MANILA BULLETIN - Typhoon Disaster

by Heidi Ng
November 17, 2013 



Trash and debris everywhere
Trash and debris everywhere
Typhoon Disaster
My heart bleeds for the Philippines as I write this column. The severity of Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda is still unbelievable as news after news document the destruction the typhoon has brought to the cities of Ormoc, Tacloban, among others. Based on the photos, Tacloban has been wiped out – no airport, bridges are destroyed, places where commercial buildings and houses used to stand are now just wastelands. Looting is now widespread. But as Mayor Alfred Romualdez said, the looters have to resort to that because they have no food and no clothes to wear. Imagine being in such a dire situation where in less than three hours, you have no house, you might have lost your family members, and you might have been extremely bruised or close to dying yourself. There is no electricity, no networks. As a friend from Tacloban said to me, “I have money, yes, but there are no places to buy anything. So, what is the use of having money?” I have no words for this unfortunate incident. In times like these, we are all the same human beings. There are no rich and poor – just same humans being slaughtered by nature.
But with every fall, there exists a chance to stand up. For every adversity, the opportunity to rise above and beyond the call of duty is given to us. This is where we all come in. If you want to help, here are the channels that you may go through:

Tacloban Connection
If you think that Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez is not that visible in the news, it’s because he is hard at work. I know him. He is not the type to just look for publicity. In fact, Tacloban has garnered numerous awards as one of the best local government units and he does not go around tooting his horn for what he has done. His wife, former actress and entrepreneur Cristina Gonzales, is city councilor and is the active force in improving the lives of marginalized women and children in Tacloban City. She is also a Habitat for Humanity ambassador for the Visayas region who has vowed to help build homes and lives for the region. How apt is it that now their city is the most ravaged one. How funny life takes you when you were put in a situation to help others, not knowing one day you will be the one who will need it the most. They are overwhelmed with all the help they are getting from the international community, the government and extremely touched by private and non-profit organizations who have initiated sending relief goods to the province.


Here is the Canadian government’s unique approach to donation.
If you donate to the following registered agencies, they will ensure (donation timeline is from November 9 to December 8, 2013)  that every dollar that you donate is matched by the Canadian federal government:
Unicef Canada– To send emergency supplies to Filipino children affected by the disaster.
Canadian Red Cross- To help with emergency supplies.
Save the Children - To help with disaster relief efforts for children and families affected. Ten per cent of donations will be put aside for the next emergency.
Global Medic Canada – To help mobilize the Global Medic team with supplying Aquatabs for clean water for victims.
World Vision Canada – To provide life saving essentials and emergency supplies to victims
This is apart from Canada’s pledged donation of $5 million. In these trying times, it is great to know that the international community is doing all its best in giving. There is so much to be done.
Here are some exclusive photos from Tecson Lim, city administrator of Tacloban city.
Follow me on twitter @iamheiding, instagram @imwanderwoman, blog imwanderwoman.blogspot.com
Devastation in Tacloban
Devastation in Tacloban
The astrodome filled with evacuees, with city administrator Tecson Lim talking to the victims
The astrodome filled with evacuees, with city administrator Tecson Lim talking to the victims

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