Filipinos 'Thank God for the United States!' (The
Philippine Star, The Philippines)
"The arrival in the gulf of Leyte of the USS George Washington is reminiscent of
the time in our history when Filipinos rejoiced at the arrival of General Douglas
MacArthur on the shores of Palo, Leyte, in October 1944, heralding our
country’s liberation from Japanese occupation. ... The faces of those who
suffered in this mega disaster will haunt us all forever, but we will always be
grateful to all countries that came to their succor, most especially to our No.
1 ally - the United States. God bless America!"
Saturday
afternoon after Typhoon Yolanda [aka/Haiyan] pounded
Central Visayas, I received a phone call from my
cousin, Congressman Martin Romualdez of the 1st
District of Leyte Province, who in a choking voice described Leyte as
“completely ravaged,” and relayed that another cousin, Tacloban
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, almost lost his life,
and that his wife and children had very close calls.
Martin
asked me if I had an contacts in the U.S. Embassy, because his immediate
assessment was that the damage was so massive, it would require massive airlift
for rescue units to reach the worst hit barangays,
and that airdrops would be the fastest way to deliver relief to the most
hard-to-reach areas. I patched Martin in a conference call to U.S. Embassy
Military Attaché Air Force Colonel Rick Matton, who advised us that a formal request from the
Philippine government would be needed. A friend at the Department of Foreign Affairs
told me that the Aquino government was hesitant to ask for assistance, and was instead
waiting for the U.S. to offer assistance. Clearly, in cases like Super Typhoon
Yolanda, it is obvious that waiting was not an option. This was a matter of
life and death.
In
any case, Congressman Romualdez offered to write the
letter himself on his congressional letterhead, and luckily, the USS George Washington happened to be in
Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. The arrival in the gulf of Leyte of the USS George Washington is reminiscent of
the time in our history when Filipinos rejoiced at the arrival of General Douglas MacArthur on
the shores of Palo, Leyte, in October 1944, heralding our country’s liberation
from Japanese occupation. This is the same sentiment that survivors and the
public now feel at witnessing the rapid deployment of this Nimitz class super
carrier and its strike wing, with cargo jets, choppers, and American troops
dispatched on the ground to help bring some semblance of order to the chaos and
confusion which was hampering relief efforts several days after the typhoon.
America's
V-22 Osprey aircraft are particularly useful, because they can land and takeoff
anywhere, able to fly at aircraft speeds, four times faster than normal
helicopters. MC-130 cargo aircraft were also deployed while a destroyer and
several amphibious vessels equipped with medical facilities and water
desalination systems were dispatched from Sasebo, Japan.
Aquino
Administration officials may not like the reports filed by seasoned reporters like
Paula Hancocks and Anderson Cooper of America's
international news network CNN, the pioneer of nonstop all-news coverage and
considered the most credible news source, who were stunned to see the massive
destruction, the misery, and the utter chaos, with dead bodies and sick, hungry
survivors not knowing who to turn to for food, water, or medicine. However, the
administration would have to admit the CNN's reporting created worldwide
sympathy, because it highlighted the pitiful situation of the victims, spurred
foreign governments like Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore and Israel and
many others to send aid, and prompted donor organizations, private corporations,
and individuals digging deep into their pockets to send cash and relief.
Cooper
was incredulous that we only had three C-130 cargo planes. CNN weather reporter
Mari Ramos was surprised that people were unfamiliar with storm surges that accompany
supertyphoons like Yolanda which pack maximum
sustained winds of 200 miles an hour. But as The Weather Channel pointed out, evacuation centers were “simply no
match for the jet-force winds and massive walls of water that swept ashore,”
describing the disaster as “of epic proportions.” It’s obvious that no amount
of preparation from local government agencies could have withstood the force of
the typhoon, with key infrastructure like airports completely razed. According
to the U.N., the death toll has breached 4,400 - almost halfway to the estimate
of 10,000 made by Leyte's police chief, who was summarily removed for giving
such a high casualty figure.
But
like they say, leaders are defined by how they handle a crisis, and the great
ones are those who inspire people and kindle hope amid great adversity -
something that America has demonstrated once again, leaving no doubt why even
with the crisis it faces at home, the U.S. is the indisputable leader among
nations. The rapid response of the United States in deploying its air and naval
assets as quickly as possible sends a clear message to all, particularly China,
that America can flex its muscle in the Asia-Pacific at short notice. Analysts
also say that “disaster diplomacy” is doing wonders promoting U.S. interests in
the region, while China seems to have missed out on a great opportunity to
capitalize on Filipino disenchantment for the no-show of Barack Obama and John
Kerry for scheduled visits to the Philippines.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
There
should be no more finger pointing. What is important now is for us all to learn
our lesson. Authorities must reevaluate their protocols and procedures for
disaster relief operations, especially with Metro Manila listed as the No. 2
city in Maplecroft’s climate change vulnerability and environmental
risk index, next only to Dhaka in Bangladesh. Obviously, no country can
stand alone with the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters
that are sure to come - which is all the more reason to work with international
bodies like the United Nations.
The
faces of those who suffered in this mega disaster will haunt us all forever,
but we will always be grateful to all countries that came to their succor, most
especially to our No. 1 ally - the United States. God bless America!
