Philippines_ Criticism of Government’s Response to Major Flooding · Global Voices

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/22/12s: Criticism of Governments R esponse to Major Flooding Global Voices

obalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/08/philippines-criticism-of -governments-response-to-major-f looding/

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Philippines: Criticism of Government's Response to Major Flooding[http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/08/philippines-criticism-of-governments-response-to-major-flooding/]

Posted 8 August 2012 17:12 GMT

Written byKarlo Mikhail Mongaya

Countries Philippines

Topics Disaster, Governance, Citizen Media, Digital Activism

Languages English, Filipino

As heavy rains and mass ive flooding [http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/07/philippines-floods-hit-metro-manila-

nearby-provinces/] continues to hit the Philippines' national capital and nearby provinces, online media has

been used to document the worsening situation on the ground and to coordinate relief operations

[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?

fbid=10151987527180557&set=a.195171975556.253852.194908320556&type=1&relevant_count=1] .

Netizens are now a lso using online media to raise questions about President Noynoy Aquino

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benigno_Aquino_III] 's government's response to the disaster and the lack of

preventive measures that might have mitigated the effects of the bad weather.

Viral memes

Here are some of the photo memes regarding the president now going viral on Facebook and other social

networking sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benigno_Aquino_IIIhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151987527180557&set=a.195171975556.253852.194908320556&type=1&relevant_count=1http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/07/philippines-floods-hit-metro-manila-nearby-provinces/http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/07/philippines-floods-hit-metro-manila-nearby-provinces/http://globalvoicesonline.org/author/karlo-mongaya/http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/08/http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/08/philippines-criticism-of-governments-response-to-major-flooding/http://globalvoicesonline.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benigno_Aquino_IIIhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151987527180557&set=a.195171975556.253852.194908320556&type=1&relevant_count=1http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/07/philippines-floods-hit-metro-manila-nearby-provinces/http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/languages/filipino/http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/languages/english/http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/topics/digital-activism/http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/topics/citizen-media/http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/topics/governance/http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/topics/disaster/http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/world/east-asia/philippines/http://globalvoicesonline.org/author/karlo-mongaya/http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/08/http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/08/08/philippines-criticism-of-governments-response-to-major-flooding/http://globalvoicesonline.org/http://globalvoicesonline.org/


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fbid=328823923874432&set=a.262604563829702 .58025.257334291023396&type=1&ref=nf]

Image by Pixel Offensive on Facebook.


fbid=3975098469325&set=p.3975098469325&type=1&ref=nf]

From the Facebook of Jerry Ocampo.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3975098469325&set=p.3975098469325&type=1&ref=nfhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=328823923874432&set=a.262604563829702.58025.257334291023396&type=1&ref=nf


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2010: We just inherited this problem from the previous administration. We have been in office for less than

year only.2011: We just inherited this problem from the previous administration. We have been in office for

one year only.

2012: We just inherited this problem from the previous administration. Ate Vi acts well in The Healing. Watch

it!

Scrapped flood control projects

Get Real Philippines explains [http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/08/could-the-php-1-9-bn-in-flood-control-

projects-axed-by-noynoy-aquino-have-saved-metro-manila-from-destruction/] that the Philippine Peso (PHP) 1.9

billion for flood control projects that was scrapped by the Aquino administration could have saved Metro

Manila from the destruction it has witnessed:

Add to that regrettable opportunity cost in 2011 the Php 12.5 billion damage caused by Typhoon

Pedring on that year and now the still-to-be-ascertained cost of this years nameless flooding disaster

all because key infrastructure projects were summarily killed by President BS Aquino, perhaps

simply because they were projects associated with his personal nemesis, the eeevvvvillll regime of

GMA.


fbid=328838770539614&set=a.262604563829702 .58025.257334291023396&type=1&ref=nf]

In mainstream media, the masses are always accused of being hard headed if

they don't evacuate. But if government scrimps on flood control projects, they just

ignore it.' Image by Pixel Offensive on Facebook.

