Retarded Girl Update Novermber 2014

[Bruce]

Remember Mercedes, the 14 yr old retarded girl raped by her step father? Well here she is with her mother and her baby boy and she will be 16 in December. The local government moved them into a new shelter built for the hurricane victims of last year. Food is now the main issue. It is Mercedes, her baby, her mother and little brother and sisters that are struggling to get daily food.

 

If you have been reading the Philippine papers, you must have read about the increasing number questions being asked about WHERE is all the international hurricane relief money or the results of how it was spent. As a result of those media questions, local governments in storm hit areas are now, over a year later attempting to show where the money was spent.

 

Recently built on a muddy field outside of Catbalogan, Samar is just one of those new 'temporary shelters'. Of course the Philippine definition of 'temporary' is easily found in any English dictionary. Just remember the Philippines spelling of 'temporary' is found under the 'P' section as follows: P E R M A N E N T.

 

This newly built area is off the main road a bit and several kilometers outside of town. This creates a bit of a hardship for those who beg for money to eat, so many of the kids simply stay in town most of the time, sleeping in the local park. There are still many hundreds or more of displaced Tacloban people now living in the greater Catbalogan area.

 

So if you are wondering or anyone asks you just what happened to all those millions upon millions of foreign aid dollars, now you know, by looking at these pictures, that money was well spent!

 

[JJReyes]

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for the update. The shelter looks fine, until the next typhoon.

[tiger31]

how does it go for the aid money one dollar for you ( the poor ) 9 dollars for me ( the politician ) 

[JJReyes]

how does it go for the aid money one dollar for you ( the poor ) 9 dollars for me ( the politician )

If you donate money to a government agency or large charitable organization, only a small part of it goes to the recipient. The remainder is for salaries and administrative costs. My preference is small charities like Philippine Basic Needs because you know that those in need will receive the money.

[Bruce]

 

how does it go for the aid money one dollar for you ( the poor ) 9 dollars for me ( the politician )

If you donate money to a government agency or large charitable organization, only a small part of it goes to the recipient. The remainder is for salaries and administrative costs. My preference is small charities like Philippine Basic Needs because you know that those in need will receive the money.

 

 

Thanks JJ.

 

As you know the charity is helping the only deaf / handicapped class in Catbalogan, serving over 100,000 people. The youtube video of the class can be seen here.

    or by going to youtube and searching Philippine Basic Needs to see the 3 videos.

 

As you know I am not really good a fund raising and I made a few mistakes when I shot the video. I told them I was coming to shoot the video, so they dressed up and many borrowed uniforms so they would look nice and the teacher even used her best uniform. So, in retrospect they do not look as poor as they really are. I also stopped at the bakery and brought the class sweet things to eat, so they are quite happy in the video. The end result of the video shows them as clean deaf and happy instead of a token class of poverty stricken handicapped kids that get sporadic donations of things from the government when the government thinks it needs to do something that looks good to the general public. Cecil B. DeMille I aren't!

 

But Christmas is still coming and I am too old to accept that Christmas is a verboten word today, less someone is offended by the term Christmas.... So for CHRISTMAS, I sent over an LBC box with 20 cell phones (Blu Cell phone brand, Aria II, at $17.00 each) 10 more hearing aids, and special phone for the teacher, 20 pounds of candy and enough money to buy a sim card for each phone and a load.

 

The phones are a very important part of their daily lives. Even the totally deaf can read and send texts. For those of you who read this forum but do not travel to the Philippines, the poor masses of people use cell phones for texting, not calling as each call costs far more than simple texting. There are promos available for as little at 15 pesos that allow unlimited texting for several days. Many of the poor do not have cell phones, but most all younger ones have a sim card. This way they borrow a cell phone and insert their sim card to get their messages and then send replies, remove their sim card and the phone is then handed to the next poor person to repeat the process.   

 

In reality, with a huge amount of help from people like Sir Tom and JJ, this forum has provided more support than the public at large for the charity's efforts. An interesting bit of trivia for the US based readers.... If you watch TV, you see repeated commercials from St. Jude Research Hospital asking for donations. Slick and convincing sad cancer struck children shown in the ads. But as it is based in the US, if you look up on guidestar which publishes the government mandated yearly charity financial report for each registered charity. St. Jude, the last time I looked, had over 2 BILLION USD in reserves.  

