Cebu, Let’s Help Luzon!

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Last Monday, August 6, 2012, Tropical Storm Haiku brought along a Southwest Monsoon that hit Luzon.  Torrential rains, which battered on for 24 hours, resulted in disastrous flooding. Over 800,000 persons were affected, with significant damages to the National Capital Region (NCR), Region I, III and IV-A. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), there are more than 250,000 people currently housed in evacuation centers.

Remember how we once united to help the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan?  Everything Cebu is once again appealing to all Cebuanos to help our brothers and sisters in need.

image source: bloomberg.com

How can we help?

1) Mobile (SMS) Donations

The Philippine Red Cross is accepting donations via SMS, just text RED<space>AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart).  You can donate the following denominations: Php5, Php25, Php100, Php300, Php500 or Php1,000 for Globe, and Php10, Php25, Php50, Php100, Php300, Php500 or Php1,000 for Smart. For example, text RED 1000 then send to 2899, or RED 500 then send to 4143.

For Globe G-Cash users, text DONATE<space>AMOUNT<space>4-digit M-PIN<space>REDCROSS to 2882. For example, text DONATE 100 1234 REDCROSS, then send to 2882.

2) Cash Donations

Red Cross also welcomes cash donations for the families affected by the flood. You may deposit your donations to the following accounts:

Cash donations may also be deposited through Ayala Land’s Alay Sa Komunidad account:

Account Name: Ayala Land, Inc.
Account No.: 0031-0684-95
Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands (Ayala Paseo Branch)
Bank Address: G/F Philam Life Building, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMMTRY

All 7-Eleven branches in the country are also accepting cash donations. According to the wires, Philseven Foundation will match total donations up to Php1.5 million, which will thereafter be used to provide affected areas with relief goods.

Cash donations are also accepted at Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) stores nationwide, which include the numerous branches of their brands, specifically Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, and Mang Inasal. You will find Jollibee Foundation coin banks at their restaurant counters.

3) Donate Relief Goods

For relief goods, please don’t use plastic bags. Instead, you can use a blanket, towel or an old t-shirt to hold your donations. Items you can donate are bottled water, food, biscuits, blankets, mats, banig, clothes, medicine for diarrhea, toiletries, and other necessities.

Various drop-off centers have been made accessible by concerned organizations in a number of locations here in Cebu. Here are a few drop-off points you can choose from:

Ayala Malls nationwide are also accepting donations. Visit the Concierge booth at Ayala Center Cebu and hand your donations to the persons-in-charge.

SM City also has a drop off station in Cebu. You can drop your relief goods at a booth in SM City Cebu’s Lower Ground Floor of the Main Mall. The booth is located near the Air Philippines office, between Johnny Air Cargo and Country Crafts.

One of the pioneering gourmet coffee shops in Cebu, Coffee Dream is also opening its branches to accept donations for Luzon flood victims.

Donations may also be dropped off at any LBC branch worldwide.

The Outpost Restobar will be accepting relief goods and donations in kind for the flood victims from August 10, 2012, Friday, until August 12, Sunday. The establishment will be turning over all donations to the local Red Cross chapter on August 13, Monday. They will also hold a concert for a cause called Friday Rock with local bands Heyday, Six Counts of Murder, and a number of other performances.

iamik’s Chicken and Beer, which is a resto bar located in Tres Borces, Mabolo, Cebu City, will host a promo, which runs from August 10 to August 11, entitled “Drink For A Cause.” They offer one free beer for every donation made. For inquiries, you can contact these numbers (032) 238-2366 or (0933) 467-9780, look for Mark.

UBEC UNITE’s donation drop off center is at KOA Tree House. They are accepting donations daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information regarding UBEC UNITE’s efforts or if you wish to volunteer, you can get in touch with Kaloy Uypuanco on Twitter (@kaloyuypuanco) or send him a message on his Facebook account (fb.com/kaloyuypuanco).

4) Be Informed and Share the Information

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the agency responsible for distributing social services to those affected Filipinos. DSWD spearheads relief operations for the government. You can check out their Web site (www.dswd.gov.ph) or follow their updates at Twitter (@DSWDserve). You may get in touch with a DSWD representative at these telephone nos. (632)931-81-01 to 07.

Based on the Official Gazette’s post on government information during natural disasters, below are the emergency hotlines to contact in case of such calamities:

·         Philippine National Police (PNP) Hotline Patrol
117 or send TXT PNP to 2920

·         Bureau of Fire Protection (NCR)
(02) 729-5166, (02) 410-6254, (02) 431-8859, (02) 407-1230

·         Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) hotline
7890 or 0918-8848484

·         Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
(02) 304-3713

·         Red Cross hotline
143, (02) 911-1876

·         Philippine Coast Guard
(02) 527-3877, (02) 527-8481, 0917-724-3682, 0917-PCG-DOTC

·         North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) hotlines
(02) 3-5000 and (02) 580-8910

·         Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) hotlines
(0920) 96-SCTEX (72839)

·         Skyway System Hotline
(02) 776-7777, 0915-6256231, 0939-5006910

·         South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) hotline
0908-8807539

Google’s Person Finder is also up (https://www.google.org/personfinder/2012-08-philippines-flood).

For more information, you can check the Web site of the NDRRMC, http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/. The NDRRMC was established to pursue disaster prevention and risk reduction. It reports updates on the effects and preparedness measures of disaster situations such as typhoons, earthquakes, etc. You may also check out their Twitter account (@NDRRMC_Open) and their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ndrrmc-Opcen/103742183037609). NDRRMC also has hotlines that you can contact: (02) 911-1406, (02) 912-2665, (02) 912-5668; (+63)(917)891-6322.

We can all help. It’s time for us to act and show the world why we are a nation of heroes.

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