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Pinoys abroad raise funds for PHL flood victims

ANDREI MEDINA, GMA NewsAugust 9, 2012 3:00pm

España still not passable to light vehicles. España Boulevard going to Blumentritt Street in Manila on Thursday is still not passable to light vehicles due to knee-deep flood. Classes in the NCR remain suspended as of Thursday. Danny Pata

Filipinos abroad have launched fund drives to help out their countrymen in the Philippines who have become victims of the massive flooding in Luzon this week.

The monsoon rains left 23 dead and left several areas in Metro Manila and Luzon flooded as of Thursday.

According to a report of the news site Emirates 24/7, as the death toll and the devastation in the Philippines continue to rise, Filipinos in Dubai and the Northern Emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have begun pooling their resources for the flood victims.

A senior official from the Philippine Consulate in Dubai told Emirates 247 said, “The President of the Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates has informed that they are planning to assist with relief work.”

Wilfredo Aguilar of the Filipino Digerati Association, a voluntary organization, said, “We are still gathering information. We will decide on a course of action soon.”

The UAE is home to some 636,154 Filipinos, based on the 2010 Stock Estimate of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).

Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has encouraged the Filipino-Malaysian community to help flood victims in the Philippines.

According to the news release of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the PHL Embassy called for donations through its Facebook account.

“To our dear Filipinos in Malaysia, the Embassy is collecting monetary donations for the victims of the flooding caused by Typhoon Gener and the southwest monsoon,” the embasy said.

The officers and staff of the PHL Embassy have also organized a fund drive among themselves.

“The Filipino spirit of bayanihan lives on among us Filipinos, even if we are far from home. Embassy officers and staff did not hesitate to dig into their pockets to help out those in need,” Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya said.

The fund drive has already raised MYR 1,100 (roughly Php 15,000) which was turned over to Social WelfareAttaché Bernard Bonina, and would be sent to the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Manila.

Relief operations

A report of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said private groups have already raised P12.9 million for the flood victims.

The report said as of 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 267,850 families have been assisted so far.

Local government units (LGUs) provided P6,043,836.90, non-government organizations (NGOs) donated P955,400.00 while the DSWD allocated P5,925,009.90 for the flood victims.

Forced evacuation

In Marikina City, one of the areas worst hit by the floods, residents living near the Marikina River were forcibly evacuated from their homes as the river's water level rose quickly.

“Pwersahan na ang taong i-evacuate para iwasan ang sakuna,” NDRRMC head Benito Ramos said in an interview on dzBB radio.

On its Twitter account as of 4:45 a.m. on Thursday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said the Marikina River water level was at 20.24 meters and still on the rise.

"Residents of Marikina please be alert and move away from low-lying areas near Marikina River NOW! Residents of Marikina FORCED EVACUATION call ongoing," it added.

Teams from the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Air Force assisted the residents in evacuating, dzBB’s Glen Juego reported.

Hotline numbers for flood victims

Meanwhile, the following are the contact numbers that flood victims may get in touch with for assistance:

NCR

1. National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)

(02) 911-1406

(02) 912-2665

(02) 912-5668

2. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)

(02) 927-1335

(02) 433-8526

3. Philippine National Police Hotline (PNP)