Placing the blame

In a Facebook status [https://www.facebook .com/gerry.lanuza/pos ts/445648315458232] , Gerry Lanuza questions
https://www.facebook.com/gerry.lanuza/posts/445648315458232https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=328838770539614&set=a.262604563829702.58025.257334291023396&type=1&ref=nfhttp://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/08/could-the-php-1-9-bn-in-flood-control-projects-axed-by-noynoy-aquino-have-saved-metro-manila-from-destruction/


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the prevailing discourse of blaming the poor for the disaster; the president recently criticized

[http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/08/08/aquino-chides-public-for-not-taking-seriously-flood-warnings/] the public

a press conference organized at the he ight of the flooding for not taking flood warnings seriously and for

just adding risk to rescuers:

Two major causes of flooding: (1) Metro Manila alone continues to generate some 8,600 tons of

garbage daily (2) Informal settlers along esteros, creeks, and waterways. What is the common

denominator? Most of them are poor and squatters! Solution? Demolition, penalizing the poor who

dump garbage indiscriminately, and population control. Why not sustainable employment, better

education, and mass housing? Because it is better to believe in common sense myths against the

poor than confront the real problem. For it will expose the blatant discrimination and neglect of the

urban squatters!

Meanwhile, a business process outsourcing company has also taken a beating

[http://pinoyweekly.org/new/2012/08/sa-panahon-ng-kalamidad-bakit-ganito-sila/] for requiring its call center agent

to go to work despite the floods. Its internal email message has been spread on various social network site

and subjected to criticism:

[http://pinoyweekly.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/185872_3066644283353_115413264_n.jpg]

[http://pinoyweekly.org/new/wp-

content/uploads/2012/08/185872_3066644283353_115413264_n.jpg]

The Business Processing Association of the Philippines

[http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/268647/econom y/business/bpap-se eks -exemption-from-ma laca-no-work-order]

has requested the government to exempt call center companies from its work suspension order

[http://www.gov.ph/2012/08/07/dole-e xpla ins-pay-rules-for-private-sector-workers-pursuant-to-op-announcement-augus t

7-2012/] . The BPO (Business Process Outsourcing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process_outsourcing] )

company in question has released a damage control statement [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?

fbid=10151009680377712&set=a.160295997711.121944.145612352711&type=1&theater] that offers a 30% holiday

pay premium to employees who still go to work:

While we encourage our employees to come to work, we ask that they only do so if it is safe for them

to travel.

Progressive youth group Anakbayan [http://www.anakbayan.org/anakbayan-hits-noynoy-for-letting-bpos-flaunt-work

suspension-order/] on its blog page condemned the Aquino government for allowing BPOs to get around the

work suspens ion order.
http://www.anakbayan.org/anakbayan-hits-noynoy-for-letting-bpos-flaunt-work-suspension-order/https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151009680377712&set=a.160295997711.121944.145612352711&type=1&theaterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process_outsourcinghttp://www.gov.ph/2012/08/07/dole-explains-pay-rules-for-private-sector-workers-pursuant-to-op-announcement-august-7-2012/http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/268647/economy/business/bpap-seeks-exemption-from-malaca-no-work-orderhttp://pinoyweekly.org/new/2012/08/sa-panahon-ng-kalamidad-bakit-ganito-sila/http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/08/08/aquino-chides-public-for-not-taking-seriously-flood-warnings/


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In essence, the Aquino administration has abdicated its responsibility and primary role of ensuring

the safety of Filipino workers. There are no guarantees that employers will actually ensure the safety

of their employees, and there are no government measures to make sure that employers will actually

do that. No amount of premium pay will justify putting the lives of BPO employees and other

workers in danger.

Ultimately, the Aquino administration reveals its true bosses: not the Filipino working class and the

millions of other hard-working Filipinos, but the greedy corporations and capitalists.

A Radical's Nut meanwhile slammed [http://arnoldpadilla.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/greed-amid-calamity/] the

corporate greed of oil and power companies that hiked pump rices and electricity rates amidst the disaster

and the government's inaction in stopping them:

Petron, owned by presidential uncle Danding Cojuangco, and other oil firms increased their pump

prices despite the calamity because the Oil Deregulation Law, which President Aquino has staunchly

defended amid criticisms and allegations of overpricing, gives them the right to automatically hike

their prices without a public hearing.

Meralco, also owned by Danding and known presidential allies Manny Pangilinan and the Lopez family,increased its generation charge despite the calamity because the Electric Power Industry Reform Act

(Epira), whose full implementation is being pushed by Aquino despite strong opposition from

Mindanao and other sectors, allows it to automatically increase its generation rates without a public

hearing.
http://arnoldpadilla.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/greed-amid-calamity/


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It only takes three words to solve all the problems in the philippines,and that is

caring,understanding,and being responsive to each others needs...(morally and financially)

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Philippines_ Criticism of Government’s Response to Major Flooding · Global Voices