After the Storm …(griefs,rantings and thank you`s)
…typhoon fengshen has left terrible damage to the Philippines…P20 million peso worth of crops are damaged, death poll is still raising, destroyed cities and towns…one of them, my province, and city of 
Iloilo, the town of Dumangas has it worst and my town, Barotac Viejo, my brother just sent me photos of what was once the Barotac Viejo Medical Center, the only one in the 5th district is now operating in the covered gym, the water covered the whole building…(the province of the Aklan and the world-class island resort of Boracay didn`t escape Ffengshen`s fury…sob)i am speechless, and yes, grieving.
My husband called the up 2 days ago when he saw the news flash in the Phils., i opened the internet and saw read about Governor Niel Tupas of Iloilo in Reuters and yahoo news, i immediately texted my sister ,brother and Mayor Raul Tupas to check if Barotac is fine, my family is ok but the rest– no.My brother couldn`t go home because u need raft to cross, houses are covered up to the roof, waters on the streets and major highways reaches up the neck.My uncle just drove his family up to the higher grounds and came back to find only the roof of what was once his house.
Typhoon Fengshen was not the strongest Iloilo or the Philippines has ever seen, I remember bagyo Undang when i was still in elemantary school, i saw four roofs from the school building flying across the street, gigantic mango trees crashing in front of my eyes with a few gushes of the winds, Fengshen is not strong yet the endless raining breached the dam in Iloilo causing heavy flash floods.
Not to mention the ignorance and irresponsibility of the authorities of the Sulpicio Lines and of the Philippine Coastguard for allowing the ill-fated ship to travel last friday during terrible weather conditions…only 23 are determined to have survived in the 740 pssengers that sailed that day, instead of coming home to their families, they encountered their watery graves, may God have mercy on their souls and may they find peace.
Devastating and sad, this is so far the worst maritime disaster since the 1987 tragedy of Dona Paz(also owned by Sulipicio Lines) when it collided with an oil tanker, casualties running almost up to 4,500.
I considered donating 200$ but then realized that this money wont really help so much and remembered the soldiers of the UNDOF mission here in Syria, i thought, skipping a beer for 1 day will make a big difference in Pinas.Some were very helpful, i was so glad, my husband surprised me by writing letters, sending it to each HQ Coy.Some have real genuine good hearts, they didn`t say a thing, just opened their wallets and gave, and promised to give more.(tom and i collected money from people of around 13 nations!) But some were very mean and naive, some scold others that bothered to give 5$ (i wont mention names), like:"how dare his fellow countryman give 5$, this is not their problem and they have alos their own disaster and that what if he also goes around walking with a piece of paper asking for some donations",(he can do that, he has the right, like how i did it, we wont stop him)…but as no one thought of this before, i cant help him. .
Some say the Red Cross there, it`s there problem… (for your information, there is Red Cross yes, but for 23 years that i lived there, they were not really helping, what can they do?Their funds are corrupted, therefore individuals like me and some others step up and do the initiative on their own, the only thing Red Cross can do in my country is buy plasma! and if blood is needed, they even have none to provide! — kudos to the very helpful civilians that braved to storm to help others), it`s not our problem, how do we know it goes to the people or to the proper authorities , or why should we help, its not oUr country, it`s not like the Tsunami that is big disaster (i donated there too you heartless bastards! and i made sure my money went to the right people therefore i didn`t even picked the UNICEF!), and some ignoramus says: hell, Philippines? Where, which,what`s that?Oh, duh, uggh, arrgh…Asia, that`s far, im sure the flood wont reach us here…etc. etc. etc. .
Like what i said i am grateful to the officers of UNDOF-AUSBATT, to the UNDOF personnels,to the soldiers and to my friend Mesto(a syrian) that immediately gave without a word of two.This is charity work, i am not imposing, i am not forcing or implementing on anybody, may gana lang hatag(if your willing, please, i am grateful), but i am not willing to face this shit-talk, i have more things to think about, therefore i passed the hat.I am thinking yes, of how to distribute the donations(as some raised their points) proper.
