Filipinas - Opinions and Advice

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2120030]It is true that there are severe typhoon damage. [/QUOTE]When:

December 22,2017.

Affected Cities belongs to CDO and Davao Orientaa are as follows:

Bongo Island, Maguindanao, Pagadian City, Cagayan de Oro, Bonbon, Cebu City, Gusa, Cugman, Carmen, Mati, Tarragona, Manay, New Bataan, Baganga, Pagsabangan, Tandawan, Cateel, New Bataan, Bislig, Surigao del Sur.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2120030]It doesn't take a lot of money to repair some houses. You would be surprised what $50-100 will do. I have sent money to repair 6 homes. Unfortunately there are thousands of damaged homes. Thanks to those who are willing to help.[/QUOTE]Its really appreciable you had supported some of effects. But we can not determine the volume of damage with the money we are sending off unless we are not there. Here are some pics.

[QUOTE=RedKilt;2119857]I sent exactly the same message to WC too. The local news is showing some very severe damage in Norther Mindanao just west of CdO around Misamis Occ.[/QUOTE]People have been posting about storm reports from the news and from women's appeals for help. In fact, there are two separate tropical storms, about five days apart. The first was Kai-Tak (local name Urduja), which struck Samar in the Eastern Visayas on December 16th. It passed over northern Samar Island, and did some of its worst damage on the island of Biliran, a small island province at the northern end of Leyte Island.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-18/typhoon-hits-philippine-province/9269758

Tembin (local name Vinta) hit Mindanao early on December 22nd, moving westward across the island and eventually toward Palawan. Much of the worst damage appears to be in Lanao del Norte in areas west of Marawi City and southwest of Iligan City. The huge damage that RK and others are reporting is from this storm. There are reports of whole villages being obliterated and many, many bodies being retrieved. I suspect the numbers of dead will be in the high hundreds. This country just can't catch a break. Recent reports suggest that this Philstar report is probably premature.

http://www.philstar.com/

I added the first two links in an edit, and the hotlinks did not take. You will have to paste into your browser. I think this link shows the paths of the two storms:

[URL]https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/171222_ocha_phl_ts_kaitak_ts_tembin.pdf[/URL]

Well, as a rough guide when determining how much money to send, $100 USD is about P5,000. Here are some prices of goods that money is likely to purchase:

Emperador Solera brandy 750 ML P88.

Ginebra Gin Bilog 350 ML P116.85.

Tanduay Ice Alcomix 330 ML (3-pack) P78.

San Miguel Beer 330 ML P32.75.

Red Horse Beer 1000 ML P97.

Marvels Red cigarettes (pack) P47.

Marlboro cigarettes (pack) P82.

The family will not even notice that the nipa hut is gone until a week later, and they will be sure to let you know that the money you sent was not enough and you need to send more money. Remember the trike and the animals washed away in the flood, so you need to replace those too. A good starting point to replace the nipa hut and contents is P100,000.

P.S. Do not forget that Americans in Puerto Rico and the USA Virgin Islands are homeless and without electric power and safe drinking water.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;2120295]People have been posting about storm reports from the news and from women's appeals for help. In fact, there are two separate tropical storms, about five days apart. The first was Kai-Tak (local name Urduja), which struck Samar in the Eastern Visayas on December 16th. It passed over northern Samar Island, and did some of its worst damage on the island of Biliran, a small island province at the northern end of Leyte Island.

. This country just can't catch a break. Recent reports suggest that this Philstar report is probably premature.

http://www.philstar.com/

I added the first two links in an edit, and the hotlinks did not take. You will have to paste into your browser. I think this link shows the paths of the two storms:

[URL]https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/171222_ocha_phl_ts_kaitak_ts_tembin.pdf[/URL][/QUOTE]This country, like other island nations, is especially prone to natural disasters caused by rising sea levels and global warming, and the frequency of storms and related storm damage will likely worsen in the years ahead. However, it appears to me as if disaster management and disaster relief efforts have been improving rapidly. The Government is investing in disaster mapping; all local and provincial government are now required (I think) to produce and update disaster recovery and relief plans; the national government has invested in rescue craft and the forward positioning of supplies, and help does appear to be arriving more quickly to stricken areas. That's the positive news.

