Gov’t aid to quake victims slower

TAGBILARAN CITY , Philippines   â€” Contrary to what it has reportedly claimed, government appeared to be slow in providing the necessary help to earthquake victims after more than six months since the magnitude 7.2 calamity struck Bohol.

An opinion survey said 62 percent of the respondents said they have experienced the tremor that left hundreds of fatalities and damages in infrastructure and centuries-old churches and private properties in shambles that run into billions of pesos to reconstruct.

Bohol Poll 2014, which conducted the survey during April 2-27 by Social Weather Station-trained Holy Name University Research Center, showed in its presentation that 22 percent of the total 400 respondents said government assistance was slow as against 53 percent who said it was quick.

The government had a total net of +31 in net rating, while a hefty 25 percent remained "undecided."

The government, considering its vast resources, is way behind the private sector's assistance to quake victims. The private sector garnered a net +60 rating from the respondents, who gave the private sector 73 percent, higher by 20 points of the government. The private sector got only a rating of 13 percent as slow and 14 percent "undecided."

The non-government organizations posted net rating +53 from a total of 69 percent as "quick" and 16 "slow" in the responsiveness to quake victims. It provided net +82 percent (88 percent minus 12  percent) quick assistance to the District I, where the most of the devastation was noted.

The government has provided 52 percent lower than the private sector with 64 percent in quick assistance to the economic class E, the poorest among the people, the survey pointed out. Among the class D, the government has done 52 percent much lower than the private sector's 72 percent; and government got 68 percent while the private sector, 92 percent, to the class A.

About one-third of the victims of the total 62 percent affected said there's little chance they can be back to their original situation prior to the tremor while 13 percent said "wala pa gayud makabalik sa among orihinal nga kahimtang sa wala pa ang linog."

Five percent said they were not certain if they live what they used to be while 61percent said "hinay-hinay na kaming nakabalik sa among orihinal nga kahimtang sa wala pa ang linog." (FREEMAN)