To answer the question, my sister is the executive secretary to Mayor Raul Tupas, a distant cousin, the Governor, his father is our Uncle, i plan mainly to use the money to buy rice,clothes and to feed the children mainly in Barotac and the 5th district.If the amount would rise (tom and i collected 840$- P40,000 depending on the exchange down there) i might help re-build the medical center.
The money and distribution of aid(rice,medicine, clean water,etc.) will be regulated by my grandfather, former head teacher Gedeon Octavio, and for feeding the kids, my aunt, Gwedalyn Pelagio, master teacher III and teacher in charge of ROVCMS will see that everyone esp. the homeless children are taken cared of.I also asked them to get the neccessary medicines, and formalin(embalming fluid) for the dead, as death tolls are slowly raising, we need to bury the dead fast or we will face more problems in health and sanitation, etc.
Bangon Iloilo! The tradegy opened my eyes…once, i was donating not because i want to with all my heart, i sponsor my sister`s Baroto sa Lutac Race for my own good or have my face printed in the souvenir program and t-shirt , i want to make sure i am remembered in my town, by the politicians, to get myself into the "favor bank" once im back.
I am Guilty! But this time its diferrent, finally, Tom managed to send half of what we collected, we were in the only western union here in Syria yesterday but were informed that they are not accepting money sending anymore, they only recieve money(a question i want to raise on my own…what will people recieve if nobody is allowed to send?duh?Im having a headache pipol, aspirin please!) , we`ll thank god, they accept internet sending, via visacard, cost more but yeah, it matters not, i want to help, im not screaming it on the top of my lungs but with all humility…help is coming mga Kasimanwa, and more will come.In return, i ask for prayers, for those that passed away and for the end of graft and corruption in our country and for this selfish people, (even the pinoys that work in the UN) that were not willing to give and were skeptical at me and tom(it`s their right to be, im cool with it) that they may find peace and a heart one day. To those that helped, thank you so much, i am overwhelmed with so much joy, and am very grateful to find good souls in a warzone.
May God Bless you all.
Zoe,
Warzone,Syria
Iloilo, the town of Dumangas has it worst and my town, Barotac Viejo, my brother just sent me photos of what was once the Barotac Viejo Medical Center, the only one in the 5th district is now operating in the covered gym, the water covered the whole building…(the province of the Aklan and the world-class island resort of Boracay didn`t escape Ffengshen`s fury…sob)i am speechless, and yes, grieving. My husband called the up 2 days ago when he saw the news flash in the Phils., i opened the internet and saw read about Governor Niel Tupas of Iloilo in Reuters and yahoo news, i immediately texted my sister ,brother and Mayor Raul Tupas to check if Barotac is fine, my family is ok but the rest– no.My brother couldn`t go home because u need raft to cross, houses are covered up to the roof, waters on the streets and major highways reaches up the neck.My uncle just drove his family up to the higher grounds and came back to find only the roof of what was once his house.
Typhoon Fengshen was not the strongest Iloilo or the Philippines has ever seen, I remember bagyo Undang when i was still in elemantary school, i saw four roofs from the school building flying across the street, gigantic mango trees crashing in front of my eyes with a few gushes of the winds, Fengshen is not strong yet the endless raining breached the dam in Iloilo causing heavy flash floods.
Not to mention the ignorance and irresponsibility of the authorities of the Sulpicio Lines and of the Philippine Coastguard for allowing the ill-fated ship to travel last friday during terrible weather conditions…only 23 are determined to have survived in the 740 pssengers that sailed that day, instead of coming home to their families, they encountered their watery graves, may God have mercy on their souls and may they find peace.
Devastating and sad, this is so far the worst maritime disaster since the 1987 tragedy of Dona Paz(also owned by Sulipicio Lines) when it collided with an oil tanker, casualties running almost up to 4,500.
