Inutile!!

[staind]

Inutile in Lebanon

INQ7.net
Last updated 03:58am (Mla time) 07/20/2006


AS AN overseas Filipino worker (OFW), I am horrified by the slow and unclear response of the Philippine government to the plight of 30,000 Filipino workers who are helplessly trapped in Lebanon.

The government, as expected, has again made the excuse of lack of funds. Without even first instituting its own assistance mechanisms, it has already resorted to outside support, such as that of the Vatican to assist OFWs in Lebanon. The government's so-called "innovative" ways to secure the lives of its citizens in Lebanon include seeking refuge in Catholic churches, as if those infrastructures are immune from bombings.

Other governments, even before the war broke, have had clear evacuation plans for their citizens. The Philippines, which has the second-highest population of citizens in Lebanon (Canada has the highest at 40,000 citizens), did not even have foresight for possible evacuation as the war was looming.

Estrelita Hizon, who is president of a recruiters' group and who sits comfortably on the board of trustees of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), even declared, irresponsibly, that what was happening in Lebanon was not that bad and scary, even if the emergency alert level was already at No. 3.

OFWs provide billions of dollars in remittances to the Philippines ($11.5 billion last year, according to an Inquirer report on July 17, 2006) -- and there is not a single cent allocated for overseas Filipinos in a crisis? Where is the emergency repatriation fund of P100 million that should have been allotted for such cases as directed by the Magna Carta
for OFWs? Where are the billions of pesos in OWWA funds?

Remittances from OFWs keep the Philippine economy afloat and the least that this inutile government can do is to ensure that its "milking cows" are out of danger so the inflows of remittances won't be disrupted. According to Presidential Spokesman Mike Defensor and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, it would cost $300-$400 to ferry each person out by ship, or $12 million for all the 30,000 Filipinos in Lebanon. What is $12 million compared with the billions of dollars that we OFWs bring into the country? What is $12 million if that is the cost of our lives?

With the help of their responsible governments, most foreign nationals have fled Lebanon already, in one of the biggest mass evacuations since World War II. Meanwhile, the Philippine government is still debating how to repatriate OFWs, some of whom were abandoned by their employers who fled Lebanon.

There have been reports of Filipino evacuees in one church in Lebanon who are packed like sardines. Meanwhile, Defensor and Gonzalez said the "current situation showed that the Filipinos were still safe."

What a talent for inutility.

-- GILBERT SAPE, 12-2 Block B Greenlane Heights, Penang, Malaysia (via e-mail)

[uls]

Gagastos ng 12 million dollars and philippine govt para i-rescue ang mga OFW sa Lebanon?

Ya right... mag hitch nalang daw: http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerhea...ticle_id=10737

[wren]

inutility...i like that word . i hope and pray they all get back home safely.

[1D4LV]

hehehehehe.

[mazdamazda]

That's because we don't have a fleet of C5s, warships and the like the other "responsible" countries out there.

Plus, not all of the estimated 35,000 Filipinos in Lebanon want to be evacuated. Only a thousand or so have expressed desire to return to the Philippines.

Plans for a chartered ship to take in the evacuees is already in the works. An initial $500,000 has already been allotted for this.

The author should first know of the facts before complaining to evacuate all Filipinos working there in Lebanon.

[mikmik316]

That's because we don't have a fleet of C5s, warships and the like the other "responsible" countries out there.

Plus, not all of the estimated 35,000 Filipinos in Lebanon want to be evacuated. Only a thousand or so have expressed desire to return to the Philippines.

Plans for a chartered ship to take in the evacuees is already in the works. An initial $500,000 has already been allotted for this.

The author should first know of the facts before complaining to evacuate all Filipinos working there in Lebanon.

Wow bigla akong nabad-trip dito sa sagot ni Mazda mazda.

First, are you an OFW? The one telling the story is an OFW. Kaya don't compare your situation with their misery.

Second, E kahit na may initial allotment of money e... ang tanong... may progress na ba yan? Ni wala nga akong nababasa na may barko na nasa Lebanon na e... Sabi nga ng author... SLOW ang reaction... baka SUPER SLOW pa nga e.

Third, kahit na 1 thousand lang ang gusto umalis, evacuation plans should expect the worst... which means they should have plans to evacuate the 30k pinoys there...

Pag pasensyahan na ang violent reaction ko dahil hindi ako PRO-GMA at sana nga matanggal na sa pwesto yang inutile president na yan.

