Assistance for Sendong Victims must Meet their Actual Needs—Bishop
MANILA, Jan. 19, 2012—Reacting on the reported United Nations’ humanitarian action plan program to help thousands of victims of Typhoon Sendong in Mindanao, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said that the victims should be given the most essential things they need to start their life anew. According to reports, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) program, “Philippines (Mindanao) Humanitarian Action Plan 2012” purportedly aims to raise some $28 million (P1.26 billion) to help the typhoon victims. But, the UN’s humanitarian action program for typhoon victims has a catch. Included in the program is the intention to distribute sexual and reproductive health (RH) “Minimum Initial Service Packages” (MISPs) including RH kits. Pabillo, who chairs the CBCP’s National Secretariat on Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA), said what the victims need are not the non-essentials but the basics that would help them begin again. “Hindi ‘yun a...