By
Jeremaiah M. Opiniano
Contributor
Nov. 1, 2014
HONG
KONG—In the lead up to the first anniversary of typhoon Yolanda’s destruction
of the Visayas islands, a Filipino donor group in Hong Kong had to learn the
hard way how in-kind donations from abroad may be best sent back home.
WIMLER
Partnerships for Social Progress was able to raise some HK$139,159,70
(P805,526) in cash donations and numerous relief goods from donors in the Crown
Colony and in four other countries in the last 11 months since Yolanda
(international name: Haiyan) hopped islands in the Visayas and wrought
destruction that the world took notice.
But
as WIMLER volunteers and donors had been sending these donations to affected
residents in the towns of Coron (Palawan province), Bantayan (Cebu) and
Estancia (Iloilo), something was more expensive as the relief effort from the
group progressed: The sending of the donated goods itself.
“We
realized that sending of goods from Hong Kong to the local beneficiaries was
not only impractical but even more expensive,” said Filipina-Dutch Leila
Rispens-Noel, WIMLER co-founder.
What
happened was some of the cash donations raised was used to defray the costs of
shipping relief goods to WIMLER’s beneficiary-municipalities.
For
example, about HK$6,575 (some P38,059) was spent to ship tents, 12 boxes of
baby milk and four boxes of Nestogen (an adult milk brand), 18 feeding bottles
and medicines to Coron. A separate HK$16,700 (P96,668) was spent to ship goods,
blankets, tents and blankets benefiting 150 families in Bantayan. (Also in
Bantayan, WIMLER handed out 20 small fishing boats to affected fishermen in the
area.)
Rispens-Noel
wished that the cash donations raised could have been used to buy goods in
affected areas —for as long as the recipient of such amounts is well-trusted.
If
another natural disaster happens, “it is better to collect the funds and send
the money to the contact person/s and who shall then be tasked to buy the goods
locally instead of sending goods from Hong Kong,” Rispens-Noel said.
Nevertheless
the lesson learned, WIMLER continued to attract donations to Yolanda-stricken
areas. Like for the beneficiaries from Estancia, Iloilo, WIMLER’s young
volunteers based in Hong Kong organized organizing a Dodgeball tournament. With
the help of such tournament, some HK$37,584 (P217,555) was raised and eventually
used to buy 38 sacks of rice, 150 pieces of blankets, 12 boxes of Bearbrand
milk, 100 pieces of aluminum kettles, and 20 liter kerosene. Some of that
amount was also used to hand out three motorized fishing boats complete with
fishing gears, support organic farming project, as well as provide financial
support to 20 Estancia-based pupils who are victims of Yolanda.
Apart
from the Apart from the above fund campaigns, WIMLER also received a total of
HK$78,300.70 (P453,244) from individual and corporate donors —including
Filipino-run firms— based in Hong Kong, Netherlands, Belgium, the United States
and Mexico.
On
Nov. 8, 2013, Yolanda had left 11 million people have been affected and many
have been left homeless. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC) reported that at least 6,268 died, 28,689 were injured and
1,061 were missing given the wrath of the world’s strongest weather system to
hit landfall. Damage in agriculture and infrastructure is estimated at US$
878.86 million.
But
months after some billions of donations had been raised worldwide, there are
still concerns surrounding the judicious use of donations on the ground after a
natural disaster. Even a recent report by the Commission on Audit (COA) showed
that over-PhP741.59 million in quick response funds that were coursed through
the Office of Civil Defense and the NDRMMC have yet to be spent.
On
the part of Filipinos abroad and their organizations, known to be frequent
donors to the motherland right after natural disasters strike, they continue to
send in-kind donations.
But
given its own experiences in response to Yolanda relief efforts, Rispens-Noel
of the three-year-old nonprofit WIMLER (www.wimler.org)
says a “good” agreement with relevant parties, persons or group beneficiaries
must be done before sending any goods.
“Haste
makes waste. Things not clearly communicated will not only resort to more
confusion but would make the shipment of goods more expensive.”
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