This year is not a bright year for any of us. It started with the Taal eruption in January, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak which began in March and continues to impact our lives today. Now we are consecutively hit by typhoons; Rolly and Ulysses have affected so many Filipinos.
Concurrently, our country has been hit by typhoons that have taken thousands of lives, houses, and livelihoods. From January 2020 up until the end of this year, more and more Filipinos continue to struggle but It’s not easy to pick oneself up.
Therefore, all these life-threatening events are really one of the darkest and most painful months we’ve witnessed. We cannot lose anymore, so it’s time for us to take the initiative and do something about it.
Typhoon Rolly
Typhoon Rolly (international name Goni) is the most powerful storm recorded worldwide this year. Therefore, it first made landfall in the Philippines on 2 November, hitting Bato, Catanduanes; Tiwi, Albay; San Narciso, Quezon; and Lobo, Batangas.
Prior to its landfall, the Government evacuated around 1 million residents in Bicol, saving countless lives, but Rolly severely damaged more than 10,000 houses in Catanduanes alone. Its strong winds and heavy rainfall also caused flash floods, mudflow (lahar), landslides, and storm surges in the region. It also brought widespread power outages and damaged transmission lines.
Before leaving the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Rolly also left damage in Southern Luzon and in the south of Metro Manila.
Typhoon Ulysses
Finally, Typhoon Ulysses is the Philippines’ 21st tropical cyclone for 2020 and hit Luzon hardest from November 11 to 12. After that, dozens of people died, destroyed thousands of homes, and left swathes of the island region flooded because of powerful winds and torrential rain.
Therefore, sadly enough halfway through November, we have been hit consecutively by two strong super typhoons. Typhoon Rolly (typhoon Goni) and Typhoon Ulysses (typhoon Vamco) left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with more than 100,000 families with no home. However, the majority of the people are now staying at relocation centers-crowded, with no clothes, food, or money to move forward.
Spread awareness
If you’re able to share memes, you’re able to share these as well!
Accordingly, with the current events developing in the country, I have decided to compile a list of how you can help including the donation drives, initiatives headed by different organizations and individuals throughout the country who devoted their time and resources to reach out to flooded and affected communities brought about by the typhoons.
Now, what can you do? Even though social media is mere sharing and reacting, thus plays an essential role in times like these. In fact, by sharing awareness of the situations through social media platforms, we are letting other people know as well. For this reason, we’re actually helping by bridging those families who need help with organizations that are conducting outreach.
Help by sharing Rescue Operation and Emergency Hotline numbers for the following areas affected:
- #RescueTuguegarao: https://www.facebook.com/pnagovph/photos/a.734179973331112/3454238241325258/
- Cagayan and Isabela Emergency Numbers
https://www.facebook.com/sonnyangara/posts/3472695302819994
- Helicopter Rescue Operation for Cagayan. https://m.facebook.com/story.phpstory_fbid=4004306719598018&id=100000561882257
Donate what you can give Sharing is key!
“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”
― Barack Obama
Of course, sharing is caring! We did a donation drive for jeepney drivers affected by Covid-19, a few months ago. And truly sharing these types of donation drives and initiatives helped a lot. It reached so many families who are willing to help. Feel free to share these drives!
You can also check out these links to find out which donation drives are near you.
Fund and In-kind Donation Drives
- Fundraising Drive by CocoLemon Peeps
- Fundraising Drive by Filo Bicycles
- LakwatsyaniSay https://www.facebook.com/lakwatsanisay/posts/701471733820592
- Donation Drive by Ms. Gaby Domanais
https://www.facebook.com/gaby.deyto.domanais/posts/3700027143351598
- Donation Drive by Reklamador Ph
https://www.facebook.com/reklamador2020/posts/192156732474721
- Donation Drive by The Barrister https://www.facebook.com/775994532427911/posts/3982963215064344/?d=n
- Donation Drive by Hiraya Mindoro https://www.facebook.com/hirayamindoro/posts/145180707310480
Fund and In-kind Donation Drives
- Drop Off Locations: Gubat, Sorsogon https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3367795069924852&id=100000831750276
- Drop Off Locations: Marikina City https://www.facebook.com/101243505133993/posts/107854461139564/
- Drop Off Locations: Tan Yan Kee Center, UST https://www.facebook.com/104479062922008/posts/3484087254961155/?d=n
- Drop Off Locations: Quezon City, Makati, Cagayan https://www.facebook.com/583728958976924/posts/667843000565519/
Support initiatives (i.e business for a cause, music for a cause, arts for a cause)
Besides donating funds and in-kind donations, supporting these initiatives by purchasing their products or by joining their events can make a big difference for those families affected by the typhoon. However, here are some of the initiatives that you might be interested in supporting.
- Raffle For A Cause https://www.facebook.com/gaby.deyto.domanais/posts/3700284336659212
- Sketch For A Cause https://twitter.com/emmmileo/status/1327496714995974148?s=19
- Benefit Concert Series https://www.facebook.com/alanjohnsr/posts/3535509263177320
Besides Christmas is coming, and let’s give them hope in different ways to help. So, let’s support and work together towards bringing joy to these families.