Catanduanes Forum

Staff Report - GUlfnews
Published: September 30, 2009, 10:02

Dubai: The Philippine Consul General Benito Valeriano has advised his community organisations to send their cash donations directly to their preferred recipients.

The advice comes to guard against any issues that might arise while sending large amounts of money from Middle East with regard to the anti-money laundering regulations.

Typhoon Ketsana created havoc and took large areas under water forcing daily life into a turmoil.

Flooding from the typhoon has killed more than 250 people in the Philippines, inundating the homes of nearly 2.3 million people over the weekend before slamming into Vietnam's central coast Tuesday and killing 41 people.

The typhoon has now swept into central Cambodia and toppled dozens of rickety homes, killing at least 11 people and injuring 29, disaster officials said on Wednesday.

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The deaths occurred Tuesday evening after the storm made landfall at about 7 pm in the region engulfing Kampong Thom province, about 130km north of the capital, Phnom Penh, said Ly Thuch, deputy chief of the National Committee for Disaster Management.

Filipino community leaders in Dubai and the Northern Emirates held a meeting at the Philippine Consulate in Al Ghusais on Monday to discuss how to receive, sort and send relief material to the Philippines.

Earlier, community leader Robert Ramos told Gulf News that the relief drive will only accept cash donations. Other leaders also expressed reluctance to accept material donations as it takes at least 30 to 45 days to ship goods to Manila.

Where to give cash donations

Al Rostamani Exchange, contact person: Kaloy (050 7258335)

Philippine National Bank, contact Ching Rasul.

National Association of Mapua Alumni, contact Enrico Garcia treasurer (050-2286908). Philippine Labour Attache in Dubai Olivia Calvez, contact (050-5599952).

To make donations in kind

Filipino Off road Auto Club (FORAC), Joseph Alipio, (050-7456452).

LBC, contact Aznal Cereno (050-8589065) and Makati Express, contact Augusto MArcial (050-8618738).

Filipino Community organization in Dubai, contact Robert Ramos chairman (050-3948027).

The San Beda Alumni Association has designated points of contact in Dubai and Abu Dhabi where cash and material donations can be handed over.

Karama/Bur Dubai: Chris Bautista (0501208056), Bonnie Alindato (0509116823)

Deira: Jojo Amparado (050 5451672), Charm Gervacio (0507553904) Satwa Olidan Galvez (0504359516)
Jebel Ali: Ryan Mirandilla (0503459147, John Paul Gutierrez (0504694374)

Al Ghusais: Mike Ramos (0507904346)

Abu Dhabi: Joey Hidalgo (0503286829), Arnold Katipunan (0505938835)
Jumeirah: Tin Jabson (0559047489)

Kasabihan:
Bicol my version : Daeng nagmina sa kinaban na daing pig-agihan ning kalamidad.
Tagalog: Walang humipo sa uling na walang naulingan.

Daily Diary: Floods in the Philippines
Gulf News
Published: September 30, 2009, 19:13

As one of the most destructive storms in recent years extends its deadly path across Southeast Asia, Gulf News correspondents in the Philippines share their daily personal observations on the snaking trail of destruction left by typhoon Ketsana.

A flood of thoughts on Ketsana’s rude arrival in the Philippines
By Barbara Mae Dacanay, Manila Bureau Chief
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

I used to believe that the Philippines has a big magnet for water because it is perennially flooded every rainy season. I once dreamed of becoming an engineer with a mission to create landscapes that could creatively make deadly floods as part of awesome landscapes nationwide, during the rain season. It could be done easily by diverting them beautifully and properly, I used to believe.

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That dream never came true. In fact, I have stopped dreaming about reinventing flood as a source of beauty. Floods are deadly and ugly. They have become deadlier and deadliest through the years and they have morphed as metaphors of hell.

When typhoon Ketsana came last Saturday, it sent people to the roofs, drowned hundreds, killed almost 300, displaced millions, and damaged billion-worth of infrastructure and agricultural products.

When it destroyed beautiful subdivisions in the capital, which are the equivalent of comfort zones and status symbols of the middle class; when it extinguished the hopes of families in shanties in the slum areas, which are the equivalent of being wretched in the city, I realized that floods could humble and unite the humbled. Katsena dumped in six hours an average rainfall of 30 days.

More poor people died. The crisis brought us to a rehabilitation mode that could mean two steps against one inch step for development. The lessons of floods are always missed as lessons of people. We still don’t admit our responsibilities for their occurrences and their power over us.

But in an unusual move, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando took full responsibility for the massive flooding and said, "I am ready to take the blame."

Earlier, when he wanted to run as president of the ruling party, he boasted that MMDA has addressed the flooding in the metropolis.

After Katsena’s rude arrival, Fernando said that flood control infrastructures in his hometown in suburban Marikina City were 40 years ago. But he was Marikina City’s mayor three times before his wife Maridel became the current mayor.

Marikina’s four villages, Calumpang, Industrial Valley, Tanong and Barangka, remained under water since Katsena came uninvited last Saturday.

Pasig City, and Rizal’s towns such as Cainta, San Mateo, and Montalban were also hardest hit by typhoon Katsena. Residents in these places suffered five-foot floods. My impossible dream of a beautiful Philippine landscape with floods has never been inundated with hopelessness.

Kasabihan:
Bicol my version : Daeng nagmina sa kinaban na daing pig-agihan ning kalamidad.
Tagalog: Walang humipo sa uling na walang naulingan.