Update Typhoon Ondoy/Ketsana report (extract) from Diane, October 6th 2009.
Rice ready for distribution	Girls in Pasig	"The Team" at Tondo
Hello everyone, Since the first disastrous typhoon Ondoy struck nearly ten days ago our lives in Manila and surrounding areas have been turned upside down and for those very poor people caught in the initial devastating floods and landslides, many lives will have changed – the awful loss of loved ones, the total wiping out of livelihoods not to mention every possession they had had, left them staggering around wondering what to do for the best. We were then to learn of the awful destruction on Samoa and American Samoa followed swiftly by an earthquake of immense proportions in Sumatra, Indonesia which has left a starting figure of 1,000 dead, buried beneath tons of mud and earth. Then there was the incoming  typhoon Pepeng  here which took another 14 lives but which thankfully did not hit where the forecaster had predicted.  We were not finished though -  the word from India that two million people were out of their houses because of floods gave us another thing with which to empathise over our morning coffee.    However, new news is always the main feature so swiftly Typhoon Ketsanan and the affected areas is soon relegated to the back of the bus, so to speak, but we all know that this problem is long term and that help is required now and commitment for help in the future is also required.

Community centre	Assembly line	Tondo street

PCF Community school at Tondo –

We turned up on Thursday morning with a fair number of newly arrived British Embassy staff, whom Penny Sandwick had rallied round, and many others who had never been out as far as that area. Altogether there were about 20 of us, plus all the workers and some volunteers in the PCF. It was hot and we were sweaty but you didn’t hear one complaint.  As with most of the centres, they are reliant on what is brought in as donations which determines the contents of a food parcel – when you have rice, noodles and maybe pasta – all is well – when that starts to run out, along with water, things are not so good, but Jane marched off to Makro and emptied some shelves to keep the stock flowing.  It began to rain heavily and we had to quickly move things into the middle of the schoolroom as it began to flood as usual. However, stocks were depleted so we left to return the next day and begin again.  We packed lots of bags of clothes too which will accompany the food to some areas where people have lost absolutely everything.  Arriving back on Friday we began the packing assembly line again and reckoned on packing enough for a few days for probably 1,000 families. On Saturday Jane said because of the impending typhoon Pepeng or Parma in international terms,  it was probably not a good idea to visit Tondo,in case there was no way back out.  Jane and her wonderful staff have played a vital role in supporting the relief effort but the time has come when school has to return to normal and therefore we are now fortunate in being able to use Alison and Mike Henderson’s home in North Forbes for receiving goods/donations and the packing up of those items.  Many thanks to you both for your kind offer, I am sure you will be inundated with helpers!

Bags ready for distribution	Patient crowds needing our help	More cheerful delivery ladies

Monday -   Craig was pleased to see us and explained the problems he has and is having with the logistics of distribution of goods.  We went to a local barangay nearby with full escort of sirens and flashing lights to make our trip more exciting perhaps and we passed over the Marikina river and saw the devastation that had been wrought as the level of the river had risen almost to the bridge thereby washing all the dwellings on its banks far, far away, never to be recovered. All the evidence left of there having been a community there were the plastic bags   caught on the branches of the trees.  We arrived at the distribution point, were introduced to all the main people amid great excitement of the patient, dignified crowd and after a few words from the captain, proceeded to distribute around 1500 bags in the next two hours. The barangay captain seemed to command the show and nobody was allowed through without a legitimate “chit”. – it was a humbling experience watching them all line up, offer their chit,  be indelibly marked on the right thumbnail with a pen and accept a bag from us with every one of them uttering a “thank you Mam, and an occasional  “God bless you”  or just a quiet “Salamat Po”. We shook hands, hugged and kissed a few who seemed to need it and kept a  smile on our faces as we saw the seemingly never ending queue stretch for miles. Many heavily pregnant women, those with newborn babies and old people had queued for goodness knows how long and were rewarded with a food pack which will probably only last a couple of days depending on the size of the family they have to feed.    Sadly as we neared the end of the supplies we had to break off giving, as the barangay captain had seemed to put a time limit on it,  even though a few were still standing there waving their chit and pleading for a bag.  It was hard to look away from their eyes. Who knows, perhaps they had already had a food parcel at another barangay an is needed chancing that we would throw one their way as they didn’t seem too bothered by going away empty handed.  But that was it – show over , the crowd dispersed, happy for another day.   The truck we had taken from Tondo packed with food was then dispatched onto the real scene of devastation further out but I am afraid time was against us as some of our team’s kids were home alone so we left in a convoy again back to town. We passed by the Forest Lawn memorial gardens with an enormous angel standing atop  of the hill with arms outstretched as if to take all of the surroundings under its wings. If only that were true.  This area is going to take an enormous amount of effort, funds and sheer hard work to get it back to anywhere like it used to be. 

WE REALLY NEED YOU NOW!!!

VOLUNTEER YOUR HELP IN ANY WAY YOU CAN!!  DONATE MONEY OR GOODS WHICHEVER IS THE EASIEST !  YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!!!

Diane Ross