Manila: The Philippines’ experience with Typhoon Haiyan not only exposed the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather events but likewise its dependency on foreign assistance, a bishop has said.
Bishop Crispin Varquez of the Diocese of Borongan said in an article published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, that in their particular area in Central Philippines’ Samar, the influx of assistance in response to the devastation brought about by Haiyan (locally named “Yolanda”) was very much welcomed. However, he said that sixteen months after the disaster, the continued assistance had made some locals dependent on aid.
“They are just waiting for the assistance given by the government, international and local nongovernment organisations, and other groups,” according to Varquez.
Many people, particularly those in the villages, would rather not work their land since their families would still have food to eat anyway because of the aid assistance, he said.
“They have no more appetite” to plant on their farms, he said.
But a deeper concern of the bishop is that given that the affected families are already relying on assistance, some of them are even squandering the help given to them by spending their money instead on buying liquor.
He said that after the typhoon struck, there were now more people who could afford to purchase liquor than before the disaster.
“Meaning to say that in the process of recovery many survivors spend much of their money on beer rather than basic needs of their family,” Varquez said.
Given this situation, the challenge now, he said is to inculcate the right values to the people.
Varquez said local capacity should developed to ensure that the traumatic experience would not happen again.
“As they continue to benefit from the aid of different agencies, they should work with prudence and wisdom for their on going recovery,” Varquez added.
“Let’s teach them to stand on their own feet and not be dependent on others. Let us empower them to become more productive. Value formation is the key,” he said.
He issued a similar call to government leaders and non-governmental groups involved in the rehabilitation efforts to help the affected populations, not just by giving them aid, but developing their capability to recover from the disaster and to prepare for similar catastrophic events in future.
Haiyan, the strongest storm recorded at landfall, struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013. It left at least 6,300 people dead and scores of wounded when it hit the Eastern, Central and Western Visayas regions as well as Palawan and southern Tagalog.
In the aftermath of the typhoon’s devastation the international community and the Philippine government embarked on a massive recovery and rehabilitation effort.