[1D4LV]

Wow bigla akong nabad-trip dito sa sagot ni Mazda mazda.

First, are you an OFW? The one telling the story is an OFW. Kaya don't compare your situation with their misery.

Second, E kahit na may initial allotment of money e... ang tanong... may progress na ba yan? Ni wala nga akong nababasa na may barko na nasa Lebanon na e... Sabi nga ng author... SLOW ang reaction... baka SUPER SLOW pa nga e.

Third, kahit na 1 thousand lang ang gusto umalis, evacuation plans should expect the worst... which means they should have plans to evacuate the 30k pinoys there...

Pag pasensyahan na ang violent reaction ko dahil hindi ako PRO-GMA at sana nga matanggal na sa pwesto yang inutile president na yan.

bro... teka. parang may halong pulitika yung sagot mo. parang di ka nag-stick dun sa topic. pro-impeachment ka siguro no? ;)

imho. money triggers everything. kung may pera and resources ang pilipinas, madali lang yan. i am not blaming the ofw who wrote this, but again, imho, the preparations and plans for the evacuation process has been made even after the initial rockets have been fired. in fact, i've read that cimatu was there during that time to assess the situation. kung may resources lang sana pilipinas, it could have been easier by just sending a cargo plane there for just to ferry out those trapped to the nearest country, which i think is turkey, pero wala. what happened is that since wala tayong ganung gamit, we can only rely on charity on other countries or the private sector just to do it (like Philippine Airlines chartering a flight out for free, carrying these passengers back to Manila). what was being done is coordination from DFA to the Philippine Embassy in Beirut to just coordinate everything, which includes bus transfer to Syria. While other countries like the US directly went down to pick-up their citizens by military cargo planes and ships, our citizens, unless it gets help from the private sector or from other countries, will just have to while their time in a neutral country (as refugees) until hostilities cease.

yes, i agree with you the evacuation plans should have been prepared. in fact, evacuation plans should have been prepared, not just for the Lebanon crisis, but for other middle east countries which are also vulnerable to these situations (like Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, etc.) but in reality, plans are plans. implementation of these plans are different from what you see in paper. and plans, if they are not backed-up with the proper resources, are bound to just stay as plans.

yung barkong sinasabi mo? saan mangagaling yun? may barko ba tayo na ganung kabilis tumakbo from manila to lebanon? kaya ba ng super ferry yan? kung kaya ng super ferry yan, private sector yan and the best thing that the private sector can do is just to offer their facilities and equipment. pero on the point of view of the private sector, walang profit dyan. so the government will just have to rely on diplomacy and its relations with the countries who have resources, which is the best thing that can be done on tense situations like that. kung ngayon pa lang tayo maghahanap ng private sector donors, malamang tapos na ang giyera dyan, wala pa ring nag-vovolunteer dyan.


i am not a pro-gma too, nor i am a supporter or desciple of mazda2, but you have to have facts first before saying as such items as you've posted. not to offend you, but you have to look also at the other side before you react to something. another piece of advise.... hwag mong masyadong i-seryoso ang buhay... life is too short for you for you not to enjoy it.

peace bro....

[mikmik316]

bro... teka. parang may halong pulitika yung sagot mo.
imho. money triggers everything. kung may pera and resources ang pilipinas, madali lang yan. i am not blaming the ofw who wrote this, but again, imho, the preparations and plans for the evacuation process has been made even after the initial rockets have been fired. in fact, i've read that cimatu was there during that time to assess the situation. kung may resources lang sana pilipinas, it could have been easier by just sending a cargo plane there for just to ferry out those trapped to the nearest country, which i think is turkey, pero wala. what happened is that since wala tayong ganung gamit, we can only rely on charity on other countries or the private sector just to do it (like Philippine Airlines chartering a flight out for free, carrying these passengers back to Manila). what was being done is coordination from DFA to the Philippine Embassy in Beirut to just coordinate everything, which includes bus transfer to Syria. While other countries like the US directly went down to pick-up their citizens by military cargo planes and ships, our citizens, unless it gets help from the private sector or from other countries, will just have to while their time in a neutral country (as refugees) until hostilities cease.

yes, i agree with you the evacuation plans should have been prepared. in fact, evacuation plans should have been prepared, not just for the Lebanon crisis, but for other middle east countries which are also vulnerable to these situations (like Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, etc.) but in reality, plans are plans. implementation of these plans are different from what you see in paper.

i am not a pro-gma too, but you have to have facts first before saying as such items as you've posted. but not to offend you, but you have to look also at the other side before you react to something.

peace bro....