On the negative side of the equation, subsistence farmers and fisherfolk still insist on building structures in the middle of flood plains—in defiance of a national law prohibiting such construction—and will continue to be at risk. Construction standards have not improved. Drainage systems in outlying areas are wholly inadequate and forest cover continues to disappear because of illegal logging, increading the frequency and severity of landslides. Effective land use planning is spotty and largely absent from larger cities.

GE.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2120440]This country, like other island nations, is especially prone to natural disasters caused by rising sea levels and global warming, and the frequency of storms and related storm damage will likely worsen in the years ahead.
GE.[/QUOTE]Two of my girls on Mindanao sent me pics yesterday (taken the day prior) showing fam / neighbors either inside the home and waste-deep in water, or just outside the home in the common compound courtyard also waist-deep in water. However today both girls report all the water has receded completely, and its muddy everywhere inside and out. The cleanup process has begun. However, all girls report the fam losing almost everything they owed, either from flooding sweeping away contents, or being evacuated and thieves stealing the contents. One lost an entire plywood home, washed away into a river that flooded over its banks (along with a bunch of other homes along the banks).

[QUOTE=ChochaMonger;2120424]
P.S. Do not forget that Americans in Puerto Rico and the USA Virgin Islands are homeless and without electric power and safe drinking water.[/QUOTE]Hmm, America first?

Anyway, now that American companies have to pay less taxes they can spend more money on charity programs for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2120461]Two of my girls on Mindanao sent me pics yesterday (taken the day prior) showing fam / neighbors either inside the home and waste-deep in water, or just outside the home in the common compound courtyard also waist-deep in water. However today both girls report all the water has receded completely, and its muddy everywhere inside and out. The cleanup process has begun. However, all girls report the fam losing almost everything they owed, either from flooding sweeping away contents, or being evacuated and thieves stealing the contents. One lost an entire plywood home, washed away into a river that flooded over its banks (along with a bunch of other homes along the banks).[/QUOTE]I've not seen any reports of cholera, but that's always a post-disaster risk, especially in countries like this in which public health resources are so limited.

GE.

[QUOTE=MuaTur;2120250]When:

December 22,2017.

Affected Cities belongs to CDO and Davao Orientaa are as follows:

Bongo Island, Maguindanao, Pagadian City, Cagayan de Oro, Bonbon, Cebu City, Gusa, Cugman, Carmen, Mati, Tarragona, Manay, New Bataan, Baganga, Pagsabangan, Tandawan, Cateel, New Bataan, Bislig, Surigao del Sur.

Its really appreciable you had supported some of effects. But we can not determine the volume of damage with the money we are sending off unless we are not there. Here are some pics.[/QUOTE]Some video footage on local TV news here in Sydney tonight included clips similar to your pictures.

Also mentioned was a fire in a shopping mall in Davao that killed at least 37 people. Don't know how old that actually was, our TV stations are notorious for digging out "old news" to fill in time for a story.

[QUOTE=AussieGaigin;2120560]
Also mentioned was a fire in a shopping mall in Davao that killed at least 37 people. Don't know how old that actually was, our TV stations are notorious for digging out "old news" to fill in time for a story.[/QUOTE]This happened yesterday. It was in the news here in Holland as well.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2120576]This happened yesterday. It was in the news here in Holland as well.[/QUOTE]It's made the news all over the world. I know the family that owns the mall pretty well, and I imagine they're devastated given that they're some of the kindest, nicest people I know. My wife was at the mall when the fire started and was evacuated within minutes after having smelled smoke. There's as yet no cause given as to the origin of the fire, but the NYT did say in an article that various terrorist groups had threatened to attack malls during this season.

GE.

[QUOTE=ChochaMonger;2120424]Well, as a rough guide when determining how much money to send, $100 USD is about P5,000. Here are some prices of goods that money is likely to purchase:

Emperador Solera brandy 750 ML P88.

