Oh Haiti!

When I woke up this morning to get my regular dose of chocolate drink, I was dumbfounded when I heard in the news that there was another earthquake in Haiti. Not just a simple aftershock because this one registered 6.1 in the richter scale. It was almost as strong as the first one they had that toppled almost the whole capital. I was worried about the casualties that we had (I mean the Philippines) because as it turned out, the missing 3 UN workers actually died and was just recovered yesterday. There is total chaos in the region because of the thousands that died and they could not even get them accommodate on local cemeteries. Some of them literally leave their loved ones outside the streets to rot because they are not able to preserve them anymore.

It was not a sight for a cup of Cadbury Chocolate Drink but good think I was strong at least I was able to still finish the drink.. But boy it was not a pretty sight to see!

I pity those who perished and the people they left behind. I wish there was something we could do to speed up the rescue efforts. I wish them well in the days to come because the last thing that they need is another earthquake!

Update Re: Earthquake in Haiti

There are around 500 Filipino Overseas workers staying in HAITI and they want to immediately go home after the earthquake hit that country a few days ago. The Philippine government said that they will try to do their best and help the ones who would want to do so.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)is ready to repatriate these Pinoys and get them home safe. They also set up a task force specifically for this calamity and sent them to seek victims who are still under the rubble. An earthquake drill is now required to be done regularly on all schools and public offices because of this. The Armed Forces of the Philippines however are still doing the deed in Maguindanao’s election since it is still in a hotspot. They will also be putting the province of Masbate in Comelec control because of the recent violence and ambush attempts on local candidates.

The training of teachers is set to be done in three days. This is relatively short for people who did not even see a computer in their entire life. Retrieval operations on MV Catalyn B have been stopped by the Coast Guard because they have assumed to have gotten all the bodies when they dived yesterday. The JBC or Judicial Bar Council will be sued in court if they do not submit a list for Supreme Court justice nominees. Phivolcs also said that the earthquake that happened in Haiti will never happen in the Philippines. I just hope they are right.

PNP contingent in Earthquake stricken Haiti are all OK!

Photo by ABC news

All 15 members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Forces are okay in Haiti after they have experienced a 7 magnitude earthquake at around 5PM EST. This has been confirmed by PNP Spokesman Leonardo Espina in a press conference held in Camp Crame.

Espina said that Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Fuentes headed the PNP Contingent and among them are 5 officials and 10 Police Non-Commissioned Officers. There was a huge difficulty in getting information even on satellite phones on that day.
They have re established contact through e-mail around 3:30PM that confirmed all 15 policemen are fine in the midst of that strong earthquake which is the strongest they have felt in around 200 years.

Espina also added that with his talk with Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Affairs Office that out of the 155 soldiers that were there, nobody was hurt.

Earlier this day, there were reports that they were trapped under the rubble of the United Nations office in the said country.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the other hand is finding it difficult to have information on Filipino conditions in Haiti. DFA Spokesman Attorney Ed Malaya said that the primary lines of communication on the said island have totally been disabled by this catastrophe.
Even the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York, USA, could not contact the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent in Haiti.

Aside from the Philippine troops, there are around 447 Pinoys that have not been still contacted.
Malaya said that the DFA and their people from the Philippine Embassy in Cuba have been sent to check on the conditions of the Filipinos there. I wish they and the people in the island are safe.