For the past week, the Philippines has caught international media attention, and why wouldn’t it? The strongest typhoon of the year Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) hit Eastern Visayas with winds 3.5 times stronger than that of Hurricane Katrina. If you’ve seen the photos from Day 1, everything is just flattened out. It was a heartbreaking sight. What used to be a slowly progressing town was reduced to clutter.
Someone even said it was as if a hand flattened Tacloban.
So since then, and it’s been Day 8 now, journalists and foreign aid have been constantly pouring in. With all those eyes tuned in to our country, it is not a wonder that criticism of the Philippine government would rise. It came to the point that noted journalist Anderson Cooper of CNN had to explain his style of reporting just because local diva (hehe) Korina Sanchez openly criticized his commentary on her radio show.
And I get the frustration. It is taking long to reach everyone. The Philippines is an archipelago, which by definition is an intensive group of islands. As much as the Filipinos are together in this one, the geography of our country literally divides us.
But the defense of our country cannot be better encapsulated than this open letter I chanced upon while browsing things to retweet and echo back on Twitter. You will love this, I promise.
Dear Sirs:
I just wanted to make some comments on the reporting of the CNN International crew here in Manila, regarding the relief efforts for the victims of super-typhoon Haiyan (which we locally call typhoon Yolanda).
First, full disclosure: I am a retired Filipino executive and computer person. I was born in the Philippines and spent all my life here (save for some very short overseas stints connected with my career). I have worked with a large local Philippine utility, started up several entrepreneurial offshore software service companies (when outsourcing was not yet in vogue), and also served as the Philippine country head for a multi-billion dollar Japanese computer company. This diverse work background allows me to always see both the local and global point of view, and to see things from the very different standpoints of a third-world citizen, and a person familiar with first-world mindsets and lifestyles.I appreciate CNN’s reporting, as it brings this sad news to all corners of the world, and in turn, that helps bring in much needed charity and aid. The tenor and tone of CNN’s reporting has not been very palatable for a local person like me (the focus seems to be on the country’s incompetence). But I shrug that aside, as there is probably some truth to that angle. And in reality, what counts now is that help arrives for the people who need them most; recriminations and blame can come later. Last night, I listened to a CNN reporter wondering about the absence of night flights in Tacloban, in the context of the government not doing enough to bring in relief goods. It was like listening to newbie executives from Tokyo, London or the USA with no real international experience, yet assuming that their country’s rules and circumstances applied equally to the rest of the world. That was the proverbial last straw: I knew I had to react and call your attention to a few things (with some risk, since these topics are not my area of competence):
1. The airport in Tacloban is a small provincial airport: when you get two commercial Airbus flights arriving simultaneously, you are already close to straining that airport’s capacity. Even under normal operations, the last flights arrive in Tacloban at around 6pm, partly because of daylight limitations. Considering that the typhoon wiped out the airport and the air traffic gear, and killed most of the airport staff, you basically have nothing but an unlit runway which can handle only smaller turbo-prop planes. You can only do so much with that. I would assume that our Air Force pilots are already taking risks by doing landings at dusk. Take note that in the absence of any working infrastructure, the cargo will have to be off-loaded from the plane manually, while it sits in the tarmac. If you do the math, I wonder how aircraft turnarounds can be done in a day? How many tons of supplies could theoretically be handled in one day?
2. The Philippine air force has only three C130 cargo planes (I am not sure if there is a fourth one). This is supposedly the best locally-available plane that is suited for this mission: large enough to carry major cargo load, but not too large to exceed the runway limitations. We do not have any large helicopters that can effectively move substantial cargo. I am happy to read in the newspapers that the USA is lending another eight C130 planes. I am not the expert, but I would suspect that even with more planes, the bottleneck would be in capacity of the airport to allow more planes to land and be offloaded, as discussed above.
3. A major portion of the road from the Airport to Tacloban City is a narrow cement road of one lane in each direction. With debris, fallen trees, toppled electric poles, and even corpses littering the road, it took time to clear the airport itself, so that they could airlift heavy equipment needed to clear the roads. Then it took even more time to make the roads passable. Listening to our Interior Secretary on CNN, he disclosed that the Army was able to bring in 20 military trucks to Leyte. Half of them were allocated to transport relief goods to the different villages in the city, and the rest were assigned for clearing, rescue and other tasks. With very little local cargo trucks surviving the typhoon, I guess this would be another bottleneck. Again, I assume that if I do the math, there is only so much volume that can be moved daily from the airport to the city.
4. The Philippines is an archipelago. Tacloban City is in Leyte island, which has no road link with the other major cities/islands. The only external land link (the San Juanico bridge) is with the neighboring island of Samar, which was equally hard hit by the typhoon, and which is just like Leyte (in terms of limited transportation infrastructure). The logistics of getting relief, supplies and equipment to Tacloban is daunting. Not too long ago, my company put up a large chunk of the communication backbone infrastructure in Leyte province. It was already a challenge to get equipment onto the ground then. This has always been the challenge of our geography and topography. What more now, when the transportation/communication systems are effectively wiped out in Tacloban?
5. There is an alternate land/sea route from Manila to Leyte: down 600 kilometers through the Pan-Philippine highway to the small southern province of Sorsogon, taking a ferry to the island of Samar, and then 200+ kilometers of bad roads to Tacloban City. I was told that some private (non-government) donations are being transported by large trucks through this route. So many trucks are now idle in Matnog town down in Sorsogon, waiting for the lone ferry which can carry them across the very rough San Bernardino Straits to the town of Allen in Samar island. The sheer volume probably is over-whelming. Again I do not have the exact numbers, but my educated guess is that the low-volume Matnog ferry needs to transport in a few days what they would normally do over one or two months.
6. The government administrative organization in Tacloban is gone. Most local government employees are victims themselves. This adds to the problems of organizing relief efforts locally. Even if augmented with external staff, the local knowledge and the local relationships are hard to replace. In some other smaller towns (where the death toll and/or damage has not been as bad), local governments are still somehow functioning and coping. They are able to bury their dead, set up temporary makeshift shelters, organize and police themselves. Short term, they need food, water and medical supplies to arrive; medium term, they need assistance in clean-up, reconstruction and rebuilding. But Tacloban is in a really bad condition. What can you expect from a city that has lost practically everything?
