Rappler Newscast | May 8, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• An expert says, delay in post-Haiyan rehabilitation is due to a system -quote- “designed to fail for massive disasters.”
• The Ombudsman clears former president Gloria Arroyo in the fertilizer fund scam
• South Korea arrests the operator of the sunken Korean ferry.

 

STORY 1: 6 MONTHS AFTER HAIYAN: ‘WE ARE FAILING’

Six months after the devastation of Super Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda, an expert says the Philippines faces another disaster: its own rehabilitation efforts.
On Wednesday, officials admit there’s still no master rehabilitation plan.
Ateneo School of Government Dean Tony La Viña blames this on a system that he says is “designed to fail for massive disasters.”
Two things explain the delay: too much bureaucracy and too little authority.
Ping Lacson, the man tasked to oversee rehabilitation efforts, says a provision in a 4-year-old disaster risk reduction law is causing bottlenecks.
Before a master rehabilitation plan is produced, affected areas need to submit their damage assessment reports…
before a post-disaster needs assessment or PDNA is submitted to the Cabinet, and then to the President.
None of these has happened – which means rehabilitation could officially begin in August or even much later.
Frustrated about this, Lacson says the PDNA needs to be localized.
La Viña says the system is not designed for massive disasters.
He adds, “It’s easy to do a post disaster risk assessment for a town or a barangay, but not for a whole province or many provinces all at once.”

 

STORY 2: OXFAM CRISIS EXPERT: GOV’T ‘SEVERELY LIMITED’ TO HELP

A humanitarian crisis expert shares his assessment of delayed Haiyan rehabilitation efforts.
Food security, housing, and employment remain a challenge for typhoon survivors and local government units.
Oxfam’s Tariq Riebl says Haiyan’s damage is comparable to the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2004 Indonesian tsunami.
He says the private sector contributed to progress on the ground more than the government.

TARIQ RIEBL, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS EXPERT: This Humanitarian Assistance has basic humanitarian needs have been met. But I think when we look at who has done that, it’s been a lot of international NGOs such as OXFAM, the Red Cross—has been very active. We have a private sector that has been very big.

Riebl says the local governments are willing but “overwhelmed.”

TARIQ RIEBL, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS EXPERT: What they’re clearly missing is money. They do not have money from the central government. The second part is that they lost all their assets. I mean they lost all documentations. They lost their barangay halls, their municipal halls, everything is gone.

Riebl adds Haiyan-stricken areas need specialists and advisers in livelihood and agriculture.
He says it might take 3 years to fully rehabilitate Haiyan-stricken areas.
The 3-year estimate takes into account natural disasters the Philippines will inevitably face again.

TARIQ RIEBL, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS EXPERT: We should not be looking at reconstructing the Visayas pre-typhoon. It’s not possible and actually it’s not even desirable because many people were suffering before the typhoon. They were very poor. So we’re looking at a restructure of livelihoods. This is gonna involve a move out of agriculture.

Riebl says if the government prioritized rehabilitation more, there’s no need for private groups such as Oxfam to operate on a large scale.

TARIQ RIEBL, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS EXPERT: Yes, I mean our dream is to be redundant, right? We’re not here to have a job, we’re here to get out of the job.

 

STORY 3: OMBUDSMAN CLEARS ARROYO IN P728-M FERTILIZER SCAM

The Ombudsman clears former president and Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo in the P728-million fertilizer scam.
In a resolution released Thursday, the Ombudsman says complainants failed to present evidence proving Arroyo’s involvement in the scam.
Former agriculture undersecretary Joc-Joc Bolante and other individuals allegedly colluded with private suppliers to misuse these funds.
These were allegedly used to finance Arroyo’s allies for the May 2004 polls.
Arroyo remains under hospital arrest over plunder charges for the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

 

STORY 4: CHINA DEMANDS ‘IMMEDIATE’ RELEASE OF PH-DETAINED FISHERMEN

Beijing wants the Philippines to release Chinese fishermen arrested off the coast of Palawan Tuesday.
Philippine maritime police intercepted the boat on Hasa-Hasa Shoal or Half Moon Shoal, located 60 nautical miles from Palawan and within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.
The police found about 500 turtles on the boat.
A statement from Beijing says the fishermen were operating in an area where China had “indisputable sovereignty.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying warns the Philippines against “taking any further provocative actions.”
She adds, “China always urges Chinese fishermen to conduct fishing activities in accordance with the law.”
The Philippines rejects China’s demand.
Malacanang defends the arrest, saying Philippine authorities were just doing their job.

STORY 5: HEAD OF S. KOREA FERRY COMPANY DETAINED; LICENSE TO BE REVOKED

The operator of the ferry that sank off South Korea is now in prison.
Kim Han Sik, chief operator of Chonghaejin Marine Company faces manslaughter charges for allegedly turning a blind eye to cargo overloading, seen as a major factor to its capsize on April 16.
Initial investigations show the ferry was carrying up to three times its safe capacity.
The company’s license has been revoked, following the tragedy that killed nearly 300 people, most of them high school students.

 

STORY 6: #PALARO2014: REGION-1 ARCHER DOMINATES INDIVIDUAL DISTANCE EVENTS

Region-1 archer Mary Queen Ybanez remains on target as she tops all individual distance events.
Ybanez bags gold in the 30, 40, 50, and 60-meter events.
She also wins gold in the FITA round, an event in target archery with time limit.
In volleyball, all of Western Visayas’ teams barge into the semifinals.
The boys elementary and secondary as well as the girls elementary and secondary took care of their opponents in straight sets.
In Basketball, 2013 secondary boys finalists NCR and Central Visayas will face each other in the semifinals
after posting 21 point wins over their opponents.
The central Visayas football team also advances to the next round after a hard-earned 3-1 win over host region Calabarzon.
Mimaropa is still on track to defend its football title after a 2-zero victory over Western Visayas.

