While
the eyes of the world remain on London for the Olympic games in its
gob-smacking spectacle, my country, the Philippines sinks under a national
disaster of apocalyptic rains that continue to drown it.
I
hear from the news that capital city of Manila has had 504 millimeters or 20
inches of rain – and that apparently it’s not yet over. To put this into
perspective, Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and most destructive
calamities of the United States felt rainfall of 14 inches.
140,000
people have been forced out of their homes. There are deep waters, waist deep
and even higher floods, overflowing rivers and dams, ferocious landslides,
which have buried communities, stranded cars, blocked roads, trapped families
on roofs, and killed people. The death toll of the country is up to 53 today,
August 7.
My
country is under complete red alert. Where will the 7,107 islands of the
country find itself after a storm bigger than its landmass leaves it? How will
the 92 million Filipinos survive? Being a Filipino away from the Philippines, seeing
the deadly disaster that’s happened only through a laptop screen, I immediately try to reach my parents back home, feel relief
to find out only an inch of water has seeped through our home, but at the same
time I feel the pang of anxiety for the rest of my country who might not be as
lucky with unimaginable water levels. This misfortune that has struck, I am
filled with hope that there can only be light at the end.
Because
the country has seen a disaster just as deadly before, not even 3 years ago,
called Ondoy, we already know that the effects of this storm are far-reaching
and profound. And because we have seen this before, then we’ve already seen how
much people can do, what people can give, what people can be to turn our
country from what it looks like now, to what it can become.
With
the recent debate of the RH bill that has divided the country, and now with
another great storm, I know this flood, might its waters linger for weeks, will
float something else – something good to the country, as people rise up with
nationalism, pick up a brother, and take control to turn the tide themselves.
Here
in London, while the Games have united people under the banner of ambition,
hard work and competition, in Manila – I know that we have just as dramatic a
lesson from the storm, which is that when we are united with a purpose, it can
bring out the best.
During
times like these, there is no more government, there are no rich or poor, there
are no drenched or dry - there are only people - people who are cold, people
who are hungry, and people who need help but cannot call for help. I'm writing
on behalf of my people, to you, friends, if you can spare some time to
gather things that can provide relief to Filipinos at this time of
"endless dusk" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19159509).
My
sister has started a disaster relief campaign called Rain Love on Manila (rainloveonmanila.blogspot.com) in
2009, which helped create care packages to send back to our country for the
victims, in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross. Today, we begin
the Rain Love on Manila 2012 relief campaign for last night’s victims by
collecting anything you feel like donating.
Today, any of these
things will be most helpful:
1) basic clothes -
tops, bottoms, underwear
2) rain gear and cold
weather clothes
3) flotation devices
- old air beds, life vests, flotation sleeves
4) basic food - rice,
powdered milk for infants, cup noodles, canned goods
5) blankets, pillows
- some people are living in makeshift evacuation centers like schools, gyms,
parking garages, without facilities
6) funds to cover the
shipping of these boxes via LBC
personal email of my sister: debflo@gmail.com
campaign email: rainloveonmanila@yahoo.com
SMS (UK based): +44776821964
SMS (NY based): 646-820-3327
As of today, there
are Rain Love on Manila volunteer teams assembling in Manila, UK, California
and NY, to better facilitate the collection of care.
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