Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines + Natural Disasters + Other Related News

77 evacuate from Taal Volcano Island

2011-04-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

News from Inquirer.net

77 evacuate from Taal Volcano Island
By Marrah Erika Lesaba
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 10:13:00 04/10/2011

Filed Under: Safety of Citizens, Volcanic activity

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines—(UPDATE) At least 77 persons from 17 families have evacuated from the Taal Volcano Island following the series of volcanic tremors that prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to raise Alert Level 2 on the island.

The evacuees were ferried to the mainland of Talisay town on Saturday night, said Senior Superintendent Alberto Supapo, Batangas police director, on Sunday.

The evacuees were among the 2,210 residents of the island who opted to voluntarily leave starting at 9 p.m. Saturday for fear that the volcano would erupt anytime, said Supapo.

Three families were housed at the Venancio Trinidad Senior Memorial School in Talisay while the remaining 14 families stayed with their relatives in Poblacion, Talisay, Supapo said.

Jing Segismundo, Batangas provincial information officer, said the evacuees are from sitios (subvillages) Tabla, Tibag and San Isidro on Taal Volcano Island.

Segismundo said local authorities would implement forced evacuation if alert level 3 or a higher alert was raised.

Alert level 3 means a probable eruption or strong changes in the eruption patterns in the next 10 days.
Alert level 4 means the volcano will erupt anytime and alert level 5 is issued when the eruption is in progress.

Lorence Baňez, Science Research Assistant for the Taal Volcano observatory, said Alert Level 2, which meant increasing restiveness which could lead to eruption, was raised Saturday after they recorded 31 volcanic quakes between April 8 and 9.

Baňez added they also noted an increase in the carbon dioxide level around the volcano, indicating an “anomalous gas release” from the depth of the volcano.

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the air can cause damage to plants. When inhaled, it could cause dizziness, fainting and headache, said Banez.

People and animals could also die of asphyxiation from carbon dioxide inhalation, added Banez.

With the raising of Alert Level 2, the Daang Kastila trail, used mostly be tourists who wanted to get close to the volcano, is strictly off-limits because sudden hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate, said Baňez.

source

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This is already alarming!

Alert level at Taal raised

2011-04-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

News from PhilStar,

Alert level at Taal raised
By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) Updated April 10, 2011 12:00 AM

image source
Photo shows the main crater lake of Taal volcano where Phivolcs has raised the alert level from 1 to 2. VAL RODRIGUEZ

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) yesterday raised the alert level at the Taal volcano to 2, saying the present activity at the volcano could lead to an eruption.

Phivolcs issued a bulletin yesterday advising the public to stay away from the main crater, the Daang Kastila trail and Mt. Tabaro, site of the deadly eruption in 1965.

These areas, Phivolcs said, “are strictly off-limits because sudden hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate. Breathing air with high concentration of gases can be lethal to humans, animals and even cause damage to vegetation.”

“With this alert status, the present activities could eventually lead to an eruption,” it added.
The volcano monitoring bureau added that magma has also been intruding toward the surface.

Phivolcs added the entire island where the volcano is situated is a permanent danger zone and any settlement is strictly prohibited.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also declared the areas surrounding the volcano off-limits to local and foreign tourists.

NDRRMC executive officer Benito Ramos said the Daang Kastila, an uphill trail toward the volcano’s crater, and Mt. Tabaro have been closed to all visitors.

The NDRRMC increased its level of disaster preparedness in and around Taal lake to alert level 2 following the recommendation of Phivolcs.

“There is no order yet of evacuation but we are doing all these disaster preparation (measures) because the volcano is showing signs of an imminent eruption,” Ramos said.

In the event of an eruption, several coastline municipalities around Taal lake in Batangas, Tagaytay City in Cavite would be affected, Ramos said.

This developed as Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto called a meeting with local officials to draw up an evacuation plan in the event that Taal volcano erupts.
Local officials from Lipa City and the towns of Talisay, Laurel, San Nicolas, Mataas na Kahoy, Tanauan, Agoncillo, Cuenca, Sta. Teresita and Alitagtag attended the pre-disaster preparations with Santos-Recto.

Phivolcs said there were four “significant changes” on the status of the Taal volcano that warranted the increase of the warning, adding that the seismic activity of the volcano continued to worsen.

The number of volcanic earthquakes detected gradually rose and the depths of the plotted quakes were becoming shallow (one to four kilometers). There is also an increase in the number of perceptible quakes.

During the past 24 hours, two quakes were felt at the volcano island with intensities ranging from 2 to 3, one of them accompanied by a rumbling sound.
A total of 21 volcanic quakes were detected by the seismic network in the last 24 hours, Phivolcs said.

Secondly, gas measurements conducted at the Taal main crater lake yielded carbon dioxide emission flux of 1,875 tons per day (t/d) in February 2011 and 4,670 t/d during the last week of March. The remarkable increase in carbon dioxide concentration indicates its release from the magma at depth.

Phivolcs added the result of the ground deformation survey conducted around the volcano island this week showed that the volcano edifice is still inflated as compared to the February 2011 survey.

Phivolcs said steaming activities at the northern and northeast sides of the main crater occasionally intensified.

Sometimes, intensification of steaming activity is accompanied by an audible hissing sound.

Phivolcs said it would closely monitor the activity at Taal volcano and inform the public of any significant development. - With Jaime Laude, Arnell Ozaeta

source

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I hope this would not lead to an eruption...but if the condition of Taal volcano will continue to worsen, I hope there would be enough time to warn the public. I'm sure Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto together with the local officials of the affected areas can handle this...since they already had a meeting to draw up an evacuation plan in the event that Taal volcano erupts.