We have the money? Yes we have the money. In fact kung babasahin mo ang article, Labor Law and other Laws allot specific amounts of money to OFW assistance. Meron tayong Disaster Coordination Funds na direcho galing sa Office of the President. Emergency Funds na pwedeng gamitin in cases of emergency problems. Ang problem? Where is the governments commitment to disburse the fund right away? Walang pera? E kakalabas pa lang ng funds for the quarter ending June e sigurado ako may pera yan.

And even money should not be the problem. If GMA is a good American Ally, e di ba dapat ginamit nya ang kanyang diplomatic powers para humingi ng tulong? Na humiram ng US vessels to save Pinoys???

What the OFW said is true abouth the Government - SLOW & INDECISIVE. Check Gloria's reputation as a leader... Nagrereflect sa sistema ng gobyerno natin ngaun ang pagiging indecisive ng presidente.

[1D4LV]

We have the money? Yes we have the money. In fact kung babasahin mo ang article, Labor Law and other Laws allot specific amounts of money to OFW assistance. Meron tayong Disaster Coordination Funds na direcho galing sa Office of the President. Emergency Funds na pwedeng gamitin in cases of emergency problems. Ang problem? Where is the governments commitment to disburse the fund right away? Walang pera? E kakalabas pa lang ng funds for the quarter ending June e sigurado ako may pera yan.

And even money should not be the problem. If GMA is a good American Ally, e di ba dapat ginamit nya ang kanyang diplomatic powers para humingi ng tulong? Na humiram ng US vessels to save Pinoys???

What the OFW said is true abouth the Government - SLOW & INDECISIVE. Check Gloria's reputation as a leader... Nagrereflect sa sistema ng gobyerno natin ngaun ang pagiging indecisive ng presidente.

yes, we do have the money... but disbursement of funds require a process. its the same as your departmental budget wherein you have the money, but you can't use it right away but has to go through a process before being disbursed.

on your borrowing of US vessels to save pinoys, i really don't think the united states can do that immediately too. ang alam ko, usage of their equipments outside of their original purpose should be first approved by the US congress. ika nga, may proseso pa din.

although again, i agree with you that GMA had demonstrated indecisiveness, her being slow this time, dictates that some of the reasons why she acted slowly (which i think is not, but is still reasonable) is because of the processes involved in acting immediately.

again, your reply is a little bit out of topic. halata na yung galit mo kay GMA bro.... easy ka lang.... file ka na lang ng impeachment complaint as a private citizen...
this will be my last reply to your ideas. i really don't want to be a part of this thread being an out-of-topic thread. if you want, you can open siguro another thread to bash GMA. siguro there, we can have a healthy discussion on how she works, her attitues, her personal financial status, and maybe siguro even her *** life.... hehehehehe.

[mazdamazda]

First, are you an OFW? The one telling the story is an OFW. Kaya don't compare your situation with their misery.

Does that matter? I am entitled to my opinion about these matters since I contribute to the P100B personal income tax revenue collected by the government yearly.

Second, E kahit na may initial allotment of money e... ang tanong... may progress na ba yan? Ni wala nga akong nababasa na may barko na nasa Lebanon na e... Sabi nga ng author... SLOW ang reaction... baka SUPER SLOW pa nga e.

Even Canada who has 40,000 citizens there and has more resources at its disposal than us still doesn't have a chartered ship in Lebanese waters.

Around 200 Pinoys have already been evacuated c/o a chartered airplane FYI. That costed us $300K.

Third, kahit na 1 thousand lang ang gusto umalis, evacuation plans should expect the worst... which means they should have plans to evacuate the 30k pinoys there...

Heck... if I remember during the Gulf war... Filipinos were even standing at building rooftops watching Scuds being intercepted by Patriot missiles.

Not all of the 30K Filipino there would want to leave Lebanon. Even the 1K OFWs mentioned earlier doesn't not want IMMEDIATE repatriation.

What the OFW said is true abouth the Government - SLOW & INDECISIVE. Check Gloria's reputation as a leader... Nagrereflect sa sistema ng gobyerno natin ngaun ang pagiging indecisive ng presidente.

So what do you call this:

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier ordered the release of 150 million pesos for the evacuation of the Filipinos from Lebanon.

