AS SEEN ON TV
Large scale mendicancy
The beg fest continues.
At the peak of floods in Luzon, the government, whose hands were tied in all its deficiencies pleaded with the private sector and the international community to save the victims of Pepeng and Ondoy, and provide relief to those who survived.
Now the tasks of rebuilding the damage begin and guess what? The government is again calling on the private sector to take charge. The race to raise about a billion dollars (that’s what it takes to fix everything, according to Albay Governor Joey Salceda) begins with the creation of a group composed of public and private sector personalities, whose task is really to beg for more help.
Enter the Special National Public-Private Reconstruction Commission to which the government assigns the daunting task of collecting from private individuals, groups or rich nations funds for long-term rehabilitation. The commission will be composed of PLDT’s Manny Pangilinan, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, our new ambassadors for alms generation.
Such an impressive line up is hoped to convince donors to be more generous in the spirit of nation rebuilding. The prominence of the private sector in the endeavor is expected to assure donors that their funds are in safer hands, than with the government if it purely oversees rehab.
Defensive on the part of the government, but allowing the private sector to “take over” rehabilitation effort has basis. In fact it could be the only way for now, to get rehabilitation done. It cannot afford to include major rehabilitation in the 2010 budget, nor does the government have the charm to convince private individuals to chip in to the costs of rebuilding.
Ondoy and Pepeng underlined the fact that donors were bothered by the government’s corruption track record so much so that when disaster struck they channeled their donations to the private sector, whom they trusted more in handling their donations honestly, efficiently and judiciously. Even the United Nations gave some relief assistance directly to private groups in what is perhaps the biggest sign of doubt in relief drive if initiated by the public sector.
And the government realizes its handicap that’s why it is giving the commission a “private sector feel”. It knows that on its own, it cannot convince the world to trust it with a billion dollars. Even for credibility, the government now relies on the halo effect of private sector.
Besides credibility, letting the private sector handle rehabilitation would ensure continuity of projects, many of which will take years to complete considering the far reaching devastation. With the upcoming election, any change in leadership in the government could derail rebuilding efforts.
A private sector-led rehabilitation also opens doors for loans and grants from reputable international financial institutions. These loans and grants would be promptly turned down if the government is the one applying for them. It’s like build operate and transfer scheme, only this time, the project is rehabilitation and the private sector is the government’s passport to a world of donations and aid.
But the Philippine government says this is not all about begging. It is also about asking for damages from those who might have directly and indirectly contributed to the destruction wrought by floods due to climate change.
President Gloria Arroyo partly blames rich countries for the beating the country took from global warming. The president thinks highly industrialized countries are responsible for carbon emissions that resulted in global warming and should (at the very least) shoulder some of the costs and losses of victim countries like the Philippines.
Never mind that disaster preparedness is really the government’s responsibility, or that the heavy human casualty and property damage due to floods were really avoidable if we preserved the environment, discouraged illegal settlers, disposed of our garbage properly and invested on weather technology and flood control.
Blaming other countries for our misfortunes is not only embarrassing. We also make ourselves the butt of global ridicule when we do not acknowledge our very own shortcomings as a people, which led to our watery woes.
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A signature campaign is on to press the government to dredge Pasig River and clear Laguna De Bay of illegal structures at once. Launched by the people of Marikina City, the drive aims to gather at least 10 million signatures to compel authorities to come up with a permanent solution to the flood problem.
Those interested in joining may email: biktimaniondoy@yahoo.com.
You may also join Facebook cause “Biktima ni Ondoy”: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/370393/89863940?m=cc366e79