I am told of the comparison with the Fukushima earthquake/tsunami, where relief supplies arrived promptly, efficiently, and in volume. I think there is one major backgrounder that CNN staff fail to mention: that Tacloban is not Fukushima, that it is not Atlanta. And the Philippines is not Japan, and certainly not the USA. Even before the typhoon, this region was one of the less developed in the country, with limited infrastructure. There was only a small airport, limited trucking capacity, a limited road system, and a small seaport servicing limited inter-island shipping. And with the damage from the typhoon, that limited infrastructure has been severely downgraded. It is easy to blame the typhoon. But the truth is: Tacloban is a small city in a third-world country. If you had to bring in that volume of cargo in that short window of time in pre-typhoon Tacloban, it would already have been a challenge. It is easy for a first-world person to take everything for granted. The reality (or sometimes, the advantage?) of growing up in a third-world country is that you do not assume anything, you take nothing for granted, you are grateful for what little you have (and you do not cry over what you do not have).
I understand and sympathize with the desperate needs of the victims. Every little bit counts. The smallest food or water package can make the difference between life and death. I think every Filipino knows that. And that is why I am very happy with the national display of compassion and civic duty. Everyone, even the poorest, even the prison inmates, is donating food and money. People are volunteering their time. All the local corporations are helping. In the Philippines, Christmas is the most important holiday, and the annual company Christmas Party is probably the most important company event for most employees. Yet in very many companies in Manila, employees have decided to forego their Christmas party, and instead divert the party budget to relief/aid.
From what I see on TV, the situation on the ground is not pretty. I do accept that efficiency needs to be improved, that service levels have to go up. I do acknowledge that our country’s resources are limited, that our internal delivery capabilities may not be world-class. I do understand that there may be ineffective policies/processes and even wrong decisions made by government. But what I cannot understand is the negative tenor of CNN reporting. I suspect that CNN reporters are viewing this through the eyes of a first-world citizen, with an assumed framework of infrastructure and an expectation of certain service levels. I suspect these are expectations that we would have never met, even in the pre-typhoon days.
Or perhaps it is a question of attitude: a half-empty glass rather than a half-full glass. At my age, I have experienced and lived through earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and at least twenty really bad typhoons (but admittedly, none as bad as Yolanda). From my experience, what we have now is not just a half-filled glass, I personally view it as probably at least 75% full (meaning, I think this is a big improvement over past efforts in past calamities). But please do not fault us for being a third-world country. Please do not explicitly or implicitly attribute everything to our incompetence, what might be due to other factors (such as those that result from limited resources or infrastructure, or those conditions that God or nature seems to have chosen for us). Our people are doing what they can, so let’s give them a break. More so in these difficult times, when suffering is high, emotions are feverish, and tempers are frayed.
It breaks my heart to see my countrymen suffering so much. I will do my share, whatever I can do to help. I will bear insults and harsh words, if this is the price for my people to receive the aid we need. I make no excuses for my country’s shortcomings, but I just wish that some positive slant (the many small tales of heroism, the hard work of our soldiers, the volunteerism and compassion of the typical citizen, etc) would also be mentioned equally. I just needed to let you know how this particular Filipino reacts to your reporting, and I suspect there are many, many other folks who feel the same way that I do.
For whatever the limitations, I still sincerely thank you for your coverage, and the benefits that it will bring my countrymen.
I don’t know who the author is, but this just made me tear up.
Nothing left to say here, that pretty much sums it up. To end this post, let’s hashtag this bitch.
UPDATE 11/17/2013:
We have the original post! Thank you very much.
This letter has driven my stats crazy, and a lot of opinions have been thrown in every now and then. Le Beau already told me to close the comments section as people are becoming a little too passionate about their opinion. But, as a fellow commenter on stuff that pushes my buttons, I don’t think I would want to close the comments box. Please please please though abide by one rule: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SMART TO GIVE YOUR OPINION, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE POLITE.
Salamat.
the salt of your skin 
Yes we are an archipelago and as such we have a large contingency of ships. Cebu is the shipping hub. We have an International airport in Mactan. Why not accept the C-130 cargoes at Mactan and tranship to Tacloban to hasten the flow? Cebu to Leyte or other affected islands may just be a day.
Let’s not waste time rationalizing our failures rather let’s suggest solutions.
To CNN, thanks for factual reporting. Now we know who are lying and who are telling the truth.
Cebu has been devastated too. People are busy saving their livelihood and resources there at that time. Transhipping will cause delays too since cargoes will have to be offloaded from planes, trucked to Cebu ports, and carried by vessels to Tacloban, but by whom? Talk about double, triple-handling. Reaching Tacloban, the port is unusable since it got damaged. How do you unload the goods from the ships, if the ships cannot get close to the shore without the docks. And even if you are able to get kargadors to the ship, how will they carry them to the shore? They can’t swim with heavy loads behind their backs. By bancas? It’s like using a teaspoons to irrigate a rice field.
There are so many ways to bring relief goods to Tacloban but other than by C130s, everything is impractical since it will cause the same delays and with greater risks.
Day 5 after the typhoon struck and still no organized relief operation? How many days does the Philippine govenment need to put their act together? They’ve been warned days before Yolanda made a landfall. Oh yeah! They just ignored the warnings because Filipinos, after all, are resilient. Duh!
LMAO! Your have this kind of attitude: “IT CAN’T BE DONE”. I always notice this kind of attitude from government officials and workers. But in private companies they are always easily done. Your negative attitude and lack of will gives negative vibes and curses towards our nation.
I disagree on the letter. Yes, math is off too. Leaving the people you are responsible for for a week of nothing, there is no excuse. We the Filipinos are smart and are creative all the time. The politicians may not be rescue or recovery workers but they can try at least. By being silent and providing no help to our countrymen in need, what makes of us?
We need a change of leadership. Aquino needs to resign. He is not worth of a president and the folks around him. He let his people down.
AC did a great job..
Dear sir
I agree with all of your comments and appreciate all the insights. You are absolutely correct that Philippines is different from Japan or USA. To me, the main difference is that the Japanese or US government isn’t as corrupt as the Philippines. All of the comparisons that you cited above, to me are the results of lack of resources of the Philippines. Such are the results of the deep corruption in the Philippines which now seems to be acceptable to this country. Such corruption takes away the monies that are suppose to benefit the people and instead enrich the corrupt politicians of this country. Such lack of resources has been continuously being used as an excuse for not being able to service the people in all departments of the government. CNN may have focused on the negative side only however, it pressure the government and kept them on their feet. We should stop being sensitive about the comments of outsiders but prove that they are wrong by improving this country…the first step of which is to stop electing garbage politicians!!!!!
When people are dying, you don’t want to hear excuses.
Absolutely agree!
Correct..let the incompetent people in the government explain for themselves. If they are not criticized for their initial sloppy response, if the foreign media did not step in to report to the world what is the real situation, do you think they will start to get their acts together like they do now? Now that almost everything has been started by the foreign aids already? There are a few people/agency under the present leadership that you can really see doing their jobs during and after the devastation, without being in the limelight and we praise them.
