‘Cash is the best form of relief’ – Salceda

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon survivors now need cash more than other goods. Respect the local hierarchy: bring relief goods to residents through the mayors, barangay captains, and barangay councils. When parallel organizations are created in localities, this triggers problems.

Take it from the local official who has seen it all, Albay Gov Joey Salceda. In an interview on ANC’s Headstart on Tuesday, November 19, Salceda said that based on his experience disaster victims would be needing cash by this time, 10 days after Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) battered central Philippines, in particular Eastern Samar and Leyte.

“Cash is the best form of relief,” Salceda said. This way, survivors can “buy what they need.” Referring to the countless relief goods that are being packed by individuals and groups, Salceda told ANC’s Karen Davila: “Sell them, auction them.”

Cash would give survivors some sense of autonomy to decide for themselves and start rebuilding their lives, he explained. Some families can choose to manage the cash given to others who might not be able to handle it well, he added.

After 3 months, that’s when survivors can then begin to work for money, he said. But let them deal with their urgent needs first without having to work for anything they receive, Salceda stressed.

In Albay, some families would adopt disaster victims. They are given cash of P5,000, for example, plus a list of things to buy and do with that money, he added. Under his leadership, calamity-prone Albay has been recognized for its disaster preparedness programs. On October 10, Salceda was elected as the co-chair of the United Nations Green Climate Fund (UN GCF) Board in Paris, France. He is the first Asian and first Filipino to lead the Fund’s 24-member Board, which was created to help developing countries adapt to the impact of climate change. (READ: Disasters and social media)

Asked about the tent cities being built in calamity areas as well as other areas that have chosen to accommodate evacuees, Salceda said these are short-lived measures and are mostly unsafe.

Evacuees in tents will remain vulnerable to illnesses and weather disturbances, according to Salceda. Local governments and other sectors should just strengthen classrooms or other structures because “you don’t want to put evacuees in a place that’s not secure, since they already came from that situation,” he said in Filipino.

The most important lesson to keep in mind, Salceda said, is to course all these forms of help through the local officials – mayors, village captains, the local councils. “Walang ibibigay na hindi dadaan sa mayor, sa barangay captains, sa barangay councils,” he said. This is to ensure “accountability” because, after all, they form the “nerve system” of any locality.

Besides, local hierarchies need to be respected, he added. “There should be no parallel operations (by other government agencies)…that’s where problems erupt.”

He noted the abundance of relief goods in Tacloban City. Focus should be on the other damaged towns and villages, Salceda said. The markets in neighboring areas should now open to facilitate the trading of goods, he said.

More than 10 million people have been affected by Haiyan, which struck central Philippines on November 18. Relief has been slow, causing starvation in many remote areas cut off from the other provinces. – Rappler.com