Ginebra Gin Bilog 350 ML P116.85.

Tanduay Ice Alcomix 330 ML (3-pack) P78.

San Miguel Beer 330 ML P32.75.

Red Horse Beer 1000 ML P97.

Marvels Red cigarettes (pack) P47.

Marlboro cigarettes (pack) P82.

The family will not even notice that the nipa hut is gone until a week later, and they will be sure to let you know that the money you sent was not enough and you need to send more money. Remember the trike and the animals washed away in the flood, so you need to replace those too. A good starting point to replace the nipa hut and contents is P100,000.

P.S. Do not forget that Americans in Puerto Rico and the USA Virgin Islands are homeless and without electric power and safe drinking water.[/QUOTE]Very useful (less) list. So what have you done for Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands? Or for anyone?

By the way, Merry Christmas too!

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2120440]This country, like other island nations, is especially prone to natural disasters caused by rising sea levels and global warming, and the frequency of storms and related storm damage will likely worsen in the years ahead.[/QUOTE]For a number of years the Philippines has ranked as one of the top three most disaster vulnerable countries, along with two Pacific island nations, Vanuatu and Tonga. But disaster threats in the Philippines also include volcanoes and earthquakes. In Metro Manila the greatest concern is about the West Valley Fault line, which runs parallel to the Marakina River through Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, etc. Locals refer to it as preparing for "the big one. " The Department and Science and Technology has a phone app available that has a GPS component and automatically calculates the distance from the fault line.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2120440]However, it appears to me as if disaster management and disaster relief efforts have been improving rapidly. The Government is investing in disaster mapping; all local and provincial government are now required (I think) to produce and update disaster recovery and relief plans; .[/QUOTE]A 2010 law changed the funding landscape. Previously five percent of national funds directed to local government units were designated for disaster management, but local leaders had a lot of discretion as to how the funds were used. The greatest political payoff came from being seen doling out resources to disaster victims. The new law took some discretion out of the hands of local political leaders by designating that a larger proportion, more than half of the five percent, I think, could only be spent for mitigation (disaster threat mapping, building codes, designating and enforcing no-build areas, sea walls, stronger public buildings and bridges, etc.) and preparedness (training, buying rescue equipment and electric generators, educating the public about evacuation, building evacuation shelters, etc.). Local leaders did not like losing their discretion, and they knew that buying rescue craft has much less political cachet than being shown on TV handing out disaster relief. I have been told that a few local governments caught on quickly, but many resisted, and many are still way behind the curve.

[QUOTE=GoodEnough;2120440]On the negative side of the equation, subsistence farmers and fisherfolk still insist on building structures in the middle of flood plains in defiance of a national law prohibiting such construction and will continue to be at risk. Construction standards have not improved. Drainage systems in outlying areas are wholly inadequate and forest cover continues to disappear because of illegal logging, increasing the frequency and severity of landslides. Effective land use planning is spotty and largely absent from larger cities. GE.[/QUOTE]Therein lies the rub. Poor people need livelihoods. I was in Tacloban nine months after Haiyan drowned thousands of people there. Soon after the disaster national authorities introduced a moratorium on building within a half km of the shore. I took the photo below when I was there. Clearly the fisherfolk had rebuilt their shanties at the shoreline, totally ignoring the moratorium. Alternatively, are they going to drag their bancas half a km to the edge of the water, or leave them and their fishing gear far from home where they can't safeguard them? The other part of the equation is that they are squatters. They live in dangerous areas at the shoreline because they can't afford to buy land, and nobody who can afford land wants to live there.

Poor people throughout the Philippines squat under these same dynamics. Squatters are voters, and often political leaders don't want to be seen pushing them around. So building in identified flooding and seismic danger zones is often a simple economic equation. Poverty and landlessness are the real issues.