I don’t think the government is just making excuses, We and our government is just literally incapable, with equipments, trainings and other things that a develop country can afford.. Their excuse is a result of decades of corruption tradition, that none could escape from in just a snap!
Truth sometimes hurt, but to accept it would liberate us from what we might have allowed to be far too long already_ a corrupt bunch of hooligans looting our funds right before our eyes fooling us and telling us to shut up and be coy like a child so that they could continue to do their thing, unchecked just like that. I am for the victims of Yolanda and for all of us Filipinos who for these so many decades have fallen prey to our own government. I pray when we would be able to really rise up above this shackled state that we have put ourselves into. I hope for that one day that we will all together break from this malady and truly free ourselves and move forward to realizing our dreams as a nation.
There is no amount of excuses to justify incompetence…if many of our goverment officials are doing their mandates to serve the people with the highest degree of honesty and integrity ,and not pocketing the millions,billions ,trillions the Philippines is progressive by now. We are not blind so we can see,we are are deaf so we can hear and we are not mute so as not to speak , the grievances in our heart on how our leaders are slowly killing us !
POINTLESS…I don’t give a shit to any of your stupid opinions… you are one and a half retard! Imma a Filipino but don’t give a shit on whatever fuckn shit you got to say
You Are stupid as your logic
We can make all the excuses we like, but our government was behind the proverbial 8 ball this time, as it has been in the past. CNN reported it as it saw it, i.e. It told the truth. And it did not do that for the sake of hurting our failing government, it was done so that we might know and form our own opinion. CNN also told the ugly truth in America’s own catastrophe in New Orleans – so it is not bias against us or our government.
Now it is up to us as Filipinos to determine what to do about our government. Do we accept it’s shortcomings and wait for another disaster to throw it off balance? Or do we lean hard on our government and tell it “get to work or get out”. Let’s not live under the assumption that we now and scrape to politicians and bureaucrats. They are our servants. We pay their wages. Not vice versa.
In America, when CNN told the bitter truth, the government was forced to make changes and improve its disaster management performance. Let’s learn from those who have gone before us and make our government earn it’s keep. Let’s not behave like small kids who have been caught swiping some sweets and drop the “poor me” attitude. Even CNN says we’re far better than little mamma’s boys.
The reporters were just merely stating a fact, a situation evolving at ground zero and the absence of an organized relief effort was very evident. The drumbeat ers of the government should not be smitten by the snide remarks made by international journalists it is their job to do such that and to report what they see.
The government response to these criticisms were downright justification of our inadequacies and inefficiencies, this has been always the case ever since.
The Philippines is not new to natural disasters and calamities but we never learn.
Time and again, the government’s answer to these criticisms was that, the first responders were the victims themselves. We have always known through experience that the first responders will be the first victims, but why haven’t we thought of that? Why didn’t we add that up to equation? and took the necessary measures to insulate them, so that the first responders would be able to carry out their tasks?
All the reasons put forth, suggests that we give the government a slack. Should we give them a slack every time calamities like this happens? Try suggesting this line of reasoning to the people affected and we’ll see if it holds water.
That’s very true!!!!! After all you run for a higher office in the government so people expects you to perform.
Lame excuse..bakit kasi nakuntento tayo na maging 3rd world country… kung wala sanag kurakot, mas nakapag-invest sana ang gobyerno sa mga infra structures na makaktulong sana mapabilis sa pagtulong sa mga nasalanta… pasensya na, pero mas ok sa kin yung report nung CNN… nagiging defensive lang tayo kasi ang mind set natin, nakapako na lang sa pagiging 3rd world natin… wake up everyone… we deserve more… we can be more…
Everything in this open letter is true and verifiable by any interested but level-headed person. To me, it doesn’t matter if it was written by someone from the government’s press office or by a real casual observer that the letter writer claims to be. I believe every word that was said. Anderson Cooper arrived there several days later, with only his crew and gears. Why? Because it is hard to get there, even if Cooper only has his crew and gears to bring with. And he is surprised to see that there is still not enough food and medicines available for the victims?” If he was able to bring in even just a car-load of these items to Tacloban, I would really admire him no end and will be cursing the government right now.
When the US mainland was hit by a less severe Katrina years ago, everything was also at a stand-still for days. No amount of preparedness by the world’s most powerful country was able help the victims during the first few days. Bush and his FEMA was also bashed left and right for not doing enough. If the world’s most powerful country was felled to its knees by a Katrina, how much more can a third-world country like ours if it got hit by the strongest typhoon in mankind’s history?
One thing, though: our former colonial masters learned from their misfortune and pushed their government to improve its performance.
We need to copy this.
Where is the improvement you’re saying? When did that happen?
If you are abreast with the news in the US, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer was killed at the Los Angeles airport just weeks ago because of a lone gunman. The TSA officer could have survived the incident if he was given immediate medical attention. But the disorganized Los Angeles airport police force was more busy locking down the whole terminal that paramedics took more than 30 minutes just to get into the terminal. The gunman was arrested but the TSA officer died. And for days, about 170,000 passengers of canceled flights were affected just because of a lone deranged gunman. Passengers slept at the terminals, including children and elderly, with little food and water available to them because many of them lost their luggage in the commotion. Medical supplies, including body organs, and blood going to hospitals in other states had to wait because the delivery vans carrying these vital cargoes cannot approach the airport as all roads to the airport were closed – just because of a lone, deranged gunman that they have already taken into custody. I cannot imagine what would have happened if there were more than one gunman or if it was a bomb explosion. And given all the security measures at the Los Angeles airport, and the memories of 911, how can a deranged man carry a long assault rifle right inside the terminal and be able to fire it several times at security people?
Just now, Obama is on TV apologizing for the failed launch of his Obamacare program caused by a faulty website. Imagine the government of USofA could not even launch an internet website when all of the great minds in the Information Technology industry are in that country and they have over a year to prepare? So right now millions of Americans are going to lose their health insurance because of that faulty website, and Obama had to ask the help of the CEOs of the insurance companies regarding this problem.
If the Filipinos are incompetent, so be it. But we do not have the monopoly of incompetence. The government of the US and other countries are also full of incompetents. And as usual, people who cannot help solving the problem simply engage in the blame game.
