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Hotbed of Yolanda volunteerism at Villamor to be discontinued
By AMANDA FERNANDEZ and MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB, GMA News
(Updated 3:18 p.m.) For all the heart-broken residents of Metro Manila dying to help Yolanda victims, Villamor Airbase was ground zero.
Scores of civilian volunteers had worked tirelessly in this air force station in Pasay City for over a week to comfort and feed traumatized evacuees from the Visayas arriving on military planes. Then many of the volunteers drove evacuees to their relatives' homes.
“We helped a lot of people, approximately 19,000 to 20,000 people,” said Leah Lagmay, one of the organizers of Oplan Hatid, which began as a wish to help Typhoon Yolanda victims arriving at Villamor travel to their loved ones in the national capital—for free.
"I wanted to do something, too," wrote volunteer Jing Lejano on her Facebook page. "I am a single mom. I couldn’t treat the wounded. I couldn’t build homes. But I could make meatballs and take care of kids, so I volunteered. And that’s how I found myself chopping onions, with tears in my eyes in the middle of a makeshift kitchen. I was happy to be there--and so were the hundreds of other volunteers in Villamor."
That spontaneous center of volunteerism, mirroring the widespread civic-spiritedness unleashed by a typhoon's destructive power, will be gone by the end of Thursday, as the national government has ordered its operations moved to Camp Aguinaldo where the space is bigger.
Kicked out?
In a statement posted on his Facebook account Wednesday, James Deakin, one of the organizers of Oplan Hatid, said they felt like the volunteers were “kicked out” of Villamor Air Base.
“As of 12 p.m. tomorrow, we are being kicked out of Villamor. Yes, all of us. We’re being shut down. Not just Oplan Hatid, but the entire relief effort, I’m told,” he said. “What they plan for them there, I do not know. Nobody does. All I know is that they don’t need our help. The government, that is, not the survivors.”
Despite what they felt was a setback, Lagmay said the volunteers would still do what is best for the survivors. “I don't think the government may be able to do this by themselves. They would need volunteers,” she said.
Better coordination
Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol, Philippine Air Force spokesperson, however denied that the volunteers were being summarily removed from the Villamor Air Base.
“Unang-una po, 'yung 12 noon, hindi po iyan deadline na we will put you all in a vehicle, and kick you out. We would just need a time frame. Ang sinasabi namin sa kanila, dahan-dahan ang transition,” he said.
Okol explained that the national government has ordered the transfer to “improve the services” as logistics needed would be more available at Camp Aguinaldo, the main headquarters of the Philippine military.
“Sa Camp Aguinaldo po, nandoon na po ang sentro ng ating joint task force. Nandoon ang NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council), most of the decision makers that can help immediately are there. From here, by experience, iaabot pa natin. So there, 'yung coordination mas mabilis, mas madali,” he said.
Okol also noted that as transportation to and from the typhoon-affected areas begin to get back to normal, they expect more people to arrive in Manila.
"We expect within the next few days, mas dadami pa ang bilang ng mga tao na dadating, not only by means of air, pati na rin like ships," he said. "So hindi po kakayanin ng paliparang Villamor Air Base ang ganyang kalaking volume.”
Military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said what they are doing is just "decongesting the airbase."
“Hindi sila pwedeng tumira dito. This is a military camp. We're just decongesting the airbase,” Zagala said, adding the survivors will be taken to the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Command, which is just beside Camp Aguinaldo's gate 6, making it easier for survivors and volunteers to go through the headquarters.
Zagala said it is “important” that the volunteers have with them identification cards. “This is a military facility. Although we are opening it to those in need, identification is important,” he said.
The military spokesperson added that they may open other camps if necessary.
Processing
Upon arriving at Camp Aguinaldo, the survivors would undergo processing in the NCR Command to be led by the DSWD, said civil defense executive officer Director Honorato Delos Reyes of the Office of Civil Defense.
The processing, Delos Reyes said, would be for the accounting of families.
“This is simply a processing area of those who are coming from Tacloban and determine and register those internally displaced persons so that the DSWD will have a record,” he said.