The 11-member Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) board of trustees approved the release of two million dollars of OWWA monies as a standby fund for the initial repatriation of 2,000 OFWs in Lebanon.

And even money should not be the problem. If GMA is a good American Ally, e di ba dapat ginamit nya ang kanyang diplomatic powers para humingi ng tulong? Na humiram ng US vessels to save Pinoys???

Ummm... here's the front page of the Philippine Star:

[size=4]RP seeks US, Vatican help[/size]

And yes, the US agreed to help Filipino evacuees.

[erict]

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 11 (10 members and 1 guests)
erict, ILuvDetailing, m2's kumander, happy_gilmore, surewin, nugundam93, mikmik316, uls, Fulcrum

ang daming naka-abang dito..pero konti pa ang nagpopost

[1D4LV]

and oh, to stay with the topic, i've heard earlier some of those OFW rants who are trapped in lebanon that most of their lebanese masters have quite abandoned them wherein their masters went to the mountains or on a safer place, leaving the filipinos to just guard or stay in the house to watch their master's properties.

i personally feel that this is a more pressing issue because this entails the rights of our workers there. i presonally feel that this is in violation of their human and worker's rights dapat eto ang pinagtutunan ng pansin ng gobyerno, not just in lebanon but also in other countries where ang pagtingin sa mga filipino workers ay mababa.

[FrankDrebin]

IMO, the evacuation planning thingie should start from the OFW themselves. May giyera na nga ayaw pang gumawa ng paraan.

[oldblue]

IMO, the evacuation planning thingie should start from the OFW themselves. May giyera na nga ayaw pang gumawa ng paraan.

hindi kaya karamihan ng OFW's sa lebanon ay galing Mindanao or mga muslim din kaya ayaw nila umalis. theory lang po kasi taka lang talaga ako sa mga ayaw umalis. as if, naiisip pa nila na mas grabe bumalik sa mga bayan nila dito ng walang pera kaysa makipagpatintero sa mga Israeli missiles and bombs.

[redorange]

hindi kaya karamihan ng OFW's sa lebanon ay galing Mindanao or mga muslim din kaya ayaw nila umalis. theory lang po kasi taka lang talaga ako sa mga ayaw umalis. as if, naiisip pa nila na mas grabe bumalik sa mga bayan nila dito ng walang pera kaysa makipagpatintero sa mga Israeli missiles and bombs.

Where they are from does not matter, they are still Pinoys. As mentioned earlier Pinoys just like to wait the last minute before doing anything, be it government for being reactive to the situation instead of proactive or the OFW's who want to stay and then rush the government to get them out last minute. Just look at every emergency situation the Philippines has had where evacuation is needed. Must be a last two minute thing from basketball that Pinoys learn this from.

Pinoys always reason I would rather die in a bad situation than starve to death or because my family needs the money. What they fail to see is that in both situations death is the final outcome and that to die in a foreign land will cause their family more grief.

[Karding]

Pinoys always reason I would rather die in a bad situation than starve to death or because my family needs the money. What they fail to see is that in both situations death is the final outcome and that to die in a foreign land will cause their family more grief.

fortunately, they already weigh their situation and made the decision to migrate. they are aware of dangers in Lebanon.

in any situation, DEATH is your final destination. It is how you leave legacy to your family. It is the respect and honor that you left with your family that you TRIED to do something to feed them as opposed to not doing anything at all. I salute them for being REALISTIC.

what would you tell our kababayan who still wants to work in Iraq despite the unstable and dangerous situation? "Wag ka nang pumunta ng Iraq, delikado dun. Di bale nang magutom tayo basta buhay at sama-sama." sounds like a tele-novela.

Trajano, ako founder ng Piolo Por Layf Pan Klab sa Kali.

[Trajano]

Trajano, ako founder ng Piolo Por Layf Pan Klab sa Kali.

Die hard fan naman ni Juday ang Nanay ko. Kahit nasa NJ ay di pa rin paawat.

[BlueBimmer]

IMO dapat gus2 rin ng mga OFWs umalis, at least transpo nalang kelangan. hirap naman ata kung kumpleto na transportation tapos kelangan pang pilitin. timbangin nila dapat ano mas mahalaga, pera o buhay nila.

[boybi]

read the news in CNN.com, even the americans trapped in lebanon are complaining about the very slow evacuation plans of the US government.

[badsekktor]

well if their evacuation plans does not push through as soon as possible.... God help our OFW's in Lebanon.....