The Philippine Government led by NoyNoy Aquino and Mar Roxas is lame and incompetent..Mr. Cooper just told us what he saw in Tacloban City,the REAL SITUATION AND CONDITION of the victims there.. I am a WITNESS to that because I was in Tacloban last Monday because I was worried of my family who were directly affected by that Horrific typhoon..There’s no excuse for this because the Government should have acted faster, effectively and efficiently because there are so many lives devastated here.. You can have all the right to defend this lame Philippine governance but for me that my family is also a victim of this calamity is that I will have the gut to say that the Philippine Government is INCOMPETENT AND CAN’T HANDLE A CRISIS LIKE THIS.. We are all DISAPPOINTED OF THIS PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT.. You can say all you want to defend this government because you didn’t experience this calamity or you are not directly affected by it but for me, my family, relatives and friends who are affected and devastated by that monstrous typhoon cannot accept and tolerate the inefficiency and incompetence of our president.. Would you be happy to know that a family member of yours haven’t eaten a single meal for the past 5 days because of the incoordination and poor management and leadership of the people who are responsible for the aid of the victims.. What if that happens to your family? What wand how would you react..? Some people are dying there because of the starvation and infection of their wounds they got from the debris of their houses.. What has the government done to hasten their relief efforts to those victims.. All they do is assess the situation and do press releases.. They have to ACT NOW BEFORE ALL THOSE SURVIVORS DIE BECAUSE OF STARVATION DUE TO THE POOR AND LAME MANAGEMNET OF THE GOVERNMENT.. sO SAD, but it’s the freaking truth of the REAL DEAL that is happening in Tacloban RIGHT NOW.. I SALUTE AND APPRECIATE Anderson Cooper for his honesty and objective reporting ,because HE himself saw the real condition in Tacloban..
Under develop country is a lame excusd. Under develop because the people who governed used the budgets to develop their lifestyle. If it were only ised to develop the country we will not be left behind in terms of everything. Under develop because we we chosed leaders with under develop brains.
MISMO
I agree with you.If only they used the budgets to develop our country then there would be no big problem like this.Commen people of the philippines think about it,We are left behind from other countries beacause stupid voters voted for stupid but wise corrupt politicians.
Excuses. If the airport is in bad condition, find other ways to get there. Find other ways for the goods to get there. Airdrop them on the runway and distribute. Not everything can be airdropped, but some will do in a situation like this. Just get something going and stop blaming the Airforce or the Navy or the airport or the roads. Be creative. Plan! We’re nowhere near Japan or the US, but at least, we’re SUPPOSED to have leaders who can think! That’s why we have them. The real obstacle to helping people in Leyte is a government that is in denial of the REAL MAGNITUDE of the problem. And because help comes through the government, this is what we see.
Many thanks to Anderson Cooper and CNN for telling the Aquino government that the world is watching and that they better be on their toes!
it is very easy to be an armchair general giving orders
Excuses. If the airport is in bad condition, find other ways to get there. Find other ways for the goods to get there. Airdrop them on the runway and distribute. Not everything can be airdropped, but some will do in a situation like this. Be creative. Plan! We’re nowhere near Japan or the US, but at least, we’re SUPPOSED to have leaders who can think! The real obstacle to helping people in Leyte is a government that is in denial of the REAL MAGNITUDE of the problem. And because help comes from this government, this is what we see. Many thanks to Anderson Cooper and CNN for telling the Aquino government that the world is watching and they better be on their toes!
CNN’s reporting is long overdue…yes, Phil. is not Japan, bec. Japanese politicians are not corrupt and they invest on Japan’s well-being…not like Phil. politicians, who are shameless, corrupt, are just a bunch of thieves…they don’t help people, if they have nothing to gain…Phil, politics is like an entertainment…the previous politicians that were convicted of corruptions were re-elected…the whole economy is controlled by the few…nepotism is natural..that’s why we are in a rotten hell!…and will always be…
I must agree. Japanese people in general are honorable and they can even follow the rule without the visibility of the police. They would rather die than to be dishonored.
This whole tragedy is about the VICTIMS and getting them help quickly. This is not about the government who needed to be praised for a job well done in times of calamity. Why waste time proving CNN and international media wrong where time and effort could have been used to think of alternatives how quickly can we attend to the victims? Enough of proving the international media wrong and focus your attention on the VICTIMS not the media and not government and not building up image and not your bruised ego.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. In my mind , Anderson Cooper did a great service to the victims of the worst typhoon that ever hit land. He showed the world that help is desperately needed. He showed the world the sufferings of the victims and the massive destruction as he sees it. For us Filipinos that live overseas especially in the U.S. I am so grateful to CNN (we have TFC but a day late) especially Anderson Cooper in covering the typhoon Yolanda news 24 hrs. I watched his coverage everyday. I didn’t see anything or any words he said that greatly offended the Filipino people, if there is I will be offended too. He compared the tsunami in Japan to typhoon Yolanda where in Japan government was very visible. Why would you be offended with that it is the truth, whatever the reasons for the delay. No government presence has also been echoed by the victims themselves. Instead, of criticizing journalists, be humble,learn a lesson from it and work on a better strategy if same situation arise. There are 3.5 million Filipinos that lives in United States and his typhoon coverage is greatly appreciated.
Anderson Cooper did his job, the Philippine Government did its part. It’s no time to pinpoint to anybody. We have our limitations. Just HELP
I fully agree with you. What I can not understand is when others why Cooper was not bringing any relief goods with his crew? That it not his job. He is not from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council nor from any relief organizations here and abroad. He do his job well by reporting what he has seen on the ground which local media for some reasons or another failed do perform. Yes our government may have its limitations but we can ask foreign help immediately to save hundreds of thousands of our fellow Filipinos who lost their homes, their clothes, their food, their everything. Why allow the people to suffer with the government’s inadequacy.
Let say Manila is far it takes 24 hours by land…24 hours by water…to travel but two days 3days without nothiNg is un acceptable….!!!there is mindanao nearby ….maybe the government call a heip from there…to come early…!!!…ohh hu hu hu hu set aside political concern in this kind of tragic people died everywhere…”,!!!
Roger E, It a well thought open letter but the bottom truth of the matter is “No Excuses”. When starvation and hunger sits it, whether you are in Jupiter or Mars, you gotta bring in the supplies “NOW”. How do you save a drowning victim? “Now”, throw in the rope or jump in the water “NOW”. Sorry, I don’t buy the “3rd world country or the Philippine as an Archipelago” lame excuse. Anderson Copper is a season CNN reporter who has been to many places in the world and has seen this type of disaster before and just commenting through his past experiences. We can do the blaming game later when all the typhoon victims are in a better place “safe and taken care of”.
I have cousin in tacloban that time….”!!! They are shouting for help… No food , no water, no medicine and she is wounded…. 2days nothing to eat …where are the coverments that time…they come too late..!!!! They are not killed by that storm.. My cousin in Manila wants to go tacloban cox he has 2 brother and his mother there but no transportation ….!!!! What is this… this story made me laugh…!!!!”..in this situation…we don’t really need explanation in god sake…”….
Wow long night story telling”,,,… Its really hurt reality man!!!”” people don’t need explanation…goverment has to do something” the president itself can perform marshallaw that time “first day right after the storm gone”!!! Hello…. and he can use forces to go there by land and by air”,,,what ever he wants…omg”!!!!! CNN was right…,!!!
