Fundraising na malabo ang tuntunin, ipagbabawal

LUNGSOD NG BAGUIO – Hindi na papayagan ng lungsod ang pagsasagawa ng mga fundraising activities gaya ng fun run at iba pang event for a cause na hindi malinaw ang tuntunin tungkol sa tatanggapin ng target beneficiaries.
Sinabi ni Mayor Mauricio Domogan na hindi na nito gustong maulit pa ang dinanas ng mga dialysis patients ng Baguio General Hospital Medical Center Dialysis Center na hindi nakatanggap ng anumang salapi bilang benepisyaryo ng Kalayaan Trail Run Music Festival na ginanap noong Hunyo.
“While the organizers of the event said that from the start they did not promise any monetary share for the patients and that they donated dialyzers and promised continued fund assistance, the patients still felt cheated on because as their former president Ramon Dacawi had said, instead of benefiting the patients, it appears that the opposite happened as it turned out that those who worked for the event received salaries while not a single centavo went to the patients,” ani Domogan.
Aniya, mula ngayon ay hindi aaprubahan ang mga fun run at iba pang charity events maliban na lamang kung may permit mula sa Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, may maliwanag na alituntunin, at malinaw na kasunduan sa pagitan ng organizer at beneficiaries tungkol sa makukuhang bahagi at benepisyo ng huli.
Nauna nang namagitan ang mayor sa dayalogo sa pagitan ng dialysis patients at Project 7 Events group organizers Omeng Fallarme, Eric Coronacion at Bong Reyes. Sinabi ng organizers na walang anumang pangako na monetary benefit at ang kanilang commitments na ipinahayag sa press conference bago ang event ay pagbibigay ng 38 dialyzers sa dialysis center na nagkakahalaga ng P100,000 na naibigay agad at ang pagsulong ng grupo ng patuloy na medical assistance sa mga pasyente sa pamamagitan ng tanggapan ni Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
Sinabi ng mga ito na gustuhin man nila ay hindi sila makakapagbigay ng share dahil wala silang nakuhang kita kundi nalugi pa umano sila at binayaran nila ng sariling pera dahil sa pag-ulan bunsod ng bagyo.
Nadismaya naman si Dacawi at sina BGHMC Dialysis Unit head Dr. Virginia Mangati at Chief Nurse Carmen Bumatnong na sa kabila ng pagsisikap ng mga pasyente na ipinagpaliban ang kanilang treatments sa mismong araw ng event upang suportahan ang organizers ay wala silang napala.
“We’re sorry if we considered your event the normal thing where there was always an allotted amount for us.  If it were clear to us that the dialyzers were the only donation that will be given, then we could have talked you into giving more because I hope you understand that we are patients in need.  A centavo means a lot to us because we are fighting for our lives,” sinabi ni Dacawi.
Sa pagsusuri sa financial statement, sinabi ni Dacawi na lumilitaw na malaking halaga ang napunta sa suweldo at transportasyon na aniya ay nakakapagtaka sa isang fund-raising activity na dapat sana ay voluntary work.
“It means the patients helped raise funds for the staff instead of the other way around,” aniya. “The lesson is basic: There is no reason to hold a humanitarian fund drive if you end up with nothing for the would-be beneficiary. More so if you provide ‘salary’ to the staff working on what should have been a humanitarian effort, to enable the community to reach out to the sick, in this case dialysis patients like me,” ani Dacawi. A.P.REFUERZO / ABN

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