Donate to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy

To everybody who is reading this,

You may be my friend, we may be total strangers. But I'm appealing to all of you, to do what you can, to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) that has swept away lives in Manila, Philippines, and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 to 30 typhoons a year, but Typhoon Ondoy took everyone by surprise. The extent of its destruction was unexpected. The heavy floods left many stranded on rooftops without food and water for hours. Houses and vehicles were swept away by the currents. More than 30 areas were declared to be in a state of calamity. The death toll is still on the rise, millions of Filipinos remain affected by the aftermath.

I was lucky enough to have escaped from the raging typhoon. If I were to stay in Manila for a few more days, I could be one of them.

The floodwaters have subsided, but it is going to take a lot of time and effort to rebuild the affected areas. A big part of the population is surviving on a very low income, it's not an easy task to get back to the lives that used to be.

Relief operations have been ongoing, but the the scale of the devastation is still overwhelming. Food and water are being distributed to the affected areas. Donations in cash and in kind are pouring in. The disaster has also kindled the 'bayanihan' spirit in the Filipinos; people from all walks of life coming together to lend a helping hand.

But that's not enough. They still need help.

Don't just sit down and wait, or do nothing. Help.

I'm collecting cash donation, which is more ideal at this point of time. Donation of clothes and blankets can be arranged. Please contact me, or leave a message.

Donation can also be made to the ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya Foundation and the Philippine National Red Cross.

I thank you for reaching out to the Filipinos. Maraming salamat.