Personally, I think that the government was as prepared as it could be for the typhoon. They already had provisions, they warned everybody, facebook was giving out messages every so often from local government. Let’s face it, the local government is hit 20 times a year with storms and they have the same formulaic approach. Yes, they could have done things differently, (built stronger rather than quicker, built farther from the shorelines rather than on shorelines) but that is not the problem for the typhoon preparedness but rather a symptom of the slum-dwelling due to poverty of our country. There have been numerous storms in the past and always always the government and the people were able to rebuild, give relief goods and walk again.
In one AC360 report this week, one of the field reporters stated having a “Golden Warehouse”, where a lot of relief goods were placed (and this i assume was placed BEFORE the typhoon… and is now being guarded by military against opportunists), it’s just that they couldn’t distribute due to lack of infrastructure and manpower. In one of the local news it was said that evacuation centers were also blown away. So it means that these people WERE evacuated. So the city of Tacloban HAD provisions and HAD evacuated. Does that mean that they weren’t prepared? No. Does it mean that they hadn’t adequately prepared? MAYBE.
What they WEREN’T prepared for was the STORM-SURGE. THAT was what took everyone by surprise. That’s why the roads are impassable. That’s why there are dead people, that’s why the relief goods prepared already couldn’t go out. That’s why the mayor was stuck in house for 2 days. That’s why 1/3?? of the police and local government of Tacloban is missing. They didn’t anticipate the sheer amount of devastation that it would bring.
So yes, government right now is slow, and yes there is SOME incompetence, and I agree with the author, I just shrug this away, and that is probably what riles people with anti-government sentiment, because we shrug that incompetence away, because these people they want us to have better government, and how else to do it but to criticize? So yes, criticism is helpful so that we can make things better, but portraying us as a whole as incompetent is probably not the way to go.
But I still stand by my thoughts that Tacloban was as prepared as IT COULD BE.
in any calamity.. big or small and especially this one, the biggest recorded typhoon, our government should get to the affected area as soon as possible! our government is the only hope of our people and our government should understand this. if people like anderson cooper makes comments like this and we know our government did screw up even if its just a little we should not be defensive about this and instead learn from our mistakes and do better. the problem with us, not only our government is that we prefer to be defensive all the time rather than accept our mistakes and promise to do better. we should remember that the first step towards improvement is acceptance of our mistakes
Mas reliable pa ang report ng cnn…
some volunteers walked out because they were frustrated and they didn’t understand why a pre-packaged relief goods ready to be handed out to the victims,they were told to open and repacked before it can be distributed to the victims…what’s up with that???
It still doesn’t change the fact that what Anderson Cooper reported was 100% true. You rattled off so many excuses as to why the Philippine government was so slow to respond yet I believe that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Just because the Philippines does not have the proper equipment in dealing with a major calamity, it doesn’t mean it can’t find ways to make their response time better. If government officials didn’t steal so much money from the people, better infrastructure planning could’ve been conceptualized and put into action.
I hope I can drop u in d middle of d disaster were ders no help given..and lets see if u can still say d same thing..buttom line is our government is incompetent..and dey werent preparing..dis is category 5 for fucks sake..how can u try and make a mastetplan after day 5..and why arent u anticipating dat d local government will not have d capability of doing der job after day 3? As for me I sure would not say cnn is reporting base in der emotion..dey r reporting base on wat dey see..cnn is one of d trusted news organization here in d us and all over d world..id rather trust dem dan our government..and please before u speak for d government watch d victims first and put ur self in der position and tell me if ur really gona sympathize d government for der slow action or symphatize for d victim who not only are victims of d typhoon but victims of our incompetent gov.
There is no excuse to the incompetence of most of the politicians. The greediness had been a career for most of them. Yes, no one is prepared for this magnitude tragedy but preparedness is vital. It is not a tornado that has very limited(minutes of warning). The world had seen that it would be a catastrophe. But were there triad stations, soup kitchens and food available after the storm? Was there an army formed within 24 hours after the tragedy? Do what you can do for your country first and be quick to respond to tragedies instead of attaching the international media who saw in reality that no domestic help was available. Korina Sanchez is not a true Filipino because instead of helping her country men lift up their hopes and sprits, she had committed one of the deadly sins which is envy to her co-journalist. What a shame! Greed and Envy are the two most deadly sins that had been acquired by the people in the archipelago. If the majority could take them out of their behavior, the country will not be branded as a third world country. Look around your neighbors and see why they have better living standards. It starts from each and every one of you to change your behavior and be better citizens. Vote for the true leader you can have in a couple of years.
different people looks at life in different points of view. how much more for a disaster beyond anything we could ever imagine or prepare adequately as a 3rdworld spread of small and big islands. everybody in our pond is free to croak and make noise. the point is if you are the noisiest and yet is only up to there…your noise is useless. and the rest would either group together to get you out or just hold your throat to keep you silent.so that they can continue their task of helping the unfortunate ones efficiently and free from useless croaks.
To hell with the 3rd world country excuse. During Marcos era we were doing well, and during his time too we became worst, and his successors were no different than him, all corrupt. If all the budget/funds were used to buy hightech facilities, the government could have responded better to whatever calamities arise. The problem is these budget were not used rightfully. I doubt if the monetary donations from parts of the world will be used to help the victims, maybe it will be used by officials for their personal gain. To hell with your excuse, Mayor Duterte of Davao were able to send 911 ambulance and medical team the day after the disaster. If there’s a will and sincerity to help these victims, there’s a way. So what if Philippines is an archipelago, other countries arrived faster than the help from Philippine govt.. they are marines, navy skilled medics etc went to war don’t you think they are not used to scenario like this or even worst? They won’t be coming, leaving their families in their countries, risking their lives, just to help foreign victims. They already expected that the place they will be going to is a disaster yet they volunteer. The problem lies to Philippine system a lot of red tape even the Filipinos are dying. Coopers report is a wake up call. I hope he can also report on the corrupt system in our country.. maybe dig into details where the donations will be going, maybe in the pocket of senators or department heads.
mabilis at matalino mandugas karamihan mga namumuno sa atin pero makukupad at bopol pagdating sa trabaho.
I agree with you.. Too bad that our governmentt is full of corrupt and lame officials..
Please tell that to the family who’s been affected, who lost their love ones and left them on the streets to find food, water and medicine, who didn’t have time to mourn, grieve and pray for them, who 3-6 days later their love ones still on the streets decaying with just a blanket over them, who stays and waits from a distance from them because of the smell……… IMAGINE THAT, I CANT….. I don’t particularly like Anderson Cooper but this time I WOULD LIKE TO THANK HIM FOR DOING THIS, i watch and observe many local reporters who are busy reporting to the main office the destruction and devastation caused by the storm and asking stories from victims of their ordeal, but not instead report or asking for victims emergent care, needs and search and rescue from the government .
