Watch — Yolanda survivor assails Aquino: ‘Gov’t help not felt by victims’ #RememberHaiyan

“Tignan mo, di siya pumunta rito. Dun siya sa Guian. Kung tumulong siya, dapat nagpunta siya dito. Dun siya e kasi andun ang kaalyado niya,” said Bong Baronda, a Yolanda survivor in Tacloban City.

Baronda is a worker helping move one of the barges which were brought aground by supertyphoon Yolanda a year ago.

According to Baronda, they hardly felt government support in Tacloban.

“Yung mga nandirito, nagrereklamo talaga. Dahil ang ayuda na ibinigay ng ibang bansa, di talaga nakarating dito,” he said.

He thinks that food pack donations were “replaced” with gov’t NFA rice and said that no cash subsidies were given by the gov’t.

“Ang nakarating dito yung mga NGO, yung Tsu Chi Foundation, mga artista. Pero yung gubyerno wala, pwera sa konting NFA rice,” he said.

He also said they were being driven away from their livelihoods by “no build zones.”

“Kapag kailangan talaga, aalis kami dito. Kaso wala namang lilipatan. Dun sa relocation, malayo sa kabuhayan,” he said.

Asked what they really need, he said jobs and livelihood.

“Ang kailangan talaga namin, pangmatagalan ay yung kabuhayan.Wala kasing mga pabrika dito eh. Ang sistema dito, kung sino ang mayaman na may-ari ng lupain, yun ang lalong yumayaman lang. Papaalisin kami rito, pero wala namang kabuhayan doon,” he said.

Baronda said he was not able to join the People Surge rally but he supported their call and signed their petition.

“Di ako nakapunta kasi nakipaglamay ako sa mga kamag-anak. Pero sila pumunta dito, at sumuporta ako, pumirma ako. Hinikayat ko pumirma ang marami dito,” he said, beling claims that those who protested were paid.

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Originally posted on Blog Watch, Philippine Online Chronicles.