JASUSA RESPONDED TO FLOOD VICTIMS
The recent flooding in Manila gave us a glimpse of what internet can do to make change happen. People are blogging and posting pictures and videos on Youtube, Twitter. Text messages were essential to point out the areas heavily affected by the floods but nowhere did I hear the government responding to the needs.
I think people got tired of waiting and started mobilizing, people from all over outside of the Philippines started collecting money and sending it directly to organizations feeding the homeless and the hungry. Church groups gathered and open soup kitchens in their parking lots, shelters etc.
Donations came from all over locally like bread, bottled water, canned goods, used clothes, blankets, baby formula, etc. but there's not enough since thousands of people got displaced during this calamity. Organizations in the US like our group decided to join forces, raised money this weekend to help the Christ the Exalted Community Church headed by no other than Pastor Ed de Guzman ,Class 69 who is currently helping feed 600 families at the H. Bautista Elementary School.
Here is what he emailed me.
Yesterday we brought 1,200 pcs of assorted bread products to H. Bautista Elem School in Marikina, temporarily serving as an evacuation center for the poorest of the poor residents of Tumana along the Marikina River. A friend , daughter ofthe owner of a 5star hotel,donated 4 boxes of meds which we endorsed to Dra. Annie Solomon who has been holding med clinic together with her pedia friends every afternoon. A couple naman donated canned goods for our church members who were equally affected by the floods. The other day Oct 1, a group of us from church packed and delivered supper for 600 families (which Luchie mentioned earlier). A couple also gave 400 blankets for distribution. Early yesterday morning, another friend brought his equipment and he and his staff distributed more than 500 bowls of lugaw for breakfast. Last Friday naman, friends from IFP Gumaca, Quezon brought 1,000 loaves of bread, assorted canned goods, bottled water, used clothes. All of these were endorsed to the school principal since they have a system of distribution so that all the evacuees housed in the school get fair shares of the donations. Not much, we know, but gives us joy na rin though how little our contribution may seem to be, because we know it has eased their pain kahit konti.
Many areas still need help, many more are still unreached. Let us all pray that our kababayans may soon recover from this calamity. And with another storm in the offing, let us doubly pray and believe that "Affliction shall not come a second time (Nahum 1:2-15)", the Lord will defend His stake over you and Manila - as revealed to Rev. Abu Bako.
PTL!
During our emergency meeting , we collected $520 from the officers and from our funds and some more pledges are coming. I encourage you to do the same, very seldom that we reach outside the alumni and I think this the time to show our compassion towards our fellow citizens.
Thanks and God Bless the Philippines.