CNN’s credibility is unquetionably one of the best cable news network in the world if not the very best. their coverage of the super thphoon haiyan in the Philippines is very informative & could be a source of strength for Filipino victims to never loose hope. I guess Ms. Sanchez reaction is overboard unless she was there on the site for an actual know how of what’s going on in Leyte & other affected areas. The writer maybe a PR representative from the government but i salute his sentiments. I just hope that help & other rescue operations reaches all the affected areas of this deadly typhoon. God bless the Philippines.
Ito ang problema sating mga Filipino kumg minsan. In times of disaster we are good in pinpointing others. Tahimik at tumulong nalang…..
You made good points but maybe you should review the events that lead up to CNNs reports. But just in case everyone is too “busy” helping let me enumerate them to you.
1. Sunday – The president himself went to Tacloban along with some officials and should have already assessed the situation. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how bad the situation is. In fact, he was even briefed by some people and was given suggestions in what he should prioritize. But instead of responding, he WALKED OUT and even took the oppurtunity to berrate a businessman who is simply requesting for the entire area to be placed under a martial law or even just a state of emergency. Mind you, this man was almost killed by the looters.
2. Monday – same reports, more casualties, etc. Still no concrete plan of action despite the growing numbers of international aid.
3. Tuesday – CNN’s Amanpour interviewed the president. And instead of providing solutions to mounting problems, the president shifted the blame to the local government units. When asked about his long term plans in case such disaster strikes again the president simply answered: “Let’s just hope it does not (happen again)”.. As if he can dictate nature’s will.
3. Wednesday – Anderson Cooper of CNN arrives in Tacloban initially thinking that he was already late since its already day 5 and he thinks everything was already settled. Well, he was wrong. There is very little support, not enough troops deployed to restore peace and order, even the clinic WITHIN the airport has ran out of medical and basic supplies.
Now, can someone in this forum tell me what took the government up until yesterday morning to respond? How come the US marines were able to arrive much sooner? And why are you sending a letter to CNN? Why not send a letter to the government who is suppose to be taking charge of things and bearing most of the responsibilities? CNN is only there to report whatever is happening whether its good, bad or worst. They do not take excuses like most of us do. They will tell you straight in the face, what is happening on the ground even if it kills you. They are a media entity not a propaganda team so next time you criticize any entity start with finding out whatis the nature of the organization and what is their function.
Its easy for us to hear the excuses of the government because we are not getting hungry, wear not fearing for the lives of our love ones. Try to be in that situation and I’m quite sure we will all be a different person.
TRUE, I strongly agree with you..
Vincent, I couldn’t agree you more. You hit the nail in the head. Excellent observation!
Hi J.J Please do visit Legazpi City City, Albay….where mayon volacano si located….thank you.
That would be a good place to visit… but I think the food is too spicy there right? Its Bikol… pero magayon :)
i saw on tv a high ranking navy official who just wiped the tears trickling down his face when asked what his reaction was to all the negative comments re the national government’s disaster response. Please let’s not be quick to judge. The government may not be doing enough but they are doing their best considering all the constraints they’re facing.
o my god i saw that too , , and people are like claiming anderson cooper as their hero , , what of the civilian volunteers that are helping there , , our nurses our doctors , , and our pilots
ok…..but the bottomline is the government was not ready. Everything Cooper reported were true. So what’s up? Lessons learned…..
I agree. There was nothing wrong with Mr. Cooper’s report. Everything was based on what he saw at ground zero. I thought the writer was going to be different but she/he is just like the rest of the ego-oriented Pinoys/Pinays who react instead of proact to constructive criticisms. Despite his/her presentation of facts, he/she still completely missed the idea of reporting.
Jun Y. Viray, please read the letter again. It doesn’t say that what CNN reported is not true. It explains the possibility (may I say possibility) that CNN views it differently because of cultural differences and national capability. Please be careful when saying that the “government is not ready” because even the United Nations said that considering the magnitude of this disaster, we are on the right track. True, far from perfect but it’s unfair to the national and local government for us to criticise them for not being mind-readers. Even INTERNATIONAL experts call Yolanda “the perfect storm.” Tell us, how does one prepare for the perfect storm?
The questions were not about how prepared one can be to the perfect storm that was Yolanda (Haiyan), but how the leaders reacted to the aftermath of storm…The President Of the Philippines was waiting for someone to tell him what the victims needed. Nobody told him that the Local Governments are non-existent as they were victims themselves. Common sense would have told him that people needed food, water and shelter as basic needs for survival. Five days after the devastation was just too long for any leaders to wait for anyone to tell him to start setting up Feeding Centers as number one priority. Great leaders are defined how they handled adversity. Sadly, our leaders failed miserably.
Please include the basis for your comment. How do you know the government was not ready? Please educate the readers just as the writer of the article you are commenting on has very intelligently done so.
Cooper & his team just showed their incompetence in reporting the truth…
– They are extremely ignorant on the geography and topography of the
calamity stricken area..
– They, too, are extremely insensible that the government & the Filipinos
are still on their knees after the typhoon Maring, floods from habagat,
MNLF seize of Zamboanga City & earthquake that hit Bohol & Cebu…
They don’t have a heart for the Filipinos… theirs is insult to an injury!
Mockery or just a plain racism?
i agree to this comment.
couldn’t agree more.the incompetent president making comments “we get an average of 20 typhoons every year”,then they should have been more prepared.what this calamity did to look at the positive, aspect of this is :the government can do better in terms of disaster preparedness.
Have you done your part already. baka puro lang ngawa wala namang gawa
its nice to read another side of comment and message. We people are just watching and hearing news. We do not really know what’s really the situation of the relief and help activity and situation in the area. These journalist and reporters definitely would be easy for them to reach these area and make videos and reports for they are just bringing their cameras and selves to these places. but the Relief and operations team have to bring loads of things to these places (definitely big trucks and carriers). miski nga mag drive lang ng malaking sasakyan mahirap, sa kalyeng nasira eh yung C130 pa…. hehehehehe On the other side, thanks for these reports and videos, for now help and relief are pouring to these places. God bless you all.
Simply a government PR operation. It doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines.
lol.. dude, apparently, it’s working
@John Mars – are you a filipino?
exactly
Agree! Excuses excuses!
you still consider this pr? You mean you are not aware of our limitations as a country, as a people? You better think out of your genius.
My comment is meant for john mars…I do agree with the author many times over.
@Norma Rae.