Delos Reyes said the survivors would be brought to Camp Aguinaldo through 10 buses and would be assisted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
After the processing, the survivors may then be transported to their relocation areas as provided by the DSWD, he added.
Meanwhile, AFP chief of staff Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said it is the NDRRMC that gave them a memorandum to provide the facility for the survivors.
“We just provide the facility. But we do not run the operation,” Bautista said.
“Only the venue changed”
Okol said by 12 noon on Thursday, survivors arriving in Manila will board government buses and proceed to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, where they will be assisted by government agencies and volunteers.
“We will just replicate what you are doing here to there,” he said. “Mag-iiba lang ng venue, instead of maghahatid kayo from Villamor, maghahatid kayo from Camp Aguinaldo.”
He said the DSWD has also set up more locations where survivors with nowhere to go in Manila may stay. While the Pasay government has offered a school to be used as an evacuation center, similar centers will be set up in Quezon City, closer to Camp Aguinaldo.
Patience needed
Okol also appealed for patience from the volunteers, as well as the affected typhoon victims.
“Konting pasensya na lang po sa mga groups na naapektuhan nitong move, pero we still appeal to our kababayans lalo na sa Metro, these people need our help. Iyon po ang unang intindihin natin,” he said.
He said they are now trying to get in touch with all the organizers of volunteer groups for "a smooth transition.”
“Alam niyo naman po ang number namin. Tumawag na lamang muna sila dito to furnish all the correct information,” Okol said.
He said volunteers may contact PAF's public information office at 853-50-23.
Confusion
Meanwhile, according to Mark Salazar's report on GMA News TV's “News TV Live,” volunteers at the Villamor Air Base were confused over the transition as no one was supposedly coordinating with them.
The report noted that relief operations at the air base have been lessened as people were confused if they should pack up or stay to help the survivors arriving in the area.
Okol said the confusion lies with the volunteers. “We are quite clear on the services that we provide to those going down the aircraft. Tuloy-tuloy pa po natin ito until such time na ready na ready na,” he said.
He also said they will continue with their services despite the absence of volunteers. “Kung wala nang Oplan Hatid, we will bring them (survivors) to where they want to go.” — LBG/KBK, GMA News
Scores of civilian volunteers had worked tirelessly in this air force station in Pasay City for over a week to comfort and feed traumatized evacuees from the Visayas arriving on military planes. Then many of the volunteers drove evacuees to their relatives' homes.
“We helped a lot of people, approximately 19,000 to 20,000 people,” said Leah Lagmay, one of the organizers of Oplan Hatid, which began as a wish to help Typhoon Yolanda victims arriving at Villamor travel to their loved ones in the national capital—for free.
"I wanted to do something, too," wrote volunteer Jing Lejano on her Facebook page. "I am a single mom. I couldn’t treat the wounded. I couldn’t build homes. But I could make meatballs and take care of kids, so I volunteered. And that’s how I found myself chopping onions, with tears in my eyes in the middle of a makeshift kitchen. I was happy to be there--and so were the hundreds of other volunteers in Villamor."
That spontaneous center of volunteerism, mirroring the widespread civic-spiritedness unleashed by a typhoon's destructive power, will be gone by the end of Thursday, as the national government has ordered its operations moved to Camp Aguinaldo where the space is bigger.
Kicked out?
In a statement posted on his Facebook account Wednesday, James Deakin, one of the organizers of Oplan Hatid, said they felt like the volunteers were “kicked out” of Villamor Air Base.
“As of 12 p.m. tomorrow, we are being kicked out of Villamor. Yes, all of us. We’re being shut down. Not just Oplan Hatid, but the entire relief effort, I’m told,” he said. “What they plan for them there, I do not know. Nobody does. All I know is that they don’t need our help. The government, that is, not the survivors.”
Despite what they felt was a setback, Lagmay said the volunteers would still do what is best for the survivors. “I don't think the government may be able to do this by themselves. They would need volunteers,” she said.
Better coordination
Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol, Philippine Air Force spokesperson, however denied that the volunteers were being summarily removed from the Villamor Air Base.