Another dynamic is affecting the dangers of erosion from illegal logging and mining. In recent years the principal deterrents to this activity have been environmental NGOs and local indigenous groups, who typically used the land for communal consumption. Recently I was told by a prominent NGO leader that executions of these resisters have spiked within the last year. He insists that it's because the illegal mining and logging interests have become entrenched in high levels of the current administration, and so they have little to fear from government enforcement. I have no way to corroborate his claim, but people I have talked to can't disprove it.

[QUOTE=ChochaMonger;2120424]The family will not even notice that the nipa hut is gone until a week later, and they will be sure to let you know that the money you sent was not enough and you need to send more money. Remember the trike and the animals washed away in the flood, so you need to replace those too. A good starting point to replace the nipa hut and contents is P100,000.[/QUOTE]I have been told by poor Filipinos who have experienced such disasters that the most important resources they need following the crisis are blue tarpaulins, a hammer, and a few nails. It is likely that human resilience does more for disaster recovery than do the billions of dollars of humanitarian relief.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;2120683]For a number of years the Philippines has ranked as one of the top three most disaster vulnerable countries, along with two Pacific island nations, Vanuatu and Tonga. But disaster threats in the Philippines also include volcanoes and earthquakes. In Metro Manila the greatest concern is about the West Valley Fault line, which runs parallel to the Marakina River through Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, etc. Locals refer to it as preparing for "the big one. " The Department and Science and Technology has a phone app available that has a GPS component and automatically calculates the distance from the fault line.

A 2010 law changed the funding landscape. Previously five percent of national funds directed to local government units were designated for disaster management, but local leaders had a lot of discretion as to how the funds were used. The greatest political payoff came from being seen doling out resources to disaster victims. The new law took some discretion out of the hands of local political leaders by designating that a larger proportion, more than half of the five percent, I think, could only be spent for mitigation (disaster threat mapping, building codes, designating and enforcing no-build areas, sea walls, stronger public buildings and bridges, etc.) and preparedness (training, buying rescue equipment and electric generators, educating the public about evacuation, building evacuation shelters, etc.). Local leaders did not like losing their discretion, and they knew that buying rescue craft has much less political cachet than being shown on TV handing out disaster relief. I have been told that a few local governments caught on quickly, but many resisted, and many are still way behind the curve.

Therein lies the rub. Poor people need livelihoods. I was in Tacloban nine months after Haiyan drowned thousands of people there. Soon after the disaster national authorities introduced a moratorium on building within a half km of the shore. I took the photo below when I was there. Clearly the fisherfolk had rebuilt their shanties at the shoreline, totally ignoring the moratorium. Alternatively, are they going to drag their bancas half a km to the edge of the water, or leave them and their fishing gear far from home where they can't safeguard them? The other part of the equation is that they are squatters. They live in dangerous areas at the shoreline because they can't afford to buy land, and nobody who can afford land wants to live there.

Poor people throughout the Philippines squat under these same dynamics. Squatters are voters, and often political leaders don't want to be seen pushing them around. So building in identified flooding and seismic danger zones is often a simple economic equation. Poverty and landlessness are the real issues.

Another dynamic is affecting the dangers of erosion from illegal logging and mining. In recent years the principal deterrents to this activity have been environmental NGOs and local indigenous groups, who typically used the land for communal consumption. Recently I was told by a prominent NGO leader that executions of these resisters have spiked within the last year. He insists that it's because the illegal mining and logging interests have become entrenched in high levels of the current administration, and so they have little to fear from government enforcement. I have no way to corroborate his claim, but people I have talked to can't disprove it.[/QUOTE]Very well written. While Pres Marcos was stealing the treasury he developed a low income housing plan at no or low cost to the government. He gave squatters rights. They did not get title to the property but the right to live there and the right to electrical power and water providing they paid for the hook ups. Thru out the Philippines you will see this on the coast, along the highways and even next to the shipyards in Manila.

With corruption up to the highest levels and over population I don't see any changes for the better.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2120690]With corruption up to the highest levels and over population I don't see any changes for the better.[/QUOTE]True but the poverty keeps the supply of cut price hookers huge. The challenge is not on the supply side but on what to do with the supply.