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Fund raising projects should complete the job

Calamity fund raisers and donations champions should finish their job . Not media media or incomplete. They should study and prepare for the whole project, not only the first part of the job.

The part of rallying the community to donate money and goods to help typhoon, landslide and other calamity victims in the Philippines seems to be easy enough. Word is immediately out into the community of a particular appeal, whether it would be another benefit show or a fund raising recording and subsequent sale of CD of songs. Philippine community press and radio seem to be ready and obliging enough to let the word out.

And most of all, ordinary kababayans are always sympathetic to respond. They readily bring out boxes of food, clothes and goods and of course the cash donations to  fund raisers and donations campaigners. In most fund raising projects, the fund or the goods need to reach the beneficiaries as soon as possible.

As the Filipino saying goes, “aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo ( what are the feed for when the horse is already dead). Delaying the delivery of donated money or goods  is not only unfair, but immoral and may tantamount to a type of malversation of entrusted resources.

The problem is even worst when calamity donation campaign is spearheaded by ad hoc bodies or non-registered community organi-sations. These frontliners are unable to feedback the community where and when the goods were finally received by the calamity victims or at least how they have been benefited.

It’s good to know that this paper receives from peak organisations and community alliances like the PCC-NSW and APCO timely updates on their fund raising efforts, including feedback on the recipients of the goods and money involved. That is only fair to the donating public – to know that their help finally arrived to the calamity victims or their representatives.

This paper is ready and would feel honoured to receive report or feedback, for publication, on the conclusion of the few fund raising efforts held the last two years. Especially, the separate individual community organisation’s initiative to help the unfortunate victims of Typhoon Ondoy and Typhoon Sendong. It was generally felt that many responded with compassion towards the typhoon victims, especially with the availability of up to the minute photos and reports during the onset of the natural calamities.