Philippine Death Toll Rises, Government Defends Response

Written by Rick Stambaugh FGGAM News

Not unexpectedly, the Philippine government found itself trying to defend itself against complaints of a slow or inadequate response to the disaster and destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan.  Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said “In a situation like this, nothing is fast enough”. The Secretary was in the city of Tacloban, most of which was completely destroyed by the storm a week ago. “The need is massive, the need is immediate, and you can’t reach everyone.”

While conflicting reports from the United Nations is fluctuating report to report, the Philippine government’s civil defense agency confirmed Friday that the figure had risen to 3,621 and as many as 600,000 people have been displaced. Some officials still estimate that the final death toll after the missing are declared dead and more remote locations are reached will still be as much as or more than 10,000 souls, although that number fluctuates as well dependent on who you talk to. Authorities are struggling to meet the peoples immediate needs which is an expected occurrence after any major disaster, especially in an already poor country where local and national governments lack capacity to deal with the magnitude of a disaster this size.  Given the scale of the disaster, the amount of damage to the infrastructure and an almost total lack of communications capabilities, this is not unusual. The magnitude of the storm and it’s devastating effect to so many widely dispersed islands and communities further hamper rescue operations.

The pace of the aid effort and rescue and recovery operations has picked up over the last 24 hours as more assistance arrives and as more debris are removed to allow support personnel more access. Numerous foreign governments are dispatching food, water, medical supplies and trained staff to the region. More trucks, medical supplies and tents and electric generators are also arriving. Yesterday the USS George Washington Strike Group arrived and is anchored in the gulf just off Tacloban on the island of Leyte. The USS George Washington has 21 additional helicopters onboard to help with dispatching more supplies and aid personnel to more remote locations. The areas two major airports also appear to be fully operational with runways fully open and the U.S. Marines are installing lighting to enable the airports to provide 24 hour service for a number of C-130 cargo planes and other aircraft to bring in supplies and relocate civilians as they can.

Many people are complaining that the aid effort is inadequate which is thoroughly understandable despite the massive efforts to get aid in as fast as possible. An American citizen of Filipino descent, 33 year old Renee Patron, who was in Guiuan city on the eastern Samar province when the typhoon struck states: “The government’s distribution system in not enough. They are handing out small food packets to each household but when you have three families living inside one home, one little packet of food is not enough. Her friend, Susan Tan, whose grocery store and warehouse were completely looted after the typhoon struck is despondent but determined to carry on with her life and to help others. She’s now using her empty warehouse as a center where people can make calls on a satellite phone she got from a friend. There is no cellular phone service in the town since last Friday but the satellite phone does not rely on local cellular phone towers. It’s reported that there are regularly up to 100 people waiting in line to use that one phone. Tan stated: “This is my store. Now it’s a relief center and a call center,” she said. Her warehouse and store which was fully stocked for the upcoming Christmas season was ransacked by panicked people desperate for food. They took everything including the furniture in her office. “Although I’ve been looted and bankrupt by this, I cannot refuse my friends and my town. We need to help each other,” she said. “I can’t just go to Cebu and sit in the mall while this place is in ruins.”

In Tacloban city, the big challenge is the restoration of power, where many electric posts are down. But it may take some time because of the debris, he said. Troops are removing bodies near the sea with the help of the Departments of Health, Public Works and Highways, he said. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told The Associated Press that armed forces have set up communications lines and C-130 transport planes are conducting regular flights to Tacloban, the capital of Leyte. “The biggest challenge is to be able to reach out to all the areas and overwhelm them with food and water. There are just a few more areas in Leyte and Samar that have not been reached and our hope is that we will reach all these areas today, 100 percent,” he said.

The United Kingdom also is sending an aircraft carrier, the HMS Illustrious, with seven helicopters and facilities to produce fresh water, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said. It said the ship is expected to reach the area about Nov. 25. Additional U.S. Marines presently located in Okinawa Japan are also expected to help provide more help as well.

The Filipino people are a very resilient and strong people who have lived through many disasters but few of this size. Leyte is also the island where Allied Forces first landed in attempt to retake the Philippine Islands in Would War Two.

Let us ALL pray for these devastated people in their desperate time of need!