Hi friends! Hope you are all fine today.

As most of you have probably heard, our country, The Philippines, got hit by Typhoon Ketsana (locally known as Ondoy) last Saturday. This was a very strong cyclone as it poured down 410mm of rain in Manila in a span of 6 hours - the equivalent of 1 month of rain in the country, as compared to Katrina who poured in 380mm of rain in Louisiana.

Eighty percent of Manila (the capital) became submerged in flood water, and ever since Saturday - life felt like hell for many of us here.

I'm thankful to God that we were not greatly affected by the flooding, as our neighborhood was perched on higher slopes - but my heart is really broken knowing that many of my fellow country men (including a lot of people that I know personally) are suffering right now. The images and stories that flashed in the news - families being battered by raging waters, neighborhoods being destroyed, the scenes of the dead floating everywhere and the heroes that were born out of this tragedy -- I can't help but feel that I have to do my part to help, so that's why I've been posting here and on Facebook since last Saturday evening.

A lot of us Pinoy / Filipino deviants have been posting journals in the hopes of trying to spread more awareness and to gather aid from generous hearts in the spirit of helping out people in need.

Please allow me to list below some details in the form of news articles / pictures / contact numbers and interactive maps that may give you more info on what happened:

News Articles / Information:

From Yahoo News:
[link]

From Google:
[link]
- Contains plenty of important info and contact numbers for emergencies / donations

From Local News Network:
[link]

Photos

Slideshow of Photos from the Calamity (c/o Yahoo & Reuters):
[link]

Deviant Journals About Philippine Floods

- [link]

- [link]

Interactive Map listing the addresses of flood-stranded people needing rescue:

[link]

Disaster Emergency Hotlines you can call

[link]


How You Can Help (Re-posted from *behindinfinity's Journal)

For International Donors

* Check this list to look for donation sites in your country or state
[link]


* The Philippine National Red Cross
The Philippine National Red Cross is accepting online monetary donations through here:
[link]
(click Product/Activity and select Typhoon Ondoy)


* TXTPower.org (accepts PayPal)
For those of you who want to use PayPal, you can send your donations to the PNRC's Typhoon Ondoy fund.
Go to this post:
[link]
And follow the PayPal link.


* Kapuso Foundation (accepts major credit cards)
[link]


* ABS-CBN Foundation (accepts major credit cards)
[link]


* PhilippineAid.com (accepts PayPal)
[link]

* Check TULONG MANILA for a drop off point near you
[link]


USA

* For US citizens - Ayala Foundation USA (accepts credit cards, US checks, bank transfers, and several other methods)
[link]

* Drop off points for Typhoon Ondoy donations in the US (accepting clothes, blankets, medical supplies, monetary donations)
- New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Bay Area
[link]


* California
Manila Forwarder (for California and Texas residents)
Pacific Supermarket [link]

Carson/Hermosa Beach [link]


* New York
Pandayan Center [link]


* Montreal
Montreal Gazette [link]



Asia

* Singapore
The drop-off point for relief goods is:
Afreight Cargo #03-09 Lucky Plaza Orchard Road
Contact: Maureen Schepers at 6235-1011/91117855

More info and drop off points: [link]


* Hong Kong
Here's how you can help:
Ateneo Almuni Association HK is calling for donations to support relief efforts for the victims of Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) in the Philippines.
Contact: Mike Reyes at +852.67131869

Relief efforts in Hong Kong for Ondoy victims at Phil Consulate General conference rm,14th floor United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty. 4.30pm today Tuesday, 29 Sep


* Bangkok
The Philippine Embassy will be receiving only donations in kind (ie., used clothing, shoes, blankets, and the like, and canned goods) anytime between 9am-5pm until Fri. For queries, please contact the Philippine Embassy at (02) 259-0139 up to 40 or (08) 992-65954, or at bangkokpe@gmail.com.



Australia

* SBS
[link]


* Sydney
Deliver donations to 303/5 Stromboli Strait, Homebush Bay 2127
Message twitter.com/allorange for questions



For Philippine residents, especially in Metro Manila

o All donation sites across Luzon care of Google Maps. Check for a site near you where you can volunteer or drop off goods -> [link]

Most needed donations (apart from cash):
1. ready-to-eat food like sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, boiled saba, biscuits, noodles, bread
2. drinking water
3. canned goods
4. rice
5. clothes
6. mats
7. blankets
8. candles

o A comprehensive and constantly updated list of how and where you can go to help the victims including text, NGOs, volunteer centers and credit card donations. -> [link]


o Stay updated by watching Ondoy [link] Pinoy Tumblr [link] and Philippine Aid [link]


Help spread the word by linking to this entry or other similar ones.


Thank you everyone! I'm sure that there will be a downpour of messages of love and concern from all my friends here, and I don't want to force anybody into donating as I understand that we all have our life struggles..but if anyone out there decides to help out in any way they can - by sending their messages of love and concern, by offering their prayers, by reposting this journal or other similar ones, or by donating ---- THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! Even the smallest means of help can truly save lives!

I'm going to be busy this week as I have signed up as a volunteer (in my company's relief operations) - we will be donating 50 sacks of rice, along with other goods to the victims in the flooded areas around our city. I'll probably continue drawing by this weekend and hopefully have a better week next week - as it is my birthday week! Oct. 6, 2009!

Have a safe and great week everybody!