Update: Back to Malacañang as evacuation center.
Malacañang is taking back Gloria Arroyo’s announcement that the Place will be converted into a relief and evacuation center for victims of typhoon “Ondoy”.Former AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon, now chief of the Presidential Management Staff said there was an apparent miscommunication: Malacañang was not supposed to be an evacuation center as Arroyo herself announced Monday.
“This is a repacking center, meaning we will receive donations, repack them, then send them to evacuation centers where the flood victims are,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “If they want to receive relief goods, they should go to the evacuation centers.”
Arroyo announced Monday that she will be transferring temporarily to Bahay Pangarap across the Pasig River to accommodate the victims of typhoon Ondoy. Her exact words: “Relocated families will be sheltered in all available premises within the Palace grounds. Government employees will be asked to make room for our guests, and I myself will move across the river to temporary quarters at bahay pangarap in the PSG compound.”
In ANC’s “Strictly Politics”, Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez had another version of Arroyo’s announcement. He said Malacañang as evacuation center is only for flood victims in areas surrounding Malacañang.
Host Pia Hontiveros pointed out to Golez that those who were rendered homeless by typhoon “Ondoy” were mostly from Marikina, San Mateo, Quezon City which are far from Malacañang.
Inquirer’s story:
Long lines at Palace ‘relief’ center irks Arroyo
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
President Macapagal-Arroyo didn’t like what she saw on the first day of her unprecedented order to open Malacañang to common folks: a long stretch of poor villagers peeking through the gates of the Kalayaan compound under the intense mid-afternoon heat.
That was apparently the closest they could get to the National Relief Operations Center set up at the Palace grounds to help victims of typhoon Ondoy—until Ms Arroyo got visibly irked.
Such was the sight that greeted Ms Arroyo when she arrived at the Kalayaan Hall at around 1:30 p.m. from a Cabinet meeting in Camp Aguinaldo. Her face turning sour, she immediately ordered Palace guards to let the villagers in.
Hermogenes Esperon, presidential chief of staff, sought to downplay Ms Arroyo’s subdued annoyance, saying “she just didn’t want to see the people lined up outside.”
About an hour later, the number of people expecting relief goods would swell to around 500. Many of them were women and kids coming in slippers and tattered clothes.
An old man on a wheelchair fell in line, at the end of which volunteers were distributing only hamburger buns.
Esperon said there was an apparent miscommunication: Malacañang was not supposed to be an evacuation center as had been announced Monday.
“This is a repacking center, meaning we will receive donations, repack them, then send them to evacuation centers where the flood victims are,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “If they want to receive relief goods, they should go to the evacuation centers.”
But no less than Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita had announced that offices at the Kalayaan buildings could be used to temporarily house flood victims.
To avoid disappointing the villagers, many of whom were from neighboring communities just outside Malacañang, volunteers handed out pieces of bread and softdrinks. By 3:30 p.m., most of them were filing out of Kalayaan.
The supposed miscommunication aside, Malacañang promised more assistance for families affected by the storm.
Ms Arroyo, Vice President Noli de Castro, and members of the Cabinet promised to donate their two-months’ salary for the victims. There are 23 active members of the Cabinet.
She also ordered an early release of the 13-month pay of government employees not spared by intense flooding over the weekend.
The President earns at least P69,916 monthly, the Vice President P55,916, and Cabinet secretaries P48,916, according to Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya.
Ms Arroyo also appealed to car repair shops not to “take advantage of the situation and give a good price rather than higher prices” for motorists, whose vehicles had bogged down in heavy floodwaters.
In a late afternoon statement, Ms Arroyo expressed dismay over criticisms regarding the government’s purportedly slow and inadequate response to flood victims.
“The disaster work we do is critical, but often other people have a wrong understanding,” she said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Palace relief operations center had distributed donation packs to 273,453 victims in Metro Manila.
******************************************************
My column in Malaya, Sept. 30, 2009
Disaster spin
I posted on Facebook and in my blog the statement of Gloria Arroyo on her latest public relations gimmick, turning Malacañang into a relief operations center and she, moving out of the Palace to stay temporarily at Bahay Pangarap in the compound of the Presidential Security Group across the Pasig river.
“I have ordered Malacanang Palace to be opened to the general public, effective immediately, as a center for relief and rescue operations, the receipt and distribution of charitable donations and the temporary relocation of families who were displaced or made homeless by the storm.
“Relocated families will be sheltered in all available premises within the Palace grounds. Government employees will be asked to make room for our guests, and I myself will move across the river to temporary quarters at Bahay Pangarap in the PSG compound…
“I am confident that the right example will be set by all our government leaders, whatever their party preference or political coloring, as we are challenged once again to show the world that the Filipino nation does not lack in the qualities that can make heroes out of us all.”
Sorry, Malacañang’s spin is not working. No one is impressed.
Lyn Resurreccion saw through the spin: “This is all for show.”
Abdollah Mouawad shares Lyn’s sentiment: “This is pure gimmickry. Kulang lang yan sa pansin.
“Malacañang Palace is where the highest official of the land lives holds office.Its only use other than that is receiving and holding banquets for visiting dignitaries and local official functions. Using it as center for relief operation and housing the displaced victims of the recent man-made calamity is disrespect to the dignity of the Palace.
“Oh well, what do you expect from the not-duly president. Showing compassion to the victims in this time of disaster cannot erase the unexplained involvement in Gloria, her family and her allies in several anomalies.”
Orlando de Leon said,”Just ignore her. We don’t have a president at this time anyway…..except for one pretending to be.”
Harold Brian Geronimo said, “This is a PR nightmare. Whoever suggested this should be crucified. First and foremost, the timeliness of this gesture is out of momentum. Many other entities, mostly private and religious, have already opened their doors for evacuees since Saturday. Malacanang did the same just today.
“Second, Malacanang is too far to be an evacuation center for those coming from Pasig and Marikina. Who would want to go that far to seek shelter? They would rather go to Goldilocks commissary in Shaw blvd that was opened for evacuees since yesterday. I bet most of them enjoyed the puto, dinuguan and cakes.
“ Third, who would want to see Mrs. Arroyo there? I don’t think the evacuees would want to see her either.”
Ferrum Mann said there maybe those who would really want to go to Malacañang. “ Yung mga nakawalang buwaya sa Pasig Nature Park doon nakita sa Malacañang. May nunal pa nga yung isa.”
Vic who is based in Canada said is amazed by Gloria’s chutzpah:”Even in a state of calamity, GMA doesn’t fail to try to play for Points. Being a mediocre leader, she can only provide a mediocre leadership in times like this.
“Fortunately, majority of Filipinos are resourceful. They will survive on their own despite their impotent leaders. My own brother was stranded up in his upstairs room with his wheelchair-bound wife with nothing. We could not even communicate with him.
“We found out they have survived through relatives from Davao, but lost all their stuff. That’s not important. Material things can be replaced. What is not acceptable are uncertainties, insecurity and the lack of protection from your own government.
“And she has the gall to brag how well her leadership is accepted by her people. It is shameful.”
Wait, there’s more!: Earn money from your blog! Sell link ads and blog your way to the bank.