Ways We Can Help Sendong Victims


I was up till two-thirty in the morning watching videos and going through photos posted by friends covering the effects of Sendong (Typhoon Washi).  I could not believe what I was seeing, since this was the first time something like this happened in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. I did not recognize my own hometown (CDO). I am grateful that my family and relatives are all safe (despite our houses being flooded), yet at the same time my heart cannot fully rejoice, seeing all the other families and homes destroyed. I’m sure you all know what I mean. As of this writing, I have read that close to a thousand people have been found dead, and hundreds more are still missing. My mom told me some people from CDO who survived found themselves already in the island of Camiguin (that’s how bad the current was!). Sendong is said to be the worst storm that has hit us in 25 years.

I’ll get straight to the point. It’s easy to feel compassion for these people, but we all know that our compassion should lead us into action. Without the latter, our emotions would only remain as such.

Below is a short list of groups who have taken it upon themselves to help provide ways in which we can reach out to the people of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City: (Please click on the links for more details)

1. Right Start, a foundation we are supporting in Victory Greenhills,  will be doing Relief Operations at CDO next week to help those who were badly affected by the Storm.

They are now accepting donations:

Bank of Philippine Islands account under RIGHT START COMMUNITY DEV’T INC. – Account Number: 004021-0129-42

Banco de Oro: account under RIGHT START COMMUNITY DEV’T INC. — Account Number: 2030132221

DOLLAR ACCOUNT:
Banco de Oro under account name:
Right Start Community Dev’t Inc.
account number: 102030129115

2. The Philippine Red Cross

3. LBC Foundation

 

4. ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya

 

5. TV5 Alagang Kapatid Foundation

 

6. My cousins and relatives have opened their building to accept donations of goods too. Should you wish to send used clothing, water, medicines, milk, crackers, diapers, blankets, you get the picture….you may do so  by dropping them off at St. John’s Place Building, 66 Hernandez St., Pasay City (Along FB Harisson St. and beside San Juan de Dios Hospital)

7. This is a post I copied from one of my friends who is based in the States:

A memo has now been released to all LBC Branches in the US and Canada. Here are the instructions given to me when shipping the boxes for free to Cagayan de Oro:

(1) All boxes must be addressed to:
Attention Jose Garcia
LBC Hari ng Padala Foundation
LBC Hangar, General Aviation Center
Domestic Airport Compound
Pasay City, Philippines

(2) Contents must contain NO LIQUIDS. High Priority items are canned goods, blankets and toiletries.

(3) Sizes of allowable boxes are: Canada 21 x 21 x 25 or smaller, US East Coast 28 x 18 x 17 or smaller, and West Coast 24 x 18 x 18

(4) You MUST drop the boxes at your local LBC Branch. Please refer to this website for your local LBC Branch: http://www.lbcexpress.com/contents/USA/

(5) The boxes will arrive in 45 days. LBC Foundation will deliver the donated items directly to the Relief Centers and NGOs of Cagayan de Oro.

*** EDIT ***

8. TS- Relief Ops

 

They are accepting relevant information related to the disaster relief operations. You may join them in their Facebook Group Mata na, CDO at this link : https://www.facebook.com/groups/250406188342713 . They are also accepting collaborators for this document, email brent@cdo.linux.org.ph or evansyonson@gmail.com

9. For those who do no currently reside in the Philippines, Yahoo News has an article that includes a list of international organizations you can give to.

10. The Association of Philippine Volunteer Fire Brigade Inc. is also accepting donations in cash or in kind. Their office is at 2142 Leveriza St., Manila. Interested parties may call the brigade emergency number 5222222 for more information. A team of volunteers from Manila will be going on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011 for relief operations both in CDO and Iligan City.

11. Operation Compassion is responding to disaster by sending a rapid assessment team and donations to the affected areas. They would appreciate both your prayers and early response to the disaster through cash or kind. You may send your donations to: BP OPERATION COMPASSION INTL.INC , bpi account 3321-0178-34.

….If you know of any more groups you wish to add to this list, let me know.  🙂

Thank you! 🙂