Pala-isip

Here are various way you can help with the flood relief program. If anyone has any other info on how to help, please share it in the comments. It's also been reported that some schools have suspended classes for the rest of the week. It looks like it's not true. As of this writing at 4:50pm on Aug 8, 2012, it's been reported that heavy rains started to pour again.

I just love the Internet, don't you? The power of instant communication has led to immediate action and fact checking my individuals instead of waiting for the news organization to report on it. Take the issue of Ella's blog titled Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo ? (A special report from a volunteer). Then the Dr. Esperanza Cabral of the DSWD immediately issued a statement . Then some volunteers went to DSWD to check on the matter and volunteer and wasn't let in by the guard even though the DSWD said there was a lack of volunteers and were told that repacking operations can last up to 11pm. None of that is happening. I'm not saying they're stealing the goods, but the lack of coordination and expediency of the relief operation is pretty disturbing to the donors. Here is Manuel L. Quezon III's blog about the whole incident. Here is the Bayanihan Online's timeline of events . Again, the issue is not whether the goods are being stolen or r...

With regards to the blog post of Ella that I reposted . Here is a statement from Dr. Esperaza Cabral of the DSWD. I may be cynical about the Philippine government, but I believe in fair and balanced news. I just hope that what Dr. Esperanza Cabral said is true. ===================== Statement of Dr. Esperanza Cabral on the issue of relief goods in the DSWD Warehouse October 23, 2009 The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) manages the National Relief Operations Center (NROC) which is the facility for processing and storage of relief goods that are purchased by the Department or donated to us by generous individuals both here and abroad. The relief goods are released to our Regional Offices or directly to evacuation centers or to the local government units as they are needed and requested by these entities. They are delivered in trucks, many of which were lent to us by private companies or by military vehicles. Some of the goods are shipped by air from nearby Vil...

This is unconfirmed, but this is from Blog Ni Ella at http://www.ellaganda.com/ . Which is now down. I am reposting this from Jenniepperson.com who was able to copy Ella's blog before it went down. Again, this is unconfirmed. I am reposting in the hopes someone in the know can clarify the situation. ================ Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? (A special report from a volunteer) Oct 21st, 2009 by ella Dear friends, I’m asking your help to spread the word. Tulungan po ninyo akong ikalat ito. Beyond this, we should also demand action. I disabled a plugin so you can copy the photos of relief goods rotting in DSWD warehouses. You can link this post to your blogs, facebook, websites etc. You can also email the photos. Philippine News (US based Philippine newspaper) will use this as its front page story this week. Every Filipino has the right to know where the tons of donations from the UN and other counties go. Kahit po nakakahiya sa mg...

Here's some good advice I found on extending emergency relief from the Philippine Daily Inquirer . The following are some of CNDR’s tips. • Do the groundwork first. Get the number of individuals and families affected, as well as the number of fatalities, the injured or those ill, and of houses damaged or destroyed. Also gather data on crop damage, condition of critical facilities and estimated cost of damage. • Identify the worst hit and least served communities. • Coordinate with the Department of Social Work and Development and the National Disaster Coordinating Council. • Identify targets and prepare assistance based on immediate needs, usually medicine and rescue. Consult with other NGOs so that efforts don’t overlap and “over-serve” certain communities. • In preparing food assistance, try to give families what can cover their basic caloric needs for one week. Avoid giving foodstuffs that are low in nutrients like noodles. A standard package that can sustain a family of five fo...

Heard through the grapevine. ========== Those who have also been severely affected - the "working" (employed), as far as I heard are not getting didly squat from their barangays! Most of the relief goods are being distributed to squatters area who would be needing relief goods - with or without Ondoy. Of course mas lalo ngayon - it seems daw na doon lang nakafocus ngayon - IN OTHER WORDS, KUNG HINDI KA CONSIDERED SQUATER KAHIT WALA KANG MAKAIN WALA KANG MAKUKUHA! ========== Hay...politics. Election season na talaga.

Summarized from the Philippine Daily Inquirer . The lack of coordination and leadership by government has thrown the relief efforts to shambles. =========== Until now, the government has not clarified whether it will dispense with the red tape that normally accompanies donations in kind: the last thing the country needs is a scandal associated with donated relief goods being impounded by the Bureau of Customs or taxed upon arrival. The Department of Foreign Affairs also needs to facilitate documentation requirements as there are many Filipinos overseas who can help by means of collecting goods rather than giving cash. There have been too many reports of our embassies and consulates telling concerned individuals just to give cash because they don’t want to deal with relief goods. We believe our foreign posts are as concerned as ordinary citizens, but are hampered by lack of guidance from their bosses. The Department of Trade and Industry has established a hotline (751-3330) to report pr...

Our fellow kababayans in Taiwan started a relief drive to help victims of Typhoon Ondoy that caused massive flooding in Metro Manila that killed 246 people and displaced over 1.9 million people. If you are from Taiwan, here's how you can help.

Here is a link to Gawad Kalinga for their Ketsana Relief drive to help the casualties of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) that caused massive flooding in Metro Manila on Sept 26, 2009. Here is the link to Gawad Kalinga's Ketsana Relief website.

Please help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Here are some info on how you can help.

Here are photos of the relief operations at La Salle Greenhills to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Photos by Arianne Blanche Ramirez.

Donation drive for Ondoy victim by the UST Student Council.

Repost from http://ondoy-assistance-info.blogspot.com/ Accepting Donations: Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (+632-5639298, +632-5639308) Places to Donate Relief Goods (please repost): http://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=tBMVeBvbdAtYRaRB6ErFWnA&toomany=true Color coding suspended this week Mon to Fri. By Allison Lopez- Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 18:44:00 09/27/2009 http ://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090927-227176/MMDA-suspends-number-coding-for-a-week New map of most urgent cases needing rescue 7:20pm 9-27-2009 http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173283/new-map-of-most-urgent-cases-needing-rescue St. Pedro Poveda College is accepting relief goods. For more details, call the Social Action Center 6318756 loc. 121. HELP needed FOR PAYATAS AND DELA COSTA RODRIGUEZ MONTALBAN RIZAL... used clothes, canned goods,noodles, diapers, infant milk, milk for 1-3 years old, medicine (paracetamol), water,blankets and PRAYERS FOR...