The Poor In Ordinary Times

Aside from the always-ready International Red Cross, many governments and institutions, associations, groups of all kinds around the world have sent different forms of help to the suffering victims of the killer typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Visayan Islands. Their quick response, generosity, creativity, self-sacrifice and dedication are admirably commendable. So are the different responses of our own national and local governmental, civic and religious institutions, associations and groups. The same can be said about their motives.

To be sure, religious and humanitarian reasons may be behind all these admirable and touching manifestations of charity and concern. But from the same humanitarian and religious perspectives nagging question arise: Why do most people ignore the suffering poor in ordinary time? Can they not see that abject poverty, hunger, malnutrition, sicknesses, homelessness, illiteracy, injustices are rampant in the slums and squatters in the major cities of the country? Why cannot the media video them and show them to all the world?

Should we instead pray for typhoons, storms, and earthquakes to devastate these areas so that the country and the world would take notice? Shall therefore change our Oratio Imperata?
I do not have a ready answer. I still have many questions about the so-called “humanitarian and religious motives”. And also, about the media.