LBC mum on delivery fiasco of Sendong relief goods

April 23, 2012 Filed under Readers News Posted by Mitchell Badelles

Sydney-based relatives and friends of typhoon Sendong survivors expressed disgust at LBC’s failure to make proper and complete delivery of relief boxes intended for Sendong victims in Mindanao.

Only 61 of 121 boxes packed by ILISA staff and shipped via LBC arrived. Of the 61 boxes, 16 were addressed for HELP CDO NOW community groups in Cagayan de Oro, but only two boxes reached Mindanao which were found in Iligan City, 88 kilometres from Cagayan de Oro. Some boxes were also reported to have been opened and sorted.

When ILISA brought these matters to the attention of LBC, the company’s management kept silent on the situation.

ILISA President Gina Samia said that LBC did not offer any explanation or justification for the missing boxes or why some of the boxes had been opened and sorted.

In early last January, LBC offered free boxes and delivery for goods bound for flood stricken Northern Mindanao which other Filipino groups took, and for which they were grateful for LBC’s offer.

The donor groups met with ILISA volunteer workers at LBC’s Glendenning warehouse to pack the goods. LBC Sydney Team Leader Maricar Araullo provided instructions on how to label the donations to ensure that these reach the addressees.

Days after the goods were packed and deposited at the LBC Glendenning warehouse, LBC Area Head Delfin Posada, in an exclusive interview with a Metro Sydney based Filipino community newspaper, “has assured the Australian public particularly those in the Filipino community that their donations will go directly to the victims of typhoon Sendong (International Code named Washi) who were greatly devastated by the effects of heavy rains and flash floods early December 2011″.

Last Tuesday April 17, this writer emailed Mr Posada asking for an official statement on the situation.

As of this writing, Mr Posada has not responded. An earlier email, sent on January 14, 2012, also remained unanswered.

5 Responses to LBC mum on delivery fiasco of Sendong relief goods

Bong

April 23, 2012 - 8:49 pm

I was informed by reliable sources that LBC changes the donors’ name to theirs when you send them thru LBC.

Jose Dennis O. Mancia

April 24, 2012 - 1:39 am

I guess we have parallel situations when it comes to delivery of relief goods intended for Sendong victims and survivors. The only difference is that the Iligan Medical Center College (IMCC) on which said goods are addressed cannot receive said packages due to following reasons cited by the DSWD:

1. That said agency is the only authorized entity to receive
donations and packages from donors that are duty-free. This
implies, therefore, that any NGOs, private humanitarian groups
and civil society organizations which are not accredited by
said agency are NOT authorized to receive said goods, even
during major calamities like Sendong;

2. That, according to a certain Ms. Fernandez of DSWD Region 10
based in Cagayan de Oro City, transporting and distribution of
used clothings and other similar goods are prohibited per EO 19
s.2002.

Based on these premises, I would like to post my reaction on the manner and style by which DSWD ruled out and treated re donations from overseas humanitarian groups who are sending support for victims and survivors of Sendong.

IMCC is supposed to receive 13 boxes from Malaysia with the intention of distributing said goods among Sendong victims in Iligan City. Even with the presence of a Deed of Donation executed by Consul Gonaranao B. Musor, the DSWD still refused to execute a letter of endorsement to the Bureau of Customs in Manila in order that the IMCC can claim said goods.

Such a serious bureaucratic red tape at play.

eddie yap

April 24, 2012 - 11:39 am

I am an LBC good costumer. with this findings i think it is rightful to level this up to court and let the LBC company answer and be responsible for this transaction.

Emma de Vera

May 6, 2012 - 9:32 am

With due respect to everyone, I speak on defense of LBC. Before we start making any unwarranted comments, let us examine and analyse what transpired:

1) What were our expectations?

2) Do we have any structure in place – release the relief items from customs custody duty free (Manila) and deliver it to Iligan freight free as well, and bring it to its final destination, our beneficiaries? I believe it is only the LBC Foundation who could attend to these matters.

We initiated relief efforts during the onslaught of Ondoy. LBC came to the rescue, gave us 4 x 40ft container, including boxes. 1 container holds 350 balikbayan boxes, therefore a total of 1400 boxes were sent. However, there was a condition – that it would have to be coursed through LBC Foundation, as they are the authorised body to take custody of the shipment and distribute it themselves. The important thing is we were able to help in our own little way.

Its very easy for us to send the relief goods from our end – we gather the items, bring it to LBC, for that matter and seal it. However, we have to understand that there is a process. The moment the relief goods arrived at the LBC premises, we are the senders but the recipient automatically becomes LBC Foundation, not what we have originally designated. No matter what labels are put in. It becomes their jurisdiction – put it in a container van, pay corresponding freight and other associated costs, documentation, etc. Upon arrival at the wharf, it goes through customs for inspection, assessed for any possible taxes/duty and then its released to the recipients – in this case, LBC Foundation. It is now the duty of LBC Foundation to deliver the goods to its final destination – at their own expense, such as clearance and trucking. It is only in the name of the LBC Foundation that these goods are released customs duty free and delivered, without us paying for those associated charges.

On the other hand, if we really want to send the relief goods to a designated recipient, it would have to be shipped out commercially – pay the required charges by any freight company, and it will be taken cared of. We could even negotiate a substantial discount for sending those relief goods.

I hope that this sharing would enlighten us of the various complexities associated in sending relief goods. LBC, in their humanitarian efforts, and with their exercise of corporate social responsibility offered us the free freight – worldwide! We just have to be thankful. After all, it will all go to our kababayans. Our best intentions were laid and manifested. As the saying goes, ‘beggars could not be choosers’.

Thank you.
emma de vera

Mitchell Badelles

May 12, 2012 - 6:38 pm

So gracious of you to speak in defense of LBC, Ms De Vera. One needs to ask, do you have a vested interest in LBC or LBC Foundation? Are you a director or board member? As elaborate as your comments appear to be, if you do not represent LBC or LBC Foundation, your comments here are entirely your opinion.

In the interest of fair reporting, I sent an email addressed to Mr Posada to make comments before this press release was written. If a response is coming, it needs to come from LBC or LBC Foundation or its representatives.

While a number of people, including myself, are thankful to LBC in offering to send aid boxes free of charge, the question remains the same, where are the boxes?

Answers to your numbered questions:

1.) You have used the word “our”. By that do you mean you and who you represent? If you meant, “your”, then the expectation was clearly that the boxes were expected to arrived at the addressed destination.

Instructions as provided by LBC staff at Glendenning were followed to ensure arrival. There were no ‘fine print” mentioned or disclosed to the community groups (not LBC staff) who packed the boxes. The message was none other than to put the address on the boxes and it will get to the address. There was no mention of LBC Foundation automatically becoming the recipient of the goods. That’s a bit of a contradiction don’t you think? The flood survivors are the needy ones but the recipient is LBC Foundation. Could a representative of LBC Foundation please supply information in relation to its policies?

2.) You have used the word, “we”. By that do you mean you and who you represent? If you meant, “you” then the answer is obvious. The community groups used LBC because LBC invited the public to send aid boxes free of charge. And as to delivery to Iligan, only 61 of 121 arrived. Where are the rest of the boxes?

You display some knowledge of shipping as seen in your comments. A lot of words but it does not explain the location of the missing boxes.

No one is questioning LBC’s benevolence. Where are the boxes?

What is LBC Foundation and it’s policies?

What is the difference between sending a paid box and sending a free box through LBC Foundation?

As you have quoted above, “It is now the duty of LBC Foundation to deliver the goods to its final destination”, where is the final destination other than the address written on the boxes?

Yours,

Mitchell Badelles