Mayor Duterte and his team of rescuers was there since Day 1 despite their meager means. Phil. Air Force pilot and his crew dropped off relief goods without order. International agencies was there. AC Cooper was there. Being a Third World country is a lame excuse. We’re poor because we let our politicians become very rich. What limitations are you talking about?
Marge, you are very much right and I agree with you on why we are poor when we shouldn‘t be. Being poor, limits eveything. I am not blind nor deaf on how some people in government enrich themselves at the expense of the poor and the helpless whom they use no end. How can we free our country from these greedy alligators would require people like you and me and many others that express their ire over the incompetence of government in handling this crisis called yolanda to do something concrete. Something that can propel the much needed CHANGE.
agree.
everything that you wanted to know, in reality…not meant to be misunderstood, but to ‘open the light’ from the other side…
Fair and square. Please allow me to share at FB. Thanks!
The Phils aside from being an archipelago is a poor country. Our navy consists of old ships, the newest is an old destroyer bought 2nd hand. Our airforce consists of 3 C130. When the storm hit us local governance disappeared. Help has to come from outside Leyte. All roads, harbors and airports have to be cleared not by locals but from outside. Only after clearing these can aid from outside come. If you compare what happened in the US during Katrina as against Yolanda – I say we did better taking into account what we have or did not have. Also, Katrina’s wind was nowhere compared to Yolanda. Off course many believed your commentary mostly because of the frustrations of our countrymen. But did you know the real truth?
poor country???how come politicians and cronies were able to siphon billions and billions of pesos????
The Phils aside from being an archipelago is a poor country, unlike the US. The storm that hit us was far more stronger than anything that hit the US. Our houses are made mostly of light materials compared to that of the US. Please do not compare us from the US BECAUSE IT IS NOT FAIR!
We are not comparing countries here.. Again it’s about the victims. Rich or poor, we have the same regard for life. The focus is to save life and preserve life. That was the goal of what is being reported. The real context of the news is to bring light to the truth about the victims’ ordeals.
“An Open Letter to CNN” is the true and real scenario of the devastated area before it was hit by Super typhoon Yolanda. My daughter , a lawyer and her family was trapped in a Tacloban hotel at the height of the typhoon. Being Sports minded , the whole family survived as well as the youngest girl a 6 yrs old. The whole Tacloban was flattened and as per my daughters acct who witnessed the disaster before and after, Mediamen CNN, Reuters etc etc took Photos from around the area of the Airport more or less 30-50 meters away with their Zoom Cam lens, just enough to make an Int’l reportage.
They were afraid to get closer to seashore where lots of fatalities were scattered as the “Survival Game” has started and the roaming living dead survivors were getting wild being hungry and thirsty. in short..THE REPORTAGE DONE BY THE CNN IS BASELESS AND TOO DAMAGING TO US FILIPINOS MOSTLY TO OUR GOOD LOCAL GOVT. OFFICIALS .
pls, come on.. stop defending our the Phil. govt from their shortcomings. accept the fact that the first few days at the affected areas were not under control.. how can you say CNN’s report was baseless since cooper was also there in person.. maybe you are mistaking him with a local news anchor from ABiaS-CBN who is just reporting from studio who happens to be the wife of the person incharge in the relief operation at the site..
He’s got to say what Anderson SEE
In the 1st place, i am glad Anderson’s Cooper of CNN reporting helps reach other people in other parts of the world and as a result helps arrived and are still arriving. However, what is undesirable CNN is doing is degrading the Philippine government effort of rescuing and aiding these victims. They should not compare other rich nations to the Philippines.The agency can only do what the country’s capability is. Don’t worry my fellow Filipinos, CNN is trying to raise their rating by making bad impressions to others. Here in the US, CNN is going down flashed the sewer. People no longer watching them. They are biased group of reporters. They are going down with Obama & Obamacare who a lot of americans hated.
cheers!!!!
thank you.
Getting so dramatic. Every journalist has the right to report what they actually saw. Stop being balat sibuyas, truth hurts, rationalization is like letting everyone accept what it is even if there is a solution. There should be no mountain, seas, or even small airport that should hinder what we needed to do, we are talking here of actual people’s lives and not statistics.
if you think you can do better and more faster than the people whose working right now. Then do it your way Ethan Lucas do it your way. Happy to see the outcome.
Ellen, reading your comment in my own personal opinion is a comment of an immature child. It should not be d that way. Both sides of d story should be weighed. I do acknowledged the govt’s inefficiency but on the other hand consider also the reason behind. This s a matter of natinal issue. 3 days before while the typhoon is approaching the national govt should have created task force with clear plan and consider anything and evrything. Considering lots of typhoon come in the phils. The govt should have learned its lesson even before pa but as what we can see parang ist time pa rin ang approach.
Did you get the point of the Writer? Read it again.. again and again..
until you understand what he means… he discreetly expressed what he wants to say..
You know what, we need not to argue on this matter.. like what you said.. “every journalist has the right” then …
We are talking about the lives of the survivors and diversions on the bulls eye will not help.. it cannot.. never…
This is an eye opener to everyone.. a sort of reminder.. letting everybody know all the factors that had been overlooked..
Well honestly speaking both Korina and Cooper are talking based on what they feel and see and not research based.. they have no statistics about the bones they are arguing with.. Korina tells what she knew so as cooper..
In a nutshell.. If you have nothing nice to say… ssssshhhh… just sssshhh… Just send your donations and ssssshhhh…. sssshhhh… ssssshhh :)
@silingLabuyo… correction.. cooper reported what he saw in person, but Korina reported what she did not see.. she just reacted against cooper since her husband is mr slow aka mr ‘everything under control’ aka mr ‘nothing is fast enough in a situation like this… kapish? now ssssshhhh… just pray
dear silinglabuyo! i panicked when i couldn’t find the LIKE button … i realized this is not FB … anyway. I LIKE how you think.
@SilingLabuyo,
“This is an eye opener to everyone.. a sort of reminder.. letting everybody know all the factors that had been overlooked..”
–Overlooked? Ignored actually…
“Korina and Cooper are talking based on what they feel and see and not research based..”
–Wrong dude. If all reporters were basing their reports on sensory/emotional perceptions and not researched based then they are in effect, MANUFACTURING stories and not facts. You better check your sources before saying something like this.
“they have no statistics about the bones they are arguing with.. Korina tells what she knew so as cooper..”
–Wrong again. Are you sure you have been keeping tabs with the pre/post typhoon coverage from day one? It seems to me you’re missing a lot of facts on how they got the numbers…
“In a nutshell.. If you have nothing nice to say… ssssshhhh… just sssshhh… Just send your donations and ssssshhhh…. sssshhhh… ssssshhh :)”
–And who are you let alone what right do you have to tell anyone to just shut up and just send donations? How sure are you that the person you’re telling to shut up hasn’t done his part to help the victims?
