Give, if you must

By now, barangay Guinsaugon and the town of St. Bernard in Southern Leyte have become very common names. This is because the names of these two places are all you hear and read about in the news these days because of the unfathomable tragedy that happened there Friday morning.

It has been five days since the mudslide took place, and I feel so bad each time I see pictures or video footages of the village which was buried by up to 100 feet of mud; and it's not really because the Pals come from Leyte. My sadness just makes me want to do something to help those folks who survived the tragedy, and have to continue living with the memory of the tragedy to haunt them forever. I thank God for the volunteers from all over the world who came on short notice to help the victims. It, however, seems that all the high-tech gadgets that have been brought over by these search-and-rescue teams have yet to find a single survivor from the rubble. From accounts of reporters covering the recovery efforts, it is practically impossible to dig through the mud at this time, as it is so wet, it easily turns into "quicksand".

A photographer was trying to take photos and after a while, he found that his feet were stuck in the mud. He could no longer lift them. He kept sinking and sinking that by the time he was rescued by the Army soldiers -- which was only after a few quick seconds, the mud was already up to his chest. If the soldiers were not around at that very moment, that photographer could also have been buried in the mud as well.

I also appreciate the efforts of various groups to raise money and collect donations for the victims. Bless you for everything that you have done. This tragic event has brought out the best in many of us.

What are we going to do? Do we give money, clothes, food, shovels or what? Much as my heart goes out to the victims of the tragedy, and am thankful for the spirit of volunteerism that is catching on like wildfire throughout the world, I fear that most of the donated items could end up in the wrong hands.

Events of this magnitude also bring out the worst in many of us. It is not uncommon for people to turn into vultures at the first sign of tragedy. I'm sure you've heard stories of accident victims who complained of having lost their money, jewelry or other things of value while they were unconscious. There are also stories of people looting fire victims' belongings. I guess what I'm saying is, before you decide to give any assistance to the victims of the mudslide, to please be certain that your donations would really get to the intended beneficiaries. Ask the fund raisers how they intend to get the goods over to the site. It is not enough to get assurances that they will be turned over to a church or to an NGO. Every organization asking for donations should be able to give a concrete plan on how donors can see where their donations went.*

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