Social Media's susceptibility to rumor mongers

The problem with social media is no wait I take that back.......... The problem with liars is that they have "better opportunities" to spread their story telling a lie worldwide as fast as they can pound on their keyboards. 

Really now!? How much more drama do people need amidst a major catastrophe where tragedy struck thousands of people losing their love ones in a horrific destruction coming from super typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan?

There are quite a number of people in despair finding themselves in a miserable plight they had never imagine will happen to them in an instant losing everything they had materially and some even their love ones. One has to be the lowest of the low and really a lazy bum to take the short cut instead of going to the ground to find human interest story. It must have been difficult for them to find it but way convenient to just snag an AP photo and concoct their not so accurate story. 

If this is the same outfit or if they are connected with ABS CBN, the people or maybe just a person responsible for this really need to get some serious professional help or this is really the game people play in a nation where lying is considered an art form as espoused by the Trapos? Unfortunately even if this was the handiwork of an unscrupulous employee or some nut job not connected and not sanctioned by the corporation it still reflects poorly on the company philosophy. Just the same ABS-CBN Corporation ought to be ashamed of themselves for allowing the plagiarization and the blatant story telling a lie!

How dare them manipulate and exploit people's emotion by lying and misrepresenting the picture of 2 boys they claim was shot in Tacloban. NO! they were nowhere near Tacloban but the pictures were taken in a stadium in Zamboanga during the MNLF siege. Contrary to the soap opera like tele-novela that they produce for the gullible public the boys are actually related, they are brothers.

If this image is being used to solicit donations, they should be held accountable for misrepresentation and fraud. What a shame and shame on them for turning social media into a worldwide cyberspace corner sari sari store gossip and rumor monger congregation!
 
The problem with emotional people and those of the highly partisan kind whether of the personality based patronage politics in the Philippines or any religious or even social stand is they can easily get exploited and manipulated. A little lie here and there and they get excited like little brats willing to defend it with their life, even if it was wrong but due to their highly partisan behavior, tend to be on self denial refusing to see reality. Another one circulating on the social media is the picture of VP Jojo Binay allegedly being stopped by US soldiers to get near the UN relief goods.

I was never a fan of Binay or any trapo even Noynoy Aquino but the people behind this irresponsible black propaganda truly redefines the Media PR practitioner in a different way as suggested by Hector Miñoza at Facebook:

MEDIA PR (political rumor) - The art of creating catastrophe in relief convergence operation at the ground. Instead of building bridges, they confuse and encourage people to build more walls to impede the process. (^_^)

The  image above circulating social media did not only lie about Binay being stopped by a soldier to go near the UN relief goods, but in the process demoted a rear admiral to a foot soldier. It was a visit to the Operation Damayan a joint military rescue mission and  the man they demoted down to foot soldier was Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet, have they no shame? If that was a Philippine military official I am sure there will be a lot of howl and protest coming from the "nationalist" and pretend nationalist politicians creating a scene over the demotion, LOL. What comes to mind is Senate President Frank Drillon having a tantrum when he was asked by a Filipino American TSA agent after 911 to go through security check and have his shoes removed arrogantly protesting telling the guy he was a big honcho (big fat guy alright, hehehe) back home as if it matters to the TSA guy.

Now how exactly does that help anyone or people to work hard for a common cause which is the rescue and relief operations for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan and of course not to be forgotten the Bohol earthquake and those displaced people of Zamboanga? What is the point of concocting lies? Are they are banking on the gullibility of the people that they shamelessly concoct lies when all they need to do is watch and listen with their hearts? But then again one with evil intentions can't see or hear realities before them.

 Subscribe in a reader

Click on the images to receive your free email updates  POGB will not sell, exchange, use or allow any 3rd party access to your email for
any other purposes without exception, email exclusively for article updates only. Follow PJ @ Facebook, NetworkedBlogs, & Twitter

There is no sunshine in the Philippines today

You and I are very blessed in more ways than many of us realize.

But not many of our fellowmen back in the Philippines are, especially those who are languishing in the gutter of poverty and then hammered by back to-back super earthquake and the worst monster typhoon ever!
 
Let's picture ourselves and our children in their shoes....

The two natural disasters in the Philippines could conceivably leave at least 15,000 Filipinos dead  and tens of thousands more, at least 60% children,  displaced, with  no shelter or food, much less  the ability to recover soon from their misery. Their future is uncertain, shaky at best

The Filipino United Network - USA has donated P500,000 to lessen the  suffering of the devastated victims of these calamities. But this modest donation will only take care of about 1,500 families (4,500 to 5,000  individuals), and  provide 50 tents to be used as makeshift classrooms for the countless children, whose schools were totally  destroyed.

We are renewing our charitable fund-raising campaign and are calling on the compassion and generosity of caring people like you.  No amount of help is too small; every little bit helps.

As I have said before, let us not wait for surgery to open our heart for the needy and desperate.

Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.  FUN - USA is a 501(c)3 humanitarian advocacy Foundation in the United States, with Tax ID Number  261-71-7446.

Donations may be made conveniently and securely on the FUN Website.  This website also shows a list of donors, for transparency and accountability.

Please click on FUN Website and see for yourself. Your heart will melt to see the desperate victims who continue to suffer as they grieve for their dead, as shown on CNN, FOX, and all major TV channels around the world.

I am begging for your kind help and compassion. For info about the undersigned, please Google the word SCALPELPEN.

And please be a FUN Advocate by forwarding this appeal to all your contacts, including Americans, who are now well aware of  this great  tragedy.

Thank you, best wishes, and may God bless you and your loved ones.

Philip
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS
Chairman
Filipino United Network - USA
Click to send Email
Booksite: www.LetsStopKillingOurChildren.com

*****************************************************************************

*Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana, USA, trained at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, is Chairman of Filipino United Network (FUN-USA), Vice Chairman of Filipino American Leadership Council (FALCONadvocacy) and Vice President for Far East of Cardiovascular Hospitals of America, Wichita, Kansas. He is a columnist for five newspapers and one magazine in the United States and five newspapers and one magazine in the Philippines.

****************************************

Subscribe in a reader Click on the images to receive your free email updates   POGB will not sell, exchange, use or allow any 3rd party access to your email for  any other purposes without exception, email exclusively for article updates only.

Super Typhoon Yolanda's Wrath

Calamities are not exactly a pretty picture to see and it gets uglier when we see mass looting going on.

Barely a few weeks past after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the southern part of the Philippines another natural calamity strikes again from a 195 to 200+ MPH super typhoon Yolanda known as Haiyan internationally hitting the south once again causing unfathomable destruction and loss of lives.

Families were separated by the powerful gust of winds and sea water going inland like a tsunami swept people away from each other while holding on to each other or others even tied together. Those not strong enough like small children, the sick and weak old people drowned and swept away lifeless together with the debris. Some happened to be at the wrong place and time got hit fatally by flying debris while others are trapped in the crumbling structures of their homes. The damage and destruction is beyond description and even hardened workers of aid and relief agencies used to seeing disasters that went rushing to the area was shocked at the sight of massive horrific damage and destruction.

Who knows but maybe had they listened to the tearful plea to diplomats assembled in Doha by the Philippines’ lead climate negotiator, Nadarev Saño, things might have been different.




Then we see videos of the looting and we were shocked. I myself was shocked not because I have never seen people looting before. I have seen and saw first hand on the ground actual looting taking place during the Los Angeles riot after the Rodney King verdict. But this widespread looting taking place in Tacloban is indeed shocking. Perhaps it was quite unusual considering the submissive nature of the Filipinos that we are used to seeing but faced with hunger and dehydration what is it that we really expect of them?

Department of Agriculture Secretary Alcala was on the air explaining the rice supply situation and when he was unable to satisfy the querry of the radio announcers tried to deflect the issue as if castigating Tacloban for the looters on why can't they be disciplined and patient enough like the Japanese during the Fukushima disaster. Of course we have seen and read about the little boy who returned his share of the food back to the table for others who are more hungrier than he is. A small yet giant gesture considering the situation he is in that truly melts the heart. So young and yet his kind unselfishness and humanity shines in the midst of disaster that makes a grown man turned worse than animals resorting to uncivilized behavior in order to survive. 

Indeed why can't some of out fellow Filipinos exhibit the same humanity and virtue that the Japanese people show the world? Well, in the first place wishing is not exactly realistic and it is nothing but idle wishful thinking without considering why we have these "kind" of people. Have they not noticed that we have a very unequal economic development and sharing of wealth that 20 to 30 percent of any city population are living in squatters area? The problem with mimicking or aping other nations is that they seem to not notice that there is a huge difference between a 3rd world country and that of a developed country. When politicians or Trapo leaders reduced the people into a serf like subject squandering government funds in patronage type politics thus encouraging mendicancy instead of spending for infrastructure that encourages setting up of job generating industries, can we expect our people to act like the nobility class?

You have a big chunk of population that are reduced to squalid living conditions and their dignity taken away from them with no decent stable jobs to survive, how exactly do we expect them to behave? No one wants to see rampant criminality but in the same manner we must ensure that we must also keep criminals out of the government, but then again how can we when our electoral system is the exclusive domain of the criminal posing as leaders of the people? If there are so-called honorable ladies and gentlemen and women that are really nothing but lowly thieves or worse even plunderers, is it a surprise that we have lawlessness during calamities? Perhaps, we need to ask ourselves if that was us facing with the same desolate uncertainty for days feeling trapped in an apocalyptic scenario desperately foraging for food and water where there is none to be found with our immediate love ones, what will we do?