To the writer,
“The tenor and tone of CNN’s reporting has not been very palatable for a local person like me (the focus seems to be on the country’s incompetence).”
–It is not the country’s incompetence, but the President and the Government’s incompetence (and impotence as others have wrote) being scrutinized. And please bear in mind, not all news has to be very palatable to everyone’s taste.
“…in the context of the government not doing enough to bring in relief goods. It was like listening to newbie executives from Tokyo, London or the USA with no real international experience, yet assuming that their country’s rules and circumstances applied equally to the rest of the world.”
–That was very sarcastic, which makes me think your humbleness throughout your post is nothing but a facade. You are aware that the three nations you just mentioned happens to be the very nations sending us relief goods. I mention this because on one side you seek their assistance and then on the other hand you insult them. I sense “Duplicity” in your words. Either you’re a real retired executive, or you’re a very good actor.
I’d love to see how you do your ways Ethan Lucas. How you can move mountains and surpass the seas. Yes, this seems to be a “balat sibuays” action but try to see the real thing you’ll never know where to start. It’s always easy to discuss things but the letter is actually a summary of what is truly happening. There are truly failures on the government side but still instead of blabbering with ridicules on how it should be done you better start praying for us. :) Hope You will always be safe. :)
If every journalist has the right to report what they actually saw, how about the rights of the citizenry to uphold their dignity? These journalists are heartless!!! They have no right to mock our government!
Filipinos are still on their knees due to the earthquake that hit Bohol & Cebu… Lugmok na nga inaapakan pa!!!
Come over to the Philippines, do your share then you can tell the whole world how you did your best to beat the odds of helping the victims.
Sana you would experience how is it to lose your loveones in a catastrophe & mock the government you’re in!!! Then tell us Filipinos… hindi ka mag-babalat sibuyas!
exactly
I don’t think our government did not do their duties at all. Local officials who were asked to be in charge were also victims of both typhoon & people like you Ethan Lucas. Our capacity is limited, resources against this super super typhoon is likewise limited. First world countries who have all new technologies & money like US was paralyzed by Katrina and Japan when hit by Tsunami. I should have praise these foreign journalist for their report but they expect so much & thought that Philippines falls on the same category as US & Japan.They broadcast to the whole world our government inefficiency as if we did nothing at all… It is not being balat sibuyas but they are already hitting us below the belt, so may I close this by telling this group to “MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS” they make money out of that report anyway…
.
I love this ” open letter to CNN reports”. I watched our fellow Filipinos in the television who joined hand-in hand doing all their efforts to help all the victims of this catastrophe. To CNN reporters , You can report everything but please not only the negative sides because there are also good points our honest government officials are doing especially in time like this.
To the writer of this letter two thumbs up for you. GALING..
I watched cnn coverage and they did not only report the negative sides of this heartbreaking calamity but they also lauded the waterproof spirit of our countrymen. Truth hurts. The government is nothing but crap when it comes to these kind of things!
Our government are still on their knees due to the series of calamities = Typhoon Maring, habagat, MNLF seize of Zamboanga and earthquake that hit Bohol & Cebu…. who’s the government anyway??? You and I are part of this government you called crap…. Did you do your share, Rob?
what’s in my mind? well, whatever cooper has said really makes a difference..it was a wake up call to our government..at least he has helped us a lot to let the whole world knows the real situation of our countrymen who survive after the wrath of yolanda…whatever has been said by whom really helped a lot in making the relief goods moves faster to feed the hungry and distress..
I personally thought this was well written even though I did not care for the use of “Third World Country” as I prefer “Under Developed Nation or Developing Nation” In addition, I would say to the Filipino people to consider the source. Anderson Cooper and CNN are quick to point the negative finger and this is not the first time they have done so. I remember the hurricane (typhoon) Katrina and how Anderson Cooper did nothing but focus on how bad the government was because of how slow aid came in to the victims of the calamity.
I have only watched CNN to see what is happening in the Philippines and to get the latest updates. Please understand from me, a French/American born in the US, that has not yet travelled to the Philippines, that I am aware of your struggles from the past and struggles and trials you have for the future.
Lastly, while it is the dream of many Filipinos to come here to the USA – my dream is to go there and live where life is simple and where people, for the most part, value each other and where family is so very important.
In closing…. please understand Anderson Cooper is just maarte talaga.
Maraming Salamat for your blog. Galing naman
J.J.
Hi there j.j. … i would like to ask your permission to copy/paste your comment to my fb wall. i find this very interesting … and if you are going to visit the Philippines soon, check out Davao City! God bless!
Hi M.S.A.,
Sure you are welcome to post it…. send me the link to your FB din :) I have seen pictures of Davao and it looks very beautiful. Ingat ka rin
thanks j.j. … may i have your email add so i can send you my fb link? here’s my email add: martygonz123@yahoo.com
hey j.j. here’s one comment to your comment: I dont know him/her but i love him/her already!
Hi. I was waiting to find a response like yours. I have seen anderson cooper report post katrina and post Haiti earthquake. He is a very good speaker and can convey his feelings very well. But I do not agree when he adds things on his report that is either his opinions or feelings or criticizing people or the government. I have seen him do this in the above mentioned disasters. As a reporter, you report what is happening, without clouding it with your opinion. You are supposed to be the neutral person in this situation. Reporters can convey so many things, even just with a change of the tone of their voice, a facial expression, what more with the words they use. If you watch news in the US, this is the trend now. They put in their opinion while or after giving the report. I don’t agree with it, thats why I prefer reading my news. But every now and then, I get tempted to watch and be mad. ;-).
I agree with you 100%… Along with reading news myself…. Here in the USA my favorite news is The BBC and its not USA lol. They are there to report the news… Not to try and be celebrities and act cute or maarte.
Davao is a good place. I’m proud to say that. :)
“An Open Letter to CNN” – is a great letter: an eye-opener, truthful, informative, reconciliatory, without malice or vindictiveness; a must-read letter for reporters who want to know the truth of what is happening in the Rescue and Relief operation that is on-going now in the typhoon-ravaged areas of the Philippines. I say “Amen” to that letter and “kudos” to the author.
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Thank you for giving voice to the other side of the story. Eloquent and direct to the point.
I saw the live reporting of Cooper Anderson and he just truthfully reporting what he saw, no more no less. To me his tone or tenor is not biased against the Phil government. There’s this old adage that goes ‘sometimes truth hurts’. And Jack Nicholson once said in one of his movie, (some people) ‘ just can’t handle the truth’.
Thank you for this truthful and eye-opener letter. Let us be unified rather than critical. Many thanks to all nations who in one way or the other made all donations to the victims possible. God bless us all.