STORY 7: ARMM TAEKWONDO JIN COMPETES FOR BETTER LIFE

Still on Palaro…
A taekwondo jin from Muslim Mindanao fights not only for glory, but for a chance at a better life.
Jane Bracher reports.

For Joan Elegua of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao…
everything that ever happened to her led her to this moment.

JOAN ELEGUA, ARMM TAEKWONDO: “Ako rin po kulang ako sa financial pero may goal po kasi ako na gusto ko po mag-aral nito kasi may kukunin po ako na kurso na gusto ko po maabot. Pinaaral po ako ng tatay ko kahit naghihirapan kami. Sabi po niya hahanapan niya na lang po ng paraan para maano (matupad) pa rin yung pangarap ko.”

(Our family doesn’t have the resources to send me to school. This is why I took up Taekwondo, so maybe I can have a scholarship for the course I want to take up. My dad sends me to school even though it’s hard for us financially. He says he’ll find a way to make sure I reach my goal.)

Dreaming of studying criminology, Joan took the rough road to Palarong Pambansa.
A year ago, she couldn’t even afford taekwondo gear.

JANE BRACHER, REPORTING: With the help of her school in Cotabato, Joan joined the varsity. And with her every kick, she visualized a better future for her and her parents back home. She also dedicates every kick to her sister.. whom she will never see again.

Joan lost her 3-year old sister when she was just 4. Her sister fell in a fish pond and drowned.  

JOAN ELEGUA, ARMM TAEKWONDO: Sobra po kasi yung tatay ko po nagtratrabaho tapos yung nanay ko nagtratrabaho din nun kasi kapos po kami talaga nun. Tapos yun.. Hanap po silang paraan. Nung dumating po sila doon sa.. hindi kasi nila matanggap. Tapos yun.. Hindi nila matanggap na ganoon nangyari….Kung buhay pa nga po siya gusto ko rin siya magta-taekwondo din.

(Both of my parents were at work that time because we were really struggling financially. They were trying to make ends meet. When they got there, they couldn’t believe what happened. If my sister was still alive, I would want her to do taekwondo too.)

As her parents struggled to make ends meet, Joan doubled her efforts in school and in taekwondo hoping to get a scholarship.

JOAN ELEGUA, ARMM TAEKWONDO: Gusto ko po manalo ako sa larong ito. Gusto ko po maka-gold ako, para mapakita ko rin po sa magulang ko at sa lahat ng mga kamag-anak ko na nagsikap din po ako kasi lahat ng ginagastos po ng tatay ko, ayoko yun masayang.

(I want to win. I want to take home gold so I can show my parents and all my relatives that I persevered. I don’t want the money my dad worked hard for to go to waste.)

Unfortunately, the 15-year old lost her only match at Palaro.

JOAN ELEGUA, ARMM TAEKWONDO: Kailangan po magsikap po sila sa lahat ng hirap. Wag po sila manghinaan ng loob. Tsaka hindi naman po lahat ng laro nananalo ka, tanggapin po kung matatalo, kung manalo, kailangan po gawin talaga ang best.

(They have to endure training. Never lose heart. You don’t always win. If you lose, you have to accept it. To win, you have to give your best.)

Joan says this is not the end of the road for her.
She looks forward to other competitions and opportunities, making her parents and her lost sister proud.
Jane Bracher, Rappler, Laguna.

STORY 8: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

wRap #4: EXPATS’ SPOUSES CAN NOW GET WORK VISAS IN THE UNITED STATES

The United States is changing its visa rule: the spouses of professionals in science and technology can now work while in the US.
Spouses of people with H-1B visas or limited-term working visas who have also applied for permanent residency ‘green cards’ can apply for permission to work.
The change aims to retain highly skilled people in the US.

wRap #8: POWERFUL COUNTRIES DEPLOY HELP TO RESCUE KIDNAPPED SCHOOLGIRLS

The United States, United Kingdom, China, and France offer to help trace and rescue more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the terror group Boko Haram.
The group, which condemns Western education, claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and warned it was selling the girls or taking them as brides.
The US and France will send specialist search teams to Nigeria while London will deploy “satellite imaging capabilities.”
China promised to supply “any useful information acquired by its satellites and intelligence services” to Nigeria.
Boko Haram militants attacked another town, razing buildings and killing around 300 civilians.

wRap #9: NEW ZEALAND IMPOSES COMPLETE BAN ON ECSTASY-LIKE DRUGS

New Zealand imposes a complete ban on “all psychoactive products” starting Thursday, after admitting its partial ban was a mistake.
The new law makes it illegal to possess, supply or sell drugs with the same effect as ecstacy.
Those who supply or manufacture the drugs may face a two-year jail term or fine of up to $433,000.

For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

 

– Rappler.com

Newscast Production Staff

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / WRITER	Lilibeth Frondoso
DIRECTOR	Rupert Ambil
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / PUBLISHER	Rodneil Quiteles
	Dindin Reyes
HEAD WRITER / PROMPTER	Katerina Francisco
	Marga Deona
MASTER EDITOR / PLAYBACK	Exxon Ruebe
	Emerald Hidalgo
	Jaene Zaplan
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / CAMERAMAN	Charlie Salazar
	Adrian Portugal
	Francis Lopez
	Naoki Mengua
GRAPHICS	Jessica Lazaro
	Raffy de Guzman