaya said. “We are moving, and we are doing the best we can.”

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Eduardo del Rosario admitted that they were unprepared with the destruction caused by super typhoon Yolanda.

In an ambush interview at the NDRRMC headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, del Rosario was repeatedly asked about the seemingly slow pace of delivery of relief goods to affected residents.

"Subjective yung sabihing nababagalan, Saturday pa lang ng umaga nag-land na ang C130 sa Tacloban. I was there with Sec Soliman (DSWD), nagbigay na agad ng mga relief goods.”

At that time, however, roads were still clogged by massive debris, which paralyzed relief operations.

He was then asked by reporters whether this was foreseen before Yolanda hit the Visayas. Del Rosario said: "Hindi lang namin napaghandaan yung ganitong magnitude. Napakalaki. Kung isa o dalawang province lang, kaya natin.”

Del Rosario said the national government is now embarking on massive relief operations to serve majority of over eight million people affected by the super typhoon.

"Dumating na sa Tacloban yung mga sasakyan na maghahatid ng mga relief goods," he said. The relief goods prepared by the DSWD is good for 2-3 days per family.

He said: "Kung meron mang pagkukulang, iyan po ay ina-address na ng national government.”

Del Rosario said there are already about 2,000 personnel from the AFP and PNP sent to Region 8 to provide additional security.

This is on top of the 4,000 law enforcement units already in place in the region before Yolanda made its landfall.

Del Rosario said they are assessing troop augmentation on a day to day basis. "Baka masuffocate natin ang area. May problema din kasi sa pagkain sa ground. We must optimize forces on the ground, kung kailangan dagdagan, dadagdagan, but reports on the ground say that the situation (peace and order) is improving."

Del Rosario explained, "Generally peaceful na sa Tacloban, kung may reports man, these are isolated cases.”

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that while government efforts are perceived to be slow, the government has a plan to help the victims the soonest possible time.

Unlike Abaya and Del Rosario, Gazmin refused to believe that government reaction to the devastation has been wanting.

"There is a system being followed by NDRRMC. Issues are being addressed systematically, issues are being addressed depending on the gravity and need," Gazmin said.

As of Thursday morning, NDRRMC already recorded at least 2,357 deaths, 3,853 injured, and 77 more missing.

Del Rosario explained that while there is a disparity between their figures and figures reported in the media, the agency is confident about the veracity of such death toll accounts.

"We are on the safe side, ang binibigay natin ay yung mayroong basis kaysa sa mga kwento lang ng mga residente" he said.

More body bags are being sent Thursday to safely recover cadavers that were seen in various parts of the worst-hit provinces.

Six days after Yolanda struck 43 provinces in the Visayas, the damage is estimated at P4 billion for both infrastructure and agriculture.

At least 72,000 hectares of agricultural lands were damaged, about 42,000 of which have no chance of recovery. With this, the country has already lost at least 138,000 metric tons of rice, corn and other high value crops.

[carmicael]

PNoy aides admit gov't response to Yolanda inadequate
by Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 11/14/2013 6:00 PM | Updated as of 11/14/2013 6:00 PM

about freaking time. a week after the disaster, finally, they are at least acknowledging they did something monumentally stupid.

[ian_1983]

Palace admits shortcomings in 'Yolanda' response
by Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 11/14/2013 7:42 PM | Updated as of 11/14/2013 7:42 PM

MANILA - Malacañang admitted shortcomings in its response to the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda, citing the magnitude of the storm and limitations.

Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said the government is accepting criticisms, adding that it has learned lessons from the aftermath. He added that government will continue to improve how it responds to disasters.

“Kung meron pong mga pumupuna, tinatanggap naman po natin iyong kanilang pagpuna. Hindi po natin itinatanggi na maaaring nagkaroon ng mga pagkukulang. Pero iyon po ay bunga na rin ng mga severe constraints. Hindi naman po sinasadyang huwag pagtuunan ng pansin. At dahil po nakakapulot tayo ng mga mahahalagang aral, gagamitin po natin ang aral na napulot natin para mas maging mahusay po ang ating pagtugon sa susunod na pagkakataon,” Coloma said.

“Iyong lessons learned po natin ay iyong ibayo pang paghahanda,” he added.

The Palace assured affected residents that relief operations will reach “100 percent” of Leyte’s 40 municipalities, plus Tacloban City on Thursday, six days after the storm hit.

The delay, he said, is due to the situation’s “extraordinary demands,” hampered by toppled power and communication lines.

“Ayon po sa report on the ground mismo ni Secretary Dinky Soliman, at si Secretary Mar Roxas ay naroon din po, ngayon po ay matitiyak na natin ‘yung fast-tracked distribution ng relief goods to reach all 40 Leyte municipalities. Ito na po ‘yung kabuuan ng lahat ng mga naapektuhang areas sa Leyte Island province,” he said.

He said that delivery of relief goods is expected to be hastened after all national roads in Regions VI, VII, at VIII have been cleared.

“Inaasahan po na bibilis ang paghahatid ng pagkain, tubig, at iba pang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan,” Coloma said.

President Aquino has since taken over as the direct supervisor of the government’s relief operations and crisis response, assisted by the Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr. and Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras.

Aside from the existing structure of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), key cabinet secretaries were given corresponding areas of responsibility:

Relief: DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman;
Transport: DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya;
Logistrics of Supplies/ Aid: Finance Sec. Cesar Purisima;
Health: DOH Sec. Enrique Ona;
Security: DND Sec. Voltaire Gazmin;
Communications: PCOO Sec. Sonny Coloma

An additional repacking center has been opened in Cebu to be supervised by TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva.

Meantime, a media center is being set up by the PCOO in Tacloban to assist journalists covering there.

An emergency broadcast system is being established as well with the Manila Broadcasting Corporation and Far Eastern Broadcasting Corp offering the use of their facilities for public service broadcast.


Thanks to the international media who lambasted the national government.

[judge3ni]

kung imo ipa shoot to kill samot ug kaagrabyado ang mga biktima sa bagyo kay wala na juy tabang makuha.. BAYA cya pataka lang ug putak mura sad ug naay natabang. Maypa mo adto ka sa RAFI repacking ugma sa may casa gorordo kay wala na jud kaayo volunteer karon..

OT: nganu kabalo man ka na wa pa ko nitabang? akong mga kauban diri sa trabaho bro kay affected pud. wa pa mo nang-repack diha, tua na among tabang!

walaon na sila para mailisan og mga tarung.. tanang kurakot akong gipasabot.. (well, imposible man pud mahitabo.. mao yaw pataka og react..respetuha ang na-feel sa tao..)

[ian_1983]

The Osprey Have arrived

Anderson Cooper and Capt. Troy Trinidad of Philippine Navy on a mission to Guiuan, Samar.
Capt. Trinidad sir, i salute you and i rather have you as our Interior secretary.

Typhoon devastation beyond Tacloban - CNN.com Video

[prukutung]

these, politicians that the international media are lambasting, are those the Filipino people elected into office..

anyare