I considered donating 200$ but then realized that this money wont really help so much and remembered the soldiers of the UNDOF mission here in Syria, i thought, skipping a beer for 1 day will make a big difference in Pinas.Some were very helpful, i was so glad, my husband surprised me by writing letters, sending it to each HQ Coy.Some have real genuine good hearts, they didn`t say a thing, just opened their wallets and gave, and promised to give more.(tom and i collected money from people of around 13 nations!) But some were very mean and naive, some scold others that bothered to give 5$ (i wont mention names), like:"how dare his fellow countryman give 5$, this is not their problem and they have alos their own disaster and that what if he also goes around walking with a piece of paper asking for some donations",(he can do that, he has the right, like how i did it, we wont stop him)…but as no one thought of this before, i cant help him. .
Some say the Red Cross there, it`s there problem… (for your information, there is Red Cross yes, but for 23 years that i lived there, they were not really helping, what can they do?Their funds are corrupted, therefore individuals like me and some others step up and do the initiative on their own, the only thing Red Cross can do in my country is buy plasma! and if blood is needed, they even have none to provide! — kudos to the very helpful civilians that braved to storm to help others), it`s not our problem, how do we know it goes to the people or to the proper authorities , or why should we help, its not oUr country, it`s not like the Tsunami that is big disaster (i donated there too you heartless bastards! and i made sure my money went to the right people therefore i didn`t even picked the UNICEF!), and some ignoramus says: hell, Philippines? Where, which,what`s that?Oh, duh, uggh, arrgh…Asia, that`s far, im sure the flood wont reach us here…etc. etc. etc. .
Like what i said i am grateful to the officers of UNDOF-AUSBATT, to the UNDOF personnels,to the soldiers and to my friend Mesto(a syrian) that immediately gave without a word of two.This is charity work, i am not imposing, i am not forcing or implementing on anybody, may gana lang hatag(if your willing, please, i am grateful), but i am not willing to face this shit-talk, i have more things to think about, therefore i passed the hat.I am thinking yes, of how to distribute the donations(as some raised their points) proper.
To answer the question, my sister is the executive secretary to Mayor Raul Tupas, a distant cousin, the Governor, his father is our Uncle, i plan mainly to use the money to buy rice,clothes and to feed the children mainly in Barotac and the 5th district.If the amount would rise (tom and i collected 840$- P40,000 depending on the exchange down there) i might help re-build the medical center.
The money and distribution of aid(rice,medicine, clean water,etc.) will be regulated by my grandfather, former head teacher Gedeon Octavio, and for feeding the kids, my aunt, Gwedalyn Pelagio, master teacher III and teacher in charge of ROVCMS will see that everyone esp. the homeless children are taken cared of.I also asked them to get the neccessary medicines, and formalin(embalming fluid) for the dead, as death tolls are slowly raising, we need to bury the dead fast or we will face more problems in health and sanitation, etc.
Bangon Iloilo! The tradegy opened my eyes…once, i was donating not because i want to with all my heart, i sponsor my sister`s Baroto sa Lutac Race for my own good or have my face printed in the souvenir program and t-shirt , i want to make sure i am remembered in my town, by the politicians, to get myself into the "favor bank" once im back.
I am Guilty! But this time its diferrent, finally, Tom managed to send half of what we collected, we were in the only western union here in Syria yesterday but were informed that they are not accepting money sending anymore, they only recieve money(a question i want to raise on my own…what will people recieve if nobody is allowed to send?duh?Im having a headache pipol, aspirin please!) , we`ll thank god, they accept internet sending, via visacard, cost more but yeah, it matters not, i want to help, im not screaming it on the top of my lungs but with all humility…help is coming mga Kasimanwa, and more will come.In return, i ask for prayers, for those that passed away and for the end of graft and corruption in our country and for this selfish people, (even the pinoys that work in the UN) that were not willing to give and were skeptical at me and tom(it`s their right to be, im cool with it) that they may find peace and a heart one day. To those that helped, thank you so much, i am overwhelmed with so much joy, and am very grateful to find good souls in a warzone.
May God Bless you all.
Zoe,
Warzone,Syria
