p.s. if you are outside of the Philippines and you want to send aid to these special needs on Luzon isle etc., you can do so with HOPE WORLD WIDE. [In the comments you can direct your donation to the Philippines and victims of Ondoy.]
https://http://www.hopeww.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=749
HOPE worldwide Philippines
October 17, 2009
On September 26, 2009, Typhoon Ondoy brought a month's worth of rainfall to Metro Manila and nearby areas in just a few hours, causing severe flooding, which resulted in the loss of many lives and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. To add to the already overwhelming damage, Typhoon Pepeng struck the northern regions of the Philippines eight days later.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported on October 13, 2009 that Typhoon Ondoy had affected a total of 880,175 families or 4,320,699 people in 1,902 barangays, 155 municipalities, and 32 cities of 25 provinces. The current number of evacuees inside the 443 evacuation centers is 45,129 families/216,941 persons. The total number of casualties is 682, which is broken down into 337 dead, 308 injured, and 37 missing. Damage to infrastructure has reached Php3.684billion and Php6.766billion for agriculture, which has an estimated total of Php10.450 billion. Assistance provided by the government and Non-government agencies totals about Php94,224,687.51.
Center of HOPE Laguna
In Binan, Laguna, the waters are slowly receding, but the trauma and effects of Typhoon Ondoy are still just being realized. Many people in the area are now just assessing their losses as they stay in their still flooded houses or at crowded evacuation centers.
The Center of HOPE in Laguna remains flooded. The government projects that the water will take four to six months to recede. In the meantime, both the children and caregivers have moved to temporary housing. The bigger challenge is that 90% of the HOPE workers' houses are still in 4 feet of water or higher. Most of their furniture and household materials were destroyed by the floods. As a result of this, our staff, along with the children and communities we serve, also need help. We have provided a temporary place for the staff and some volunteers to stay this month until they are able to find a permanent place for their families to live.
HOPE worldwide Philippines is currently working closely with the local government of Binan, Laguna to provide relief and recovery programs for the 5,000 affected families. Our partners and donors such as the World Emergency Relief, Springboard Foundation, Children's Hunger Relief Funds, Giving Hands Germany, Metro Manila Christian Church, HOPE worldwide main office and affiliates, Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ANZCHAM), Fortune General, Brent International School, German Embassy, and the International Churches of Christ have joined hands with us to deliver immediate support for the affected families in Binan, Laguna; this includes the future rehabilitation of the Center of HOPE residential and treatment facility for abused children.
Update/Highlights (October 10-16)
1. Max restaurant generously lent us their 800 square meter building for our Disaster Operation and temporary office. They have only asked us a minimal amount to pay the salary of the 2 security guards of the building.
2. Rodel Gonzalez, Preston Shepherd, Koko Enrile and other local leaders of ICOC visited our Center of Hope and delivered in-kind goods for the Laguna Victims
3. The Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) partnered with us in providing medical missions and relief goods distributions to over 1,000 underserved affected families.
4. Pacific Cement also partnered with us in the distribution of 280 relief goods to underserved affected families in other areas.
5. All 37 Daycare students of the Center of Hope Laguna were traced and given relief goods and hot meals.
6. Child Protection: 262 children undergone Psychosocial activities through the help of MMCC volunteers
7. Retrieval of office and children's materials in the Laguna Center of Hope through the help of many volunteers
8. Stress debriefing of HOPE staff
9. Packed 870 relief goods that will be distributed Saturday, October 17.
10. Transfer of the Laguna Center of Hope children from Canlubang to an apartment in Binan.
11. Assisted current and prospected donors to the disaster areas and our HOPE center.
Current Challenges and Difficulties:
1. HOPE Staff: the morale is affected due to the real and personal properties lost from the floods. There are also some issues and conflicts that have risen in the staff housing: too many staff in one room apartment; some feel rejection from the house owners while they are looking for a house; and some feel of responsibility to do more and help the other victims of the floods but have limited resources.
2. Transition in the behavior of the children in the Center of Hope Laguna due to the limited space for activity and guidelines in the new apartment they are staying.
3. Challenges on reaching out to poor families who are still living in their homes in the far flung flooded areas.
4. Complaints by flood beneficiaries on the relief goods distributions from different agencies. Majority of the affected families in the far flooded areas are barely receiving relief.
5. Processing and fees for donations coming from abroad
Plans and schedule this week:
1. Disaster Management meeting and planning with the 7 affected barangays (villages) in Binan, Laguna.
2. Relief distribution to two evacuation centers and two other areas where people have remained in their houses despite the floods.
3. Continuation of Psychosocial Support activities for children in the 3 evacuation centers of Brgy. DelaPaz in Binan.
4. Implementation of the hot-meals-on-the-boat feeding program for children in the far flung flooded areas; especially those families who are living along the lakes and rivers.
5. To establish a "Safe Place & mobile program for children inside and outside the evacuation centers.
6. Advocacy on the prevention of child abuse in the affected areas, especially in the evacuation centers.
7. Psychosocial Support training for staff and volunteers to provide activities for children & adults.
8. Admission of 2 new clients for the Center of Hope Laguna.
Many volunteers still needed this week for:
* Community organizing/social workers for Community Assessment
* Relief Packing and Preparation
* Community Relief distribution
* Volunteers for Center of Hope retrieval operations
* Volunteers for our children's psychosocial activities and hot-meals-on-the-boat feeding program
* Staff Support / Relievers / Volunteer Support
* Volunteers to help set up the temporary office
* Volunteers for the Laguna Center of Hope children during Saturdays and Sundays
* Resource mobilization/fundraisers
* Writers (to help write the stories and update of the operations)
* Photographers to document the daily relief operations of the organization and raising awareness of the needs of the people
* IT and website designers
Needs for funds or in-kind good to supply families in our Disaster Response Community Program:
* Canned Goods / Dried goods
* Rice, Noodles, Bread, Biscuits
* Blankets, Clothes
* Cooking utensils
* Slippers/Shoes
* Medicines (for wounds & skin diseases)
* Medicines (for headache, cold, cough)
* First aid kits / Medicine packs
* Water / Juice and other drinks
* Candles / matches and lighters
* Toiletries and hygiene materials (toothbrush, soap, etc)
* Flashlights with batteries
* Any food and materials we can use for our ˜hot-meals-on-the-boat feeding program' for children
* School supplies and materials for our ˜Safe Place' program and psychosocial activities for children
Other Needs:
* Stress management / debriefing for staff and other beneficiaries
* Temporary Office Set-up / IT set-up with Network
* Encouragement and Prayers" Prayers" Prayers!
Thanks for all your help
*********************************************
MOISES 'JUN' G. VELASCO
Executive Director
HOPE worldwide Philippines, Inc.
Coastal Road, Brgy. Dela paz, Binan, Laguna
Philippines 4024
Telefax: 63.49.511.3377
Telephone: 63.2.906.4153
Mobile: 0917.510.7875
Email: jun_velasco@hopeww.org / velascojun@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.hopewwph.org
'making the Philippines
a safer place for all children'
