‘Oplan Hatid’ organizers: We’re ready when help is needed

‘YOLANDA’ REFUGEES Since Tuesday, families airlifted from the calamity areas have been arriving in batches at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. photo by Grig C. Montegrande

MANILA, Philippines–Even as organizers of Oplan Hatid have turned over to the government the job of transporting victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda from the Villamor Airbase to their point of destination in other parts of the country for free, they would still want to offer their service if they would be given another chance to do so.

“We told the volunteer drivers, if MMDA [Metropolitan Manila Development Authority] calls out for volunteers, I think we should also volunteer for that,” Cel Ocampo, one of the organizers of Oplan Hatid, said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990AM after their group “unanimously” decided to turn over the job to the government amid announcements that Operation Salubong will be moved to Camp Aguinaldo from the Villamor Airbase.

She said their group was told that MMDA will be the one to take over the project.

“Were just stepping out as organizers of Oplan Hatid,” she added.

Cel said their group arrived at the decision over logistic concerns, but stressed that this would not mean that they really don’t want to continue the task.

She said it took them much time to come up with a system that is both efficient from the drivers and the passengers, only to be told that operations are being moved somewhere else.

“We don’t think that by 12 noon today we can do it all over again . . . from the logistic point of view,” Cel said, but clarified that they are not angry about what happened. She even thanked the Philippine Air Force for being “very accommodating” and “respectful to all volunteers”.

They were just being realistic, she said, noting that they weren’t prepared for this as they didn’t hear anything about the move during the days that they were working inside the Villamor Airbase.

“Our work is different in the sense that our logistic is challenging because we have drivers for different shifts. We operate inside the military base and the cars of volunteers come and go,” Cel said, adding that the most challenging part is the issue of security.

She said whoever takes over the job should ensure that typhoon survivors are given care.

“It should continue . . . If we’re not going to continue that, I don’t know what will happen to the survivors after going through so much,” Cel said.

She said their volunteer drivers, estimated to be around 500, went beyond driving survivors to their homes.

“Some of them have gift packs already in their cars. Some of them would pass by the grocery, palengke (market) so they can buy things for them,” Cel said.

One of their drivers even drove seven survivors from Villamor to Baguio.

Another, meanwhile, helped a survivor locate her relatives in Manila and find an apartment where they can start over.

“It’s [the experience] very moving. It’s a tough job in the last four to five days. I never had an eight hour of sleep, but will be very happy to go back to Villamor to do it again,” Cel said.

Junep Ocampo, her husband and also one of the coordinators, shared that their group started only with two persons.

Their activity, she said, was prompted by a call through a social media site from a female lawyer who noticed that some of the survivors arriving in Manila from Leyte don’t have anyone to fetch them.

The survivors were left in the sidewalks and had nowhere to go.

“We were touched,” Junep said, prompting him to gather his contacts who could possibly help out with their project.

As volunteers, they spent their own money for gas, toll fees, among others, to run their operations.

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