On November 8, 2013, a very strong SuperTyphoon hit the Philippine islands, causing a widespread destruction across the path of the storm. Haiyan is regarded as the strongest super typhoon that made a landfall in a certain landmass than any other storms. The storm reached a maximum sustained storm wind of up to 315 kilometers per hour near the center. Super typhoon Haiyan is the worst tropical disturbance that hit the Philippines in history, making it one of the most destructive natural disasters not only in the country but in the entire world.
The Philippines received an overwhelming support from international communities as the country was totally demolished by the onslaught of the super typhoon. There were at least 6,340 confirmed perished during the wrath of the typhoon's destruction while there are still more than a thousand individuals who are still missing up to this day. The total amount of damage brought about by the typhoon amounted to at least more than 2 billion in US dollars. However, the estimated damage is believed to be higher than the reported destruction.
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| Yolanda Fund breakdown as of October 7, 2016 for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda |
The storm passed through that central Philippines by passing through the island of Leyte, crossing in the Visayas region. The storm brushed the central Philippines by passing through the islands of Cebu, Panay, and Mindoro Islands. Super typhoon Haiyan caused an overwhelming path of destruction. Structures that were built to withstand a 200-kilometer wind gust were no match against the power that was harnessed by the super typhoon. The path of destruction left numerous infrastructures that were totally damaged and could never be repaired because the energy generated by the wind was too strong to handle.
The most dangerous natural hazard that was also generated by the super typhoon was the storm surge. that reached a height of 10 meters, resembling that of a tsunami. The storm surge was responsible for claiming thousands of lives along its path. The devastating effects of Haiyan affected the economy of the Philippines especially to the agricultural sector, energy sector, and industrial sectors. The gross domestic products of the Philippines significantly declined. An overwhelming support of funds was being able to pour towards the Philippines. Countries and territories from around the world offered financial assistance and humanitarian efforts to the Philippines.
But after several years, affected residents are now starting to question the funds donated by international communities. Proposed housing areas show a very slow construction progress. The quality of housing facilities is very poor, which is not a livable place to stay. Why these funds are mysterious? This is because most of us did not know where it actually went. Since it went mysterious, numerous allegations surfaced against agencies and individuals responsible for handling the funds.
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Which is Stronger, Haiyan or Irma?
LIST OF FOREIGN DONATIONS FOR YOLANDA VICTIMS
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| Clear view of donated Yolanda Funds |
5 Mysterious facts about Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda donations
1.It is worth over 1 Billion US dollars: The real total amount is really mysterious. If you are going to total the funds donated by various international organizations and agencies, it will amount to at least over a billion in US dollars. This is separate from the locally donated funds from national agencies, foundations, and private individuals who want to help their fellow Filipinos. The actual total amount of funds were not disclosed to the public for privacy reasons. This means that the total amount of funds donated by both local and international sponsors could exceed more than 1 billion in US dollars, which is already enough to help rebuild destroyed infrastructures and facilities at a short period of time.
2. Corruption allegations: This is a given scenario where funds were collected by the wrong person or group that makes it mysterious. Corrupt individuals or group will then misuse the funds for their personal itineraries and failed to liquidate the funds after using it. The Philippines is still suffering from a widespread corruption. There is still a culture wherein officials take an advantage of funds that are undocumented, which are often being used for personal means. It has been a tradition for public officials, in which they take every opportunity to commit illegal activities whenever there are funds that are not properly regulated.
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3. Massive infrastructure repair: The government allocated a huge amount of funds to repair damaged infrastructures across the country that has been destroyed by the Typhoon, which is also mysterious because there are infrastructures that are still ongoing until today. These include rapid repairs for damaged roads, bridges, and buildings that are still useful to the public. It is an immediate response to get the country's economic sustainability restored in a shorter amount of time to prevent any delays with the exports or imports of the companies operating in the areas. Construction of new infrastructures was also initiated as a way to add more existing network of transportation facilities across the country.
4. Allegedly used for political campaigns: In 2013, Local Philippine elections already took place last May where it elected local and national officials of the government with the exception of the President and Vice-president as based on the constitution. The funds that were donated were believed to be an extra help for government officials who were planning to seek for another term of office in 2016, that makes it again mysterious. During the 2016 elections, the issue about Yolanda funds that were generated, creating a concern with the allegations of corruption by greedy officials who should have used the funds for humanitarian efforts.
5. Missing funds: After a couple of years since 2013, several complaints are now raising up against the management of Yolanda funds that still remains a mystery until today. The agencies responsible for collecting and safekeeping the funds were unable to present a liquidated report on how the funds were delegated to several humanitarian efforts. Some bits and pieces of the funds were already deposited to private bank accounts that the agencies are no longer being able to recover it. The reason behind is that the regulating agencies were unable to monitor the movement of funds, making it vulnerable to corrupt individuals or groups to take advantage of it and then deposit it in their personal savings account.
The question is, where did the funds really went at this time?
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