WE International Philippines | Archive for Relief

The photographs on this site are generously taken by various photographers interested in supporting the mission and vision of WE International Philippines Inc. Contributing photographers: Marlon Hacia, Francis Gaerlan, Inna Ella

Posts Tagged ‘Relief’

Binan Clean Up & Relief Operation

Posted By abee on 11.10.2009 • (0)

One month after Ondoy struck Metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas taking many lives and displacing hundreds of thousands of people, thousands of families continue to live on the roofs of their submerged homes or crammed together in makeshift shelters.

With the help of the Local Government of Binan, WE visited one such elementary school-turned-shelter last October 21 to distribute relief goods – food, toiletries and clothes – to the families who have evacuated there from severely flooded areas in Binan. Classes were being conducted in the school grounds, tents substituting as ‘classrooms’ for the children to make room for five hundred families that were crammed into twenty or so classrooms.

While there, we were able to understand more fully the truly sad state certain areas like dela Paz were in. And so WE International Philippines joined with other organizations helping in the area to form Help Without Borders, a group that meets every Tuesday to carefully plan and determine the best path from relief towards rehabilitation and development in Binan.

Last Friday, November 6, WE International Philippines held two activities to help the communities in Biñan, Laguna. In the morning, with the help of the local government’s environment department, WE performed a large garbage clean up in the still flooded barangay of Malaban.

In the afternoon, WE International Philippines, through the generous donations of friends, family and companies locally and abroad and partners in Help Without Borders: Brent International School (that was able to secure considerable donations from ABS CBN), Save the Children, Springboard Foundation, Hope Worldwide Philippines, Young Focus and the Local Government of Binan were able to distribute food, water, hygiene kits (toothbrush, toothpaste, bath & laundry soap, alcohol), and clothes to 2,000 families! The event was a true testament to the benefits of collaborative effort.

The people of Binan, Laguna are deeply grateful as WE are overwhelmingly grateful for your continued support and for joining us help families rebuild lives, hopes and dreams.

Tagged As: BInan, Help Without Borders, Relief, WE International Philippines

Posted In: News

WE International Philippines Relief Operations

Posted By abee on 10.15.2009 • (0)

Two major typhoons hit the Philippines within the last three (3) weeks. The first one, Ketsana (Ondoy), dumped three (3) times more rain in Metro Manila than Hurricane Katrina in just six (6) hours causing devastating and fatal floods. And Parma (Pepeng), occurring just days after Ketsana, caused deadly landslides in the northern part of the country swallowing up to 80% of Pangasinan, the 3^rd largest rice-producing province in the country, rendering major thoroughfares impassable and leaving areas like Baguio and Benguet – where Igorot tribes still reside in mountains – completely cut-off without power, fuel and unable to receive relief goods, medicines and assistance.

In response to the sudden and great need that resulted from the damage and destruction caused by Ketsana and Parma, members of our team coordinated with and participated in relief operations throughout the metropolis. Thanks to the generosity of our friends from all over the world, we were able to buy much needed water and food to donate. The team also organized a unique and environmentally conscious relief operation wherein relief goods were packed in reusable blankets, pillow-cases, towels and bed sheets. The relief bags were distributed to Marikina, Paranaque, Pasig, San Juan, and, with the help of LBC in Rizal – even as some of these areas remained flooded.

Despite the damage, grief and sorrow typhoons Ketsana and Parma caused, they also brought out such awe-inspiring selflessness and generosity in everyone – friends, family and strangers from within the Philippines and abroad. Amongst the most inspiring, WE International Philippines’ sponsored students and out-of-school youth from Smokey Mountain voiced out their desire to help and joined the WE team in packing and distributing relief bags to the victims of the typhoons as well.

* On Friday, 16 October, South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR), will be doing a missionary flight with the WE International Philippines Team at 6am to Baguio to bring medicines and relief goods: flashlights/batteries, candles/matches, soap, blankets, clothes/underwear, rice, cooking/eating utensils, water purification tablets. WE will be hiking up to parts of Baguio and Benguet to bring relief and first aid to the people who have been and remain unreachable.