More Pinoys satisfied with Yolanda relief efforts – SWS

MANILA, Philippines - More Filipinos were satisfied with the relief efforts of foreign countries and private organizations compared to those conducted by local and national governments in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda, the December 2013 survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed. 

The SWS poll, conducted from Dec. 11 to 16, showed that net satisfaction with the relief efforts for Yolanda victims and non-victims was “excellent” for foreign countries (+83 and +82) and private organizations (+70 and +76) and “very good” for local (+63 and +58) and national government (+61 and +54).

The survey found that of relief efforts among the victims, 89 percent were satisfied and six percent dissatisfied with foreign countries; 81 percent satisfied and 12 percent dissatisfied with private organizations; 79 percent satisfied and 16 percent dissatisfied with local government, and 77 percent were satisfied and 16 percent were dissatisfied with the national government. 

Among non-victims, net satisfaction with relief efforts was also excellent for foreign countries and private organizations and very good for local and national government. 

Among non-victims, net satisfaction was an excellent +82 (87 percent satisfied, six percent dissatisfied) for foreign countries, an excellent +76 (84 percent satisfied, eight percent dissatisfied) for private organizations, a very good+58 (74 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied) for local government, and a very good +54 (74 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied) for national government. 

Meanwhile, net satisfaction with the Aquino administration among both Yolanda victims and non-victims was excellent on “delivering medical help and delivering food and water,” very good on “providing temporary shelter and repairing infrastructures” and good on “identifying those who died.” 

The survey, conducted from Dec. 11 to 16, used face-to-face interviews of 1,550 persons nationwide. Thirteen percent of the respondents claimed they suffered “serious harm” from Yolanda. 

Families that suffered serious harm were 38 percent in the Visayas, 11 percent in balance Luzon, four percent in Mindanao and three percent in Metro Manila. 

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings as +70 and above (excellent), +50 to +69 (very good), +30 to +49 (good), +10 to +29 (moderate), +9 to –9 (neutral), -10 to –29 (poor), -30 to –49 (bad), -50 to –69 (very bad) -70 and below (execrable).

US Catholic leaders

As this developed, top Catholic Church leaders from the United States are set to visit Yolanda-devastated areas next month. 

The website of the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) said Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCB), will visit parts of Eastern Visayas.  

The US delegation reportedly wants to check on the recovery efforts. 

Kurtz said the effects of the disaster “numb the mind,” noting that four million people, which is about the population of Kentucky, have been displaced. 

“Numbers like that overwhelm everyone. That’s why on the even of the Super Bowl, I’m packing sneakers to join a delegation with CRS to meet with Filipino church leaders and people from Samar and Leyte,” he said.

“I’ll visit Palo, just south of the city of Tacloban, and I’ll walk through rubble to let people know that the Catholic Church in the United States cares and will help,” he added. 

CRS chairman of the board and Oklahoma Archbishop Paul Coakley Sr., Carol Keehan, president of Catholic Health Association and Carolyn Woo, president and CEO of CRS, would accompany Kurtz. 

They are expected to arrive in the country on Feb. 2.

“I and others are visiting personally so that we can wrap our hearts and minds around the situation. This firsthand look will enable us to adequately convey to fellow Catholics the spiritual, physical and emotional extent of the damage,” said Kurtz.

The international humanitarian arm of the Catholic community in the US earlier pledged to raise $50 million for the recovery of Yolanda-hit areas. 

The CRS said its aid efforts have now shifted from emergency assistance to long-term recovery and stability programs. 

The agency committed to assist 100,000 families or 500,000 people with shelter, living supplies, water, sanitation, and livelihood. 

“Of all who can help, Americans stand first in line. We understand solidarity. We’re can-do people who walk with people in need. That is part of the message I hope to deliver on Super Bowl Sunday when I land in the Philippines,” Kurtz said.

Children survivors

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has received a check of more than P1.1 million from Filipino-Chinese philanthropist Dorian Chua and his Duman Foundation to assist children survivors of Yolanda.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said the money will be used to “fulfill the wishes” of children in Tacloban City. Children survivors were asked to write their wishes during a Christmas program held in the city last month.

The DSWD said among those that the children wrote are school supplies, school uniforms, toys and clothes. –With Evelyn Macairan, Rainier Allan Ronda