When In Manila, you’ll notice that activity has definitely reached fever pitch in anticipation for Christmas. The traffic is bumper-to-bumper, the lights are burning till late in all the store windows, and there’s a party going on in every party-able venue. The Metro has definitely gone all out in anticipation for “the most wonderful time of the year,” and it’s hard to imagine, surrounded by all the trimmings and the tinsel, that it could be anything but wonderful for anyone else.
Sadly, it is. For the people of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City (Lanao del Norte), Christmas will be anything but merry this year. On Friday, December 21, 2011, what is now being heralded “the world’s deadliest storm of 2011” took CDO and Iligan by surprise, causing close to a thousand deaths, with hundreds still missing. And for the survivors too, things are looking pretty grim: with so many needing relief, funds and goods are in shorter and shorter supply. Couple that with the P1B pricetag slapped onto the damage dealt by Typhoon Sendong (international name “Washi”), and recovery from Sendong is not looking easy, which is why the people of Mindanao urgently need your help.
We told you in a recent post where to give cash (and you can also check out this page for other cash-donation alternatives), but if you aren’t as liquid as you’d like to be, there’s still an opportunity to help out by giving in kind.
What Will Help:
- Medicine
- Cough medication such as Lagundi, Carbocesteine, Mefenamic Acid
- Anti-diarrhea medication such as Loperamide, Oresol
- Anti-pyretics such as Paracetamol, Acetaminophen
- Anti-infectives such as Amoxicillin
- Anti-hypertensives such as Losartan, Nifedipine
- Specialized medication such as eyedrops, saline solution, antibiotic ointments, oral rehydration solutions, etc.
- First aid supplies
- Clean gloves – sterile surgical gloves and normal saline (washing) gloves
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Iodine
- Sterile gauze
- Cotton buds and balls
- Bandages (disposable and non-disposable)
- Rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizers
- Plasters and first-aid tape
- First-aid equipment such as medical scissors, tweezers, etcetera.
- Bottled water (both portable-size and giant-size)
- Ready-to-eat foods (Canned goods and soups, cup noodles, crackers–things that will not spoil fast, given that transit will take a while.)
- Powdered milk and Milo/Ovaltine
- Tetra-pak Juice
- Clothes (both old and new–some charity agencies are no longer accepting old clothes)
- Shoes
- Sleeping mats
- NEW underwear (either disposable or normal)
- Diapers (both for elderly and infant)
- And pantyliners/napkins
- Rubber Slippers
- If you can give cheap rainboots too, that would be great!
- Blankets (Reasonably priced fleece blankets are available at Shopwise and SM Department Store, but if you have old ones that are still usable, donate them!)
- Toiletries
- Soap
- Shampoo
- Toothpaste AND Toothbrush
- Towels
- Tissues/Toilet Paper
- Mosquito repellant (Moskishield patches from National Bookstore are a good alternative)
- Tarpaulins (especially billboard size) – These can be used as resources for building temporary shelters, and also cut up to make waterproofing.
- Stuffed animals (this may not be such a “practical” good, but for frightened kids, sometimes it helps to have something to hold on to)
- LBC, the famous “Hari Ng Padala,” are accepting donations of relief goods at any and all LBC Express branches nationwide. Also, if you happen to be in Singapore, LBC will be accepting donations at LBC AirCargo #04-077 Lucky Plaza, Orchard Rd.
- Enderun Colleges’ Enderun Community Drive is accepting relief goods at their McKinley Hill campus, in Taguig. For more information, check out the Enderun Community Drive Facebook page.
- University of Asia and The Pacific‘s student organization Catalyst UA&P is also accepting relief goods from December 21-23, 1-5pm, at Promenade A. UA&P is located along Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Take note that they have a dress code to enter the campus–no sleeveless, short shorts/skirts, and slippers.
- De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde has launched a drive especially for PWDs (Persons With Disabilities), so if anyone is generous enough to offer relief goods and PWD-specific goods (such as crutches, wheelchairs, etcetera), drop them off at the DLSU-CSB campus and inform the guards that they are for the PWD drive.
- Gawad Kalinga‘s Operation Walang Iwanan is looking for kindhearted souls who are willing to mail their relief good “care packages” to the following locations:
CAGAYAN DE ORO :
Corpus Christi School, Tomasaco Street, Cagayan de Oro
Contact Harvey Maraguinot : 0917-8888427ILIGAN :
GK Missionville, Purok 3, Canaway, Tibanga, Iligan City
Contact Judi Bentoy : 09178888745DUMAGUETE/BACOLOD :
Contact Binsoi Rivera : 09175007092
Silliman University, Dumaguete City
St. Scholastica Academy Gym, La Salle Avenue, BacolodThey are particularly asking for food packages which they will be using for their feeding programs. These packages should contain 3kg of rice, 4 cans of sardines, 5 packs of instant noodles, coffee, and sugar. Should mailing a package prove too difficult, however, they also accept cash donations (more information here.)
- The Armed Forces of The Philippines is also accepting aid. If interested, contact their Situation Awareness Center (SAC), CRS AFP, Camp Aguinaldo, QC. Their contact numbers are: 912-6615 and (0917)2471252. Look for Lt. Col. Rolando Rodil, Operations Officer.
- Bigby’s Café & Restaurant chain is now accepting donations at several Bigby‘s branches, with the station in Metro Manila being Bigby’s SM Megamall, located at the Atrium.
- One For Iligan (under the Iligan Bloggers Society) is also accepting donations in kind in the following locations:
Makati City: 3553 Durango St., Palanan, Makati City 1235. Contact Migz @ 09065777812 or 09227130006 OR 6-D Cypress Gardens Condo 112 VA Rufino St. Makati City c/o Meikah Delid
Quezon City: Berkeley Residences, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. Contact Jamie Steffani Mijares @ 09157744244
Manila/Taft Avenue: Madison Square Condominium, Taft Avenue, Manila, Right infront of De La Salle University, Right beside Kenny Rogers . Contact Roden Lim @ 09228446777
One For Iligan has also tied up with shipping companies LBC and JRS. Simply approach any LBC or JRS branch and mark your package with ONE FOR ILIGAN c/o LBC (or JRS) ILIGAN CITY BRANCH.
- SuperFerry is also accepting donations for the Typhoon Sendong relief effort. Drop them off at their corporate ticket outlets located in Robinson’s Ermita, Araneta Center Cubao, Victory Mall Caloocan, Pier 2 and 15.
