Students power relief efforts

More than 100 students from all over Cebu City converged at the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Arts and Sciences building lobby yesterday to help pack relief goods intended for typhoon victims.

Students of the University of San Carlos, CIT University, Cebu Doctors’ College, Velez College, Saint Theresa’s College, and UP Cebu, helped tape cardboard boxes, folded and sorted clothing and other essentials.

The relief operations was initiated by the school’s alumni and the UP Student Council to augment the shipment of essential commodities being delivered by the national government and foreign donors.

UP Cebu also serves as a drop-off point for relief goods intended for victims in northern Cebu and the worst-hit areas in the Visayas including the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc.

Among the volunteers was 17-year old Maxine Caindec, a Biology student of UP Cebu, who had been in the relief center since Sunday.

“The work here is taxing but when you see everyone willing to help and unite for the Visayas, it’s just so rewarding in the end,” Caindec said.

Dinah Joy Oro, a USC Political Science sophomore, helped sort and fold donated clothing with her friends last Monday.

“This may seem trivial to others, but in our own way, we were able to help those who are affected,” Oro said.

The relief center targets to re-pack 2,000 boxes of relief goods everyday, student council representative Liahona Llesol said.

“We have enough people but we’d appreciate it if more volunteers would come,” Llesol said.

In the morning, volunteers average 50 relief good boxes since some of them have classes to attend.

Requests for certain items have been pouring in from northern Cebu including medicine, milk, candles and matches, cooking pots, tarpaulins or tents, and flashlights.

Professor Karl Roque, Associate Dean for Administration, said that the initiative is something no single person can take credit for. “It’s a collective effort,” he said.

“Everybody just wants to help out and seeing all these students work makes me so proud to be a UP-ian, to be an Iskolar,” Roque added.

The UP Cebu Office of the College Secretary said they will accept cross-registrants from UP Tacloban.

Politics

While students stood united in helping their less fortunate brethren, their adult counterparts haven’t fared as well.

Lilo-an Mayor Duke Frasco complained that the Cebu provincial government’s social welfare and development office (PSWDO) allegedly channeled relief goods to a “political ally of the Liberal Party-Bakud Party” in his town.

Frasco, a member of the One Cebu Party, said the PSWDO should give the relief goods to the mayor as prescribed by protocol.

He said he was just surprised to read in the newspapers that 700 food packs were given to Lilo-an town.

PSWDO chief Evelyn Senajon yesterday confirmed that she gave 100 food packs to each of the seven of Lilo-an’s barangay officials.

“Those barangay captains came to us and asked for help that’s why we gave it to them,” Senajon said. With Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos and Jose Santino S. Bunachita