 

There is a big difference in a real charity and then a charity that is 'packaged' and then sold to the public as a money making source of huge revenue. But most people simply give and then forget instead of seeing where their money actually goes. Human nature I suppose.

 

But we keep trying, making a positive difference in a poor person's live, one at a time, budget permitting.....  

[JJReyes]

This data is around 5 years old, but the CEO for UNICEF receives $1,200,000 per year plus exclusive use of a Rolls Royce. He has an unrestricted expense account rumoured to be $150,000. Unrestricted means he does not have to show how the money was spent. United Nations senior employees do not pay income tax.

Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross received $651,957 as her salary for the year ending in 2009 plus expenses. She enjoys 6 weeks fully paid holidays including all expenses. Another benefit is 100% fully paid health & dental plan for herself and her family for life. The American Red Cross has 15 directors receiving a base salary of $100,884 each. 21 managers each receive $83,500. No word regarding director and manager expense accounts and benefits.

[tiger31]

This data is around 5 years old, but the CEO for UNICEF receives $1,200,000 per year plus exclusive use of a Rolls Royce. He has an unrestricted expense account rumoured to be $150,000. Unrestricted means he does not have to show how the money was spent. United Nations senior employees do not pay income tax.

Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross received $651,957 as her salary for the year ending in 2009 plus expenses. She enjoys 6 weeks fully paid holidays including all expenses. Another benefit is 100% fully paid health & dental plan for herself and her family for life. The American Red Cross has 15 directors receiving a base salary of $100,884 each. 21 managers each receive $83,500. No word regarding director and manager expense accounts and benefits.

which is another reason I never donate to the big charities their salaries are obscene in my opinion

[expatuk2014]

I dont normally give to charities as the reason being nearly all UK charities are run like a business ( Targets to meet-Bosses have nice new offices and new cars ) and the people who work in the " charity " shops of mostly Volunteers !!

And regarding the Charities and Yolanda why did it take so long before the " rebuild " began ?

was it because the local Dignitories had to buy their new 4x4s first so they could drive around the disaster areas ?

And choose where to build their new homes ?

And then why did the " charity " workers from abroad have to stay in top class hotels ?.

 

And then how come I can go to the local clothes stores and see boxes of US Aid and UK Aid being sold ?

isnt the " Aid meant for those that lost everything?

 

if you want to help people here have meetings with the local Barangay  and the elderly groups ask them whats need locally

and then if you want to help its up to you! if the Barangay asks you for help with say roof panels or paint or hollow blocks etc etc.

make sure its you thats buys them!! and  insist on seeing the work being done ! as if you dont you might see a new wall being built around a Barangay members home !!

 

Remember the saying  " Charity begins at home. "

Edited May 17, 2015 by expatuk2014

[canadamale]

I sponsored a girl for about 3 years for Save the Children, automatic off my credit card. Then one day I get an update and picture of a completely different girl. I tried to find out why, what happened and was never successful. I stopped sponsorship soon after. Lately my charity work has been giving a few off the local street kids a few peso, and once in a while a street lady here. Not very much help I know. My first g/f here donated a bunch of cloths too Yolanda  victims and I gave here 6000peso to buy soaps and tooth brushes thing like these. I have seen the charity on here maybe it time to give a little, I have been fortunate in my life . When one hears  of the corruption here it is discouraging, reading in the paper today of a politician having 247 bank accounts with billions of peso changing hands. He says only 5 are really his and just because the moneys add up to way more than his salary or declaration of wealth before civil office all is legit haha promice.  Charity begins at home for sure your home.

[raymond]

 I think the lack of accountability is at the root of all these rip-offs happening in the charity sector. I am from Singapore, There is a lot that the Philippines Govt. can ensure that  donated moneys reach their intended beneficiaries without any leaks happening enroute. Just Pay a visit to Singapore or check out their website to see how corruption in the charities sector can be prevented. Severe penalties for those guilty of these heinous crimes should be introduced. I think we all owe it to the marginalized members of our society to bring immediate changes, so that if another Haiyan comes along, all those blood suckers will snuffed out!.