Aid for Typhoon Ondoy Victims

Sometime yesterday, while watching videos of the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy and constantly monitoring the weather report for the "expected" two low pressure areas coming, I came to the same realization hundreds have also arrived at. If those two hit Manila with the same force as Ondoy, what will happen to the evacuation centers, the volunteers, the depleting supplies, the available drinking water and the other half of the population who were not directly affected the first time? Do you think this crisis will end after a few days, weeks or months? No! It will take years for those displaced, or whose businesses were grounded (literally with mud) to recover. The enormity of the whole chaotic mess just hit me that I was suddenly spurred into action as soon as I woke this morning. Even without discussing this first with my husband or my mom, I decided to volunteer as well.

Here in the Bukid, we may feel we are separate and this does not concern us, so let's stop a moment and think about who these people are. Every one of us has a family member, a cousin, a friend, a colleague, a neighbor, a student, a child, a parent, a grandparent, an acquaintance... in Manila. Don't you think we should at least do SOMETHING simply because we know them? We may be far from where the action is, but there is something we can do. We can help in any way we can. We can send money. We can send medicines. We can pray.

My brother, JOEY CUERDO, is involved with the relief operations in Quezon City. His house in Marikina was one of those which collected water up to a certain height, but fortunately, his family did not have to evacuate. Just had to do some major cleaning.

To help in his efforts, I am volunteering my house as a receiving point for donations in kind: medicines, blankets, towels, personal items, grocery items, clothing, baby necessities, shoes, slippers, soap, shampoo, milk, chocolate powder, sugar... anything that can be used / eaten immediately. LBC, 2GO and Negros Navigation have already promised to send these packages for FREE.

My house is located at : CUERDO's COMPOUND, Purok Menzi, Damilag, Manolo Fortich (across from Menzi Orchard Residences). You can contact me at (0920) 9600 192.

We are also accepting donations in cash via bank deposit:

BDO (Lapasan Branch, CDO)

Account #: 3160-0412-76

Account Name: REGINA C. AMADOR (this is a company account, and funds will automatically be transferred to my brother)

Let us join together in this effort. These are our brothers and sisters crying for help! You may not know them, but you never know who they know.

p.s. Those reading this blog, I would like to request that you forward this message to everyone, who might want to donate, or who might know someone who would like to donate, or if they don't, to just forward it on until the message has been spread. Regaining a life is more difficult that building one. We must help them!

Thank you and God Bless Us All!