Let Us Not Forget the Yolanda and Earthquake Victims

Christmas  is a happy season. People think of shopping spree, plenty of parties and unlimited food. Who wouldn't want to be happy? It is the celebration of Jesus Christ's birthday anyway. It is natural to be so merry.

There is the tendency for the people to focus on the happy things this Season. All the negative vibes are placed to the sidelines because we are supposed to be merry. Sadly, one thing that was placed to the sidelines are the double tragedies that occurred in the Visayas region. It seems like that the people suddenly forget the plight of our kababayans affected by Supertyphoon Yolanda and Bohol earthquake starting December 1.

For instance, right now in the media it is the word war between Tacloban City Mayor and Romualdez and Mar “Palengkero” Roxas that is hogging the limelight. Last week, it is the bickering of two old politicians and earlier than that it is the fight between Pacquiao and the BIR that buried the Yolanda tragedy.

The political teledrama is on.

I hope that I'm wrong. I hope that people are still helping, albeit silently, our kababayans in Visayas. I hope against hope that the Government is doing its responsibility to the people of Yolanda-hit and earthquake affected areas.

But the reality is bleak. Hoarding of relief goods is happening. Corrupt people sell relief goods that are intended for Yolanda victims. It is sad that some people used the tragedy as money generating scheme.

A friend of mine, who has siblings and relatives in Ormoc, informed me of the hardships that the citizens of that city are experiencing. People who are ill line up in a public hospital despite the fact that all the equipments and medicines were wiped out by the typhoon. As if to confirm Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez' report, my friend said that politicians only help those who voted for them. Tacloban is still stinking because of yet-to-be-recorded corpses.

Good thing that private individuals are working together to help Yolanda survivors. One example is the Oplan Trabaho that will be conducted to provide job for the survivors. What they're doing is good but not enough because the magnitude of destruction wrought by the two calamities. More people should answer the call and bring more aid.

(Source: Inquirer Global Nation)

Yolanda victims are still firm on their Faith in the Lord. They are calling to Him amidst the destruction. And His answer to them will be their fellow-Filipinos who have the resources to help. God is asking us, calling us, to help.

Let us then answer this call. Let us not forget them especially this Christmas Season. As our Lord has said, “as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.”

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The source of the first image is InterAksyon.com