Go ahead, donate
Last week’s typhoon Yolanda resulted in so much damage and casualties in the cities of Tacloban, Palo and Ormoc of Leyte and the northern towns of Cebu. It was reported that northern Cebu towns of Bantayan Island, Medellin, Daanbantayan, San Remigio and Bogo were devastated with most houses flattened by the storm.
In Leyte province, the destruction of homes and infrastructure was just as bad. Corpses were sprawled on roads with the Philippine Red Cross reporting that as of Saturday afternoon, typhoon Yolanda had left about a thousand dead.
Luckily for us in Cebu City we had zero casualties. First, we were not directly in the path of the storm. Second, as early as last week different radio stations warned us of the impending supertyphoon. People responded by preparing.
But I think it is also time that we pay forward the luck that came into our lives by once again helping our countrymen who fell victim to the devastation that Yolanda left. Let us once again unite and stand up to the challenge to help our brethren. We can gather extra things we have in our homes and donate them for typhoon victims. We can donate through relief organizations to reach surviors in the city of Tacloban, Palo and Ormoc. Or just look at north Cebu.
Once again I am appealing to kindhearted Cebuanos to donate cash or kind. I’m sure many radio and TV stations and civic organizations are mounting again drop off centers and starting fund drives.
Let us also continue praying to the Lord, imploring Him to protect us from danger, death and temptation. And thank Him for sparing us from the onslaught of the typhoon. And finally, let us pray for tye typhoon survivors they be given strength in this crisis.
* * *
While people were busy preparing for the superstorm, a commotion transpired Wednesday evening in the Fire Department compound in Natalio Bacalso Avenue. It was a standoff between firefighters and the Cebu city government.
Mayor Mike Rama finally served a notice of eviction for the fire department to vacate the premises which is being used used temporarily by the Cebu City Medical Center.
This was after the fire department wrote to the CCMC asking the hospital to leave the premises so the fire department could operate. The mayor was trying his best to attend to the welfare of the people especially with an impending storm coming.
The mayor could not compromise the safety of poor city residents, which led to his decision to evict the fire department.
Fire department personnel blocked the entrance with fire trucks and stationed burly men to reinforce their claim. This frightened the hospital staff.
The encounter showed the character of the fire bureau’s personnel from their immature actions of removing fixtures in the building including toilet bowls and finally threatening to cut power and water supply used by the hospital.
This does not speak well of an institution that is seem to help the poor and vulnerable.
Some sectors tried to blame politics as being behind these actions but politics has no place in times of emergency and when the need of the poor people are at stake.
I am hoping and praying that the controversy will be settled as soon as possible, taking into consideration what is good for the interests and welfare of the people.
