Devastation in the Philippines

[LoopaDaLoopa]

Whole cities still not yet accounted for. :( Estimated 10,000 dead on the island of Leyte alone, according to some sources.

I have close friends who are missing their entire families. :( Why is this not being discussed on MN, or have I missed it?

[GoldieMumbles]

DH used to work a lot in the Philippines and feels a great affinity with the people there - he's really upset by it and has made a donation through work. The company opened a specific appeal - 90 minutes after opening it had already received 25,000 Euros, which I think is fantastic, and is contributing to the airlift effort by providing aircraft and crew. DH also asked his parents donate to DEC as his Christmas present. I've never seen him well up at an appeal before but this has really got to him. He loved his visits there and thinks the world of the people. We're one family thinking of you all Sparks.

[LifeMovesOn]

I've just come across this discussion. And I'm so pleased I have.

My beautiful sister-in-law is from San Roque, a small parish near Tanauan, on Leyte island. Their's was the first area hit by the typhoon and, a week on, she still doesn't know whether her family there have survived.

It's heartbreaking knowing we can't do anything at the moment other than wait. She has her mother, father and brother in Luzon; knowing they are safe is wonderful.

But if the rest of her family in Tanauan have survived, it's the what happens after that is just as scary.

My brother is an architect and when they were living and working in Hong Kong he built a house in San Roque for my SIL and the kids to have if anything ever happened to him. He built that house to withstand pretty strong storms and up to now it has. We don't know if it did this time since no pictures and no news. Only half a mile from the beach, the 5m storm surge may have taken everything.

It's the not knowing.

However, we are being optimistic and trying to plan for the afterwards. They will have nothing. We are sitting down thinking of ideas for fundraising. People have mentioned Just Giving, but you have to be a registered charity for this and of course we're a two man band. We are just so tired the brain power isn't working. I've trawled the internet learning how to set up a charity but it's all so complicated.

If there's anyone that knows a simple answer, please holler.

Otherwise, please pray for these people. The Filipinos made me feel incredibly welcome when we visited, they don't have a lot but what they do they are happy to share.

Let's try and give them something back.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Setting up a charity isn't easy at all, I don't know if its still the case that you have to have a certain turnover, you have to have a board of trustees I think? (Not sure been a while since I looked into it). It might be easier to approach existing charities and seeing if you can hook in with them.

I really hope and pray that you receive good news about the rest of your family.

[LifeMovesOn]

Thank you Kitten - that's what I've learned.

We're not talking bucket loads of money here, we're looking at small, local cake sales at school, sponsored silence, that sort of thing.

My SILs worry is if we give whatever we can raise to one of the bigger charities, it won't get to the heart of where the problem is - and if it does, it will be months.

She wants to raise money to help the town where she was born and her family (hopefully) still are.

You can say you are a charity - but no registered or charity status.

Arrrgggghhhh, just want to do something!

That's for your thoughts.

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

LifeMovesOn, its really sad, its very hard to get through at the moment.
Have you tried the google people finder? The red cross and other grass roots agencies on the ground have done a great job listing survivors
here
Hope your SIL hears good news soon.
Am amazed everyday at how compassionate, hardworking, resilient Filipinos are. I hear so many stories about people saving up to build houses, farms etc only to see them regularly wiped out in these natural catastrophes. And they start all over again, and again, and again, unwavering. Very humbling.

Am in HK. Its very frustrating being so close and still unable to get through right now. A lot of people here are doing a tremendous job fundraising and collecting donations and planning on site visits with nurses, Drs in the next few weeks. I guess what I mean to say is that this is for the long run. These remote communities will need time to heal and rebuild and you can kick in at any time.

At the moment it is really important to trust the Big relief agencies/international aid etc to just clear the bodies, restore power supply, access to clean water, open safe travel pathways to get to remote areas.

We'll all kick in in a smaller scale when that's done in a couple of weeks hopefully.

Rather than trying to set up a charity, why not go yourselves with a plan if that's feasible? Or just get all your friends/network to pitch in if there is enough trust? $3,000-$5,000 USD can really get you a long way.

A dear friend has been going to this little island north Palawan for 20 years and knows the community inside out.
Here is what we have done. We raised about $3,000 USD in cash to go and help rebuild the communal hall/school/Dr station, generators, water purification, cash for a weekly speedboat trip & 3 months rice rations (nearest food supply is 3 hours away) etc…etc….
We have been collecting essential kitchen kits/power lamps/batteries/blankets/small tools/hygiene and first aid kits etc…etc…

And of course water and easy open tins of highly nutritious food such as sardines, peanut butter, condensed milk etc….

I appreciate its not that easy/economical organizing a shipment from a distance but if you have someone on the ground to run those errands for you its really really worth considering. There is a pernicious side to aid. I think its much better to give it a few weeks, go and buy things on the ground to support the local economy and just do one small impactful action on the ground since you do have the chance?

x

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

If its a smallish amount may I suggest this again and again?
you can have a box sent to a specific destination.

[Sparks1007]

Good post Master. I agree with what you say.

Yes, it may be frustrating to allow agencies to do what they need to do but we have no other option at the moment. The immediate task is too great and too daunting for us to deal with.

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

what are people like?
So donation drive ended with a huge mountain of very useful medical and first aid kits today and an……oil electrical heater!!!
Probably the most useful thing for a hot humid place with no electricity!
We'll dispatch to a home for the aged!

[LifeMovesOn]

I'm delighted to let you know that we found our family - 9 days after the typhoon, but family from Manila took two days to get to Tanauan (two flights, two ferries and half a day on foot....) but found them in my brother's house. That house in San Roque - thank god for it. He's an architect and when he married my sister-in-law, wanted to provide her with a house for her and the kids should anything happen to him over here in the UK. It was a beautiful house and saved not only my SIL's family, but around 40 villagers too.

How they survived, I don't know. Only half a mile from the beach, the winds had already torn the roof off, but the 5m storm surge was more horrendous and the house is basically now a shell. But at least they have something. More than a lot.

So we, like many others, are frantically fundraising to help those poor people who have lost so much and help rebuild the schools, roads, houses - whatever we can.

Thanks for your good wishes

[OhYouBadBadKaleds]

Really really good news LifeMovesOn :)

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Great news!