“Unang-una po, 'yung 12 noon, hindi po iyan deadline na we will put you all in a vehicle, and kick you out. We would just need a time frame. Ang sinasabi namin sa kanila, dahan-dahan ang transition,” he said.
Okol explained that the national government has ordered the transfer to “improve the services” as logistics needed would be more available at Camp Aguinaldo, the main headquarters of the Philippine military.
“Sa Camp Aguinaldo po, nandoon na po ang sentro ng ating joint task force. Nandoon ang NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council), most of the decision makers that can help immediately are there. From here, by experience, iaabot pa natin. So there, 'yung coordination mas mabilis, mas madali,” he said.
Okol also noted that as transportation to and from the typhoon-affected areas begin to get back to normal, they expect more people to arrive in Manila.
"We expect within the next few days, mas dadami pa ang bilang ng mga tao na dadating, not only by means of air, pati na rin like ships," he said. "So hindi po kakayanin ng paliparang Villamor Air Base ang ganyang kalaking volume.”
Military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said what they are doing is just "decongesting the airbase."
“Hindi sila pwedeng tumira dito. This is a military camp. We're just decongesting the airbase,” Zagala said, adding the survivors will be taken to the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Command, which is just beside Camp Aguinaldo's gate 6, making it easier for survivors and volunteers to go through the headquarters.
Zagala said it is “important” that the volunteers have with them identification cards. “This is a military facility. Although we are opening it to those in need, identification is important,” he said.
The military spokesperson added that they may open other camps if necessary.
Processing
Upon arriving at Camp Aguinaldo, the survivors would undergo processing in the NCR Command to be led by the DSWD, said civil defense executive officer Director Honorato Delos Reyes of the Office of Civil Defense.
The processing, Delos Reyes said, would be for the accounting of families.
“This is simply a processing area of those who are coming from Tacloban and determine and register those internally displaced persons so that the DSWD will have a record,” he said.
Delos Reyes said the survivors would be brought to Camp Aguinaldo through 10 buses and would be assisted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
After the processing, the survivors may then be transported to their relocation areas as provided by the DSWD, he added.
Meanwhile, AFP chief of staff Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said it is the NDRRMC that gave them a memorandum to provide the facility for the survivors.
“We just provide the facility. But we do not run the operation,” Bautista said.
“Only the venue changed”
Okol said by 12 noon on Thursday, survivors arriving in Manila will board government buses and proceed to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, where they will be assisted by government agencies and volunteers.
“We will just replicate what you are doing here to there,” he said. “Mag-iiba lang ng venue, instead of maghahatid kayo from Villamor, maghahatid kayo from Camp Aguinaldo.”
He said the DSWD has also set up more locations where survivors with nowhere to go in Manila may stay. While the Pasay government has offered a school to be used as an evacuation center, similar centers will be set up in Quezon City, closer to Camp Aguinaldo.
Patience needed
Okol also appealed for patience from the volunteers, as well as the affected typhoon victims.
“Konting pasensya na lang po sa mga groups na naapektuhan nitong move, pero we still appeal to our kababayans lalo na sa Metro, these people need our help. Iyon po ang unang intindihin natin,” he said.
He said they are now trying to get in touch with all the organizers of volunteer groups for "a smooth transition.”
“Alam niyo naman po ang number namin. Tumawag na lamang muna sila dito to furnish all the correct information,” Okol said.
He said volunteers may contact PAF's public information office at 853-50-23.
Confusion
Meanwhile, according to Mark Salazar's report on GMA News TV's “News TV Live,” volunteers at the Villamor Air Base were confused over the transition as no one was supposedly coordinating with them.
The report noted that relief operations at the air base have been lessened as people were confused if they should pack up or stay to help the survivors arriving in the area.
Okol said the confusion lies with the volunteers. “We are quite clear on the services that we provide to those going down the aircraft. Tuloy-tuloy pa po natin ito until such time na ready na ready na,” he said.
He also said they will continue with their services despite the absence of volunteers. “Kung wala nang Oplan Hatid, we will bring them (survivors) to where they want to go.” — LBG/KBK, GMA News
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