How about the small restaurant owner who lost his house and almost everything except his restaurant started cooking and feeding fellow survivors and victim for free, now why can't our richest of the rich like Henry Sy, Gokongwei, and other big capitalist do the same? Perhaps they should help the less fortunate instead of the trapos, but then again the poor even if they look the other way unlike the trapos and the government agencies like the BIR are not capable of giving them sizable "savings" in the hundreds of millions.

Of course we can't expect all of them to step up even Imelda Marcos the wife of the frozen stiff former dictator that used to be their representative in congress. I really would love to be wrong here but you know what, we are the only one's that can help ourselves and do something to make things right. Then we have some quarters wanting Noynoy Aquino to declare martial law in Tacloban, ayayay. The looting brings me back to that unnamed Philippine lawmaker quoted in a report that is getting too close for comfort and I quote:

You have just one flash flood of money, you keep your people poor. It's like a time bomb and it's scary"

Anyway, here are the list of charitable organizations compiled by Huffington Post for people in the US wanting to help the survivors of the natural calamity unleashed by the most powerful typhoon ever recorded:

World Food Programme
WFP has allocated an immediate $2 million for Haiyan relief, with a greater appeal pending as needs become apparent. The UN organization is sending 40 metric tons of fortified biscuits in the immediate aftermath, as well as working with the government to restore emergency telecommunications in the area. Americans can text the word AID to 27722 to donate $10 or give online. Learn more here.

Red Cross
Emergency responders and volunteers throughout the Philippines are providing meals and relief items. Already, thousands of hot meals have been provided to survivors. Red Cross volunteers and staff also helped deliver preliminary emergency warnings and safety tips. Give by donating online or mailing a check to your local American Red Cross chapter. Learn more here.

The Philippine Red Cross has mobilized its 100 local outposts to help with relief efforts. Learn more here.

AmeriCares
The relief organization is sending medical aid for 20,000 survivors, including antibiotics, wound care supplies and pain relievers. AmeriCares is also giving funds to local organizations to purchase supplies. Learn more here.

World Vision
The organization is providing food, water and hygiene kits at the evacuation centers. World Vision was also still actively responding to last month's earthquake in Bohol, which luckily was not struck by the eye of the storm. Learn more here.

ShelterBox
ShelterBox provides families with a survival kit that includes a tent and other essential items while they are displaced or homeless. Learn more here.

UNICEF
Anticipating that children will likely be among the worst affected by the typhoon, UNICEF is working on getting essential medicines, nutrition supplies, safe water and hygiene supplies to children and families in the area. Learn more here.

Salvation Army
100 percent of all disaster donations will be used for relief efforts and "to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors." Text TYPHOON to 80888 to Donate $10 or give online. Learn more here.

Save The Children
The organization has sent relief kits for children and families, including household cleaning items, temporary school tents and learning materials. Learn more here.

Doctors Without Borders
The organization is sending 200 tons of medical and relief items, including vaccines, tents and hygiene kits. Learn more here.

 Subscribe in a reader

Click on the images to receive your free email updates  POGB will not sell, exchange, use or allow any 3rd party access to your email for
any other purposes without exception, email exclusively for article updates only. Follow PJ @ Facebook, NetworkedBlogs, & Twitter

Martial Law in Tacloban?

Whoever suggested that PNoy declare martial law in Tacloban is not just a fool but a sadistic inhuman cruel psychopath.

Martial law of course would mean restricting  the movement of the people, now why would someone do that when people are already immobilized with the destruction of the roads, bridges, and even public transportation by the super typhoon Yolanda. Where do they expect people to go when almost everything is destroyed with no place to go or go home during curfew hours when their homes were destroyed rendering them homeless?

The government can't even take care of the dead rotting on the streets of Tacloban and they want soldiers to guard and oppress the living survivors? That is not just adding insult to injury  at a time when they are down and feeling hopeless instead of assisting them to get up will be subjected to repression that will fan the flames of hatred and violence towards civil unrest.

Are they serious or seriously mentally impaired,  they want to put a stop to looting by imposing martial law? The actions of a few criminals and they want to restrict the freedom of an already suffering general population of Tacloban?

Perhaps owners of these business establishment should start paying their security guards decent wages rather than the slave wages and maybe they will be there when they really need them? There is really no need for martial law, besides suggesting that to a president whose family suffered under a despotic martial law dictatorial regime is really insensitive and idiotic. They ought to be glad that the president just walked out on them rather than order that person confined to a mental institution for suggesting martial law that only a psychotic would have suggested.

I am not a big fan of Noynoy Aquino especially now when I am getting impatient at how he deals with the PDAF scandal but I support and laud his effort not to succumb to idiotic brainless twat creating more problems than solution to an already desperate situation.

 Subscribe in a reader

Click on the images to receive your free email updates  POGB will not sell, exchange, use or allow any 3rd party access to your email for
any other purposes without exception, email exclusively for article updates only. Follow PJ @ Facebook, NetworkedBlogs, & Twitter