DAP launches “Donate 2 Philippines” humanitarian fundraising campaign
A week ago on 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines with a strength comparable to that of Hurricane Katrina and Sandy combined. The superstorm took the lives of thousands, with estimates of up to 10,000 casualties.
Three days after Haiyan’s wrath, the islands of central Philippines once again suffered heavy rainfall and floods brought about by Tropical Depression Zoraida. For millions of Filipinos who have been made homeless, there is nothing left to do but wait for help that is trickling in slowly or not at all.
Approximately 10 million people are believed to be affected by the tragedy with numbers expected to rise as rescue and recovery operations continue. Many countries and international humanitarian agencies have sent aid to the Philippines in response to appeals by the Philippine government.
However, most of the relief operations and pledges are focused on Leyte, Tacloban and Ormoc where the eye of the storm wreaked the most havoc and where media coverage is substantial. This meant that other islands, such as Iloilo, have had to fend for themselves.
Relief operations are slow and further hampered by the lack of access to the affected towns and villages as uprooted trees and electric poles are still blocking the roads. Unbeknownst to many, the coastal villages in Northern Iloilo are also weathering the effects of an oil spill caused by a barge that plowed through a fishing village.
In sympathy and solidarity with our neighbouring country, the DAP is launching a fundraising campaign today. We are targeting to raise a total of RM250,000, all of which will be channelled to local NGOs in the Philippines to aid relief operations in some of the most severely affected areas.
We will be promoting our “Donate 2 Philippines” campaign actively on the DAP Facebook page at fb.com/DAPMalaysia.
Donations can be banked into DAP Malaysia’s Public Bank account: 3063828309. All contributions banked into this bank account for the next two weeks will be channeled to the NGOs that we have identified.
Members of the public who may have enquiries can contact us via email ([email protected]) or phone (012-3800218).
In this incredibly difficult time for our neighbours, we reach out to compassionate Malaysians to dig deep into their pockets and give what they can to help the victims of this terrible tragedy. We also extend our deepest condolences to those who have lost family members and friends.
Let us join hands quickly to help those less fortunate than ourselves in this time of desperate need. Thank you.
List of NGOs that DAP will be channeling funds to:
* For Relief Goods (Purchasing and Distribution)
Ateneo De Iloilo
Campus Ministry and Social Involvement (ADI-CMSI) Office
Ateneo De Iloilo’s Campus Ministry and Social Involvement Office serves as the outreach arm of the Jesuit-owned Ateneo de Iloilo. It has been involved in various relief operations within the city while training their students the value of being men and women for others. In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan’s destruction, ADI-CMSI is working with the local Department of Social Work and Development office in the distribution of relief goods in Northern Iloilo.
Northern Iloilo Christian Cooperative (NICC)
The Northern Iloilo Christian Cooperative is made up of several churches situated in the townships and villages of Northern Iloilo. Ministering mostly to areas devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, the NICC is actively involved in the relief operations in the area by solely relying on private donations in the absence of government-sourced emergency supplies.
One Meal Foundation
The One Meal Foundation raises funds to provide food and educational opportunities to the poor and the homeless. They have spearheaded various community development projects such as the provision of running water and feeding programs in poor villages. They are currently working towards establishing a safe source of water for villages in Northern Iloilo affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
* For Rebuilding of Communities
Gawad Kalinga – Iloilo (GK-Iloilo; http://www.gk1world.com/)
As part of the bigger Gawad Kalinga family, GK-Iloilo is focused on the relief and rehabilitation of poverty-stricken villages in Iloilo affected by Typhoon Haiyan . To date, they have distributed more than 18,000 packs of relief goods to the towns of Ajuy and Concepcion in Iloilo. Solely funded by donations from the private individuals and groups, they hope to be able to help provide food and rebuild homes of the typhoon victims from other towns.
Typhoon Haiyan Survivor Accounts
“It took us years to build a decent house. It only took the storm hours to reduce it to rubble. For days, my father looked over what remained of our possessions. Four days after the storm, we have yet to receive any form of aid. My father was so hungry, he had no choice but to drink the bottled water he found on the ground. He is now in the hospital. I know we are poor, but the storm not only took away our house and properties, it also took away our dignity.”
– Allan Pendon, 22
“Our neighbour has just given birth when the storm struck. In their haste to pack up their things, they decided to put the baby in a hammock hanging from the roof beams. It happened so fast. The wind was so strong that it just tore the roof away from their house…along with the hammock holding the baby. Until now, the baby has not been found.”
– Maya, 29
“The storm may have spared our lives, but it seems that hunger will kill us.”
– Jansen, 32
“We used to have a house. Now, its just a wall and a couple of pillars. Everything is gone. We don’t have electricity. We don’t have food. We don’t even have access to the hospital. Since the storm, my son has daily asthma attacks and the only thing we can do is cycle for 4 hours to get to another hospital so he can have his medicine. Everyday I bring him there and everyday we have to come back to try and rebuild our house with whatever material we can salvage. “
– James, 40
“We have lost our house and livelihood in a matter of hours. We are starving. We dig our clothes from under the mud just so we have something to wear. We wanted to leave Sara (a town in Northern Iloilo) and start our lives in the city but my mother refuses to leave. She says she was born here, she will die here no matter how desperate things become. We are stuck here. We can’t just leave our mother behind.”
– JP, 25 years old
“The past couple of days, lorries filled with relief goods are passing through Sara. Not one stopped to give even a single pack to people along the street begging for food. We cannot rely on the government anymore. We are begging strangers to give us food. We are not ashamed. We need to beg.”
– Glenn, 28
“There’s no water. No food. No electricity. We don’t have a roof over our heads. If we get sick, the hospital is gone. We don’t even have money to buy a bus ticket if we decide to go to the city and beg people for money. How do we survive?” – Wilbert, 40
“I left my job in the city to look for my father and older brother. They’re fishermen and have been missing since the storm. I went to where our house used to stand but there’s nothing there anymore. I can’t stop looking. I can’t tell my mother that she has lost her husband and son.I don’t know what to do. What do I do now?”
– Rose, 24 years old