Huge aftershock rattles nerves in Japan

2011-04-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

News from The Australian

Huge aftershock rattles nerves in Japan

Rick Wallace, Tokyo correspondent
From: The Australian
April 09, 2011 12:00AM

A MAJOR new quake has claimed four lives in Japan but has had no effect on delicate operations to cool the cripple Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, just 100km from the epicentre.

The quake knocked out power to 4 million homes and dealt another blow to the psyche of stressed residents of quake-and tsunami-ravaged northern Honshu.

At the Onagawa nuclear power plant, close to the epicentre of the quake, water sloshed out of spent fuel rod pools. Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said the spills were minor and did not lead to elevated radiation readings. Still, the incident reinforced the vulnerability of Japan's nuclear power system to strong earthquakes.

Several other nuclear facilities in northern Honshu were forced to switch to back-up power.

A tsunami warning forced the brief evacuation of workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Operator TEPCO continued to inject nitrogen into the No 1 reactor and maintained efforts to cool the cores of all the reactors.

The quake shook buildings in much of northern Honshu and sent furniture and light fittings crashing to the floor, as well as sparking several fires.

The Japan Meterological Agency said the quake - of a magnitude between 7.1 and 7.4 - was an aftershock linked to the March 11 megaquake. The epicentres were both off the east coast near Sendai.

The warning of a tsunami of between 0.5m and 1m along the northern Honshu coast was revoked a few hours later.

The official death toll from the original March 11 earthquake and tsunami reached 12,731 yesterday, with 14,706 people missing.

Tokyo University earthquake expert Satoko Ohki said aftershocks could follow for up to 20 years from a major quake, although they tended to diminish in size and frequency with time.

Associate Professor Ohki told The Weekend Australian Japan needed to be prepared for a quake of up to magnitude-8 for as long as a year after the March 11 megaquake.

She said aftershocks usually occurred near the epicentre of the main shock, although the focus of new shocks could be anywhere along the northern Honshu coast from Ibaraki to Iwate prefecture.

In the first official glimpse of the impact of the disaster on economic sentiment, Japan's cabinet office released data yesterday showing its "economy watchers" survey fell a record 20 points.

The index, compiled from interviews with taxi drivers, hotel and restaurant staff, showed their confidence about economic conditions dropped from 48.4 before the quake to just 27.7.

However, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 stock index rose more than 1.8 per cent as it emerged the aftershock had not sparked another tsunami or nuclear crisis.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said there were some "early signs of recovery" at Fukushima, although the situation remained "very serious".

Another nuclear supervisory agency, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation, reported that its network of monitoring stations showed that minute traces of radioactive emissions from the Fukushima Daiichi plant had spread across the northern hemisphere within two weeks of the crisis.

SOURCE

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Let's continue to pray for Japan...

Red Cross Donations to Japan Surpass $120M

2011-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

News from FoxNews,

Red Cross Donations to Japan Surpass $120M

Published March 29, 2011| FoxNews.com

The American Red Cross announced Tuesday that donations to Japan following the earthquake and tsunami disasters that shook the country nearly three weeks ago have topped $120 million.

The Red Cross already has committed $10 million toward relief and will provide another $50 million in the next few days. The money will go to the Japanese Red Cross, which is providing direct emergency relief, medical services and emotional counseling to the devastated communities.

“Almost three weeks after one of the most devastating earthquakes in history, we are immensely grateful to the American public for their continued generosity,” said David Meltzer, senior vice president of international services with the American Red Cross, at a press conference held at the Japanese embassy in Washington, D.C.

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, who heads the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross, suggested that Americans were repaying the Japanese for their generosity.

“The American public and we at the American Red Cross have not forgotten the generosity of the Japanese people when we suffered tremendous loss after the 9/11 attacks and, more recently, after Hurricane Katrina,” she said.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan remain homeless, their homes and livelihoods destroyed. More than 11,000 bodies have been recovered, but officials say the final death toll is expected to exceed 18,000. Damage could amount to $310 billion — the most expensive natural disaster on record.

The struggle to contain radiation at the complex has also unfolded with near-constant missteps — including two workers drenched Tuesday with radioactive water despite wearing supposedly waterproof suits. The unfolding drama has drawn increasing criticism of the utility that owns the plant as well as scrutiny of Japan's preparedness for nuclear crises.

Japan's government vowed Tuesday to overhaul nuclear safety standards once its radiation-leaking reactor complex is under control, admitting that its safeguards were insufficient to protect the plant against the March 11 tsunami.

An AP investigation found that Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials had dismissed scientific evidence and geological history that indicated that a massive earthquake — and subsequent tsunami — was far more likely than they believed.

That left the complex with nowhere near enough protection against the tsunami.

Conditions for tsunami survivors appear to be improving, the Red Cross said. The number of Japanese people in shelters has dropped from nearly half a million to 244,000, and more supplies are reaching the areas that need help the most.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read more from SOURCE
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Japan is really generous. They also helped the Philippines during the time of typhoon Ondoy.

I also admire the Japanese for being "organize" even in times of disasters...

PNRI traces ‘tiny amounts’ of radiation from Japan in PHL

2011-03-29T03:09:00.000-07:00

News from GMANEWS

PNRI traces ‘tiny amounts’ of radiation from Japan in PHL
03/29/2011 | 02:46 PM

“Tiny amounts" of radioactive materials from the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan have already reached the Philippines, according to the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI).

The PNRI, according to information bulletins posted on its website, has traced “normal" levels of radiation from Japan in the country since last Thursday, ranging from 93 to 123 nanosieverts per hour.

The PNRI, however, emphasized that the radiation “poses no human health hazards." [See more information on radiation here.]

A GMA News report on Tuesday said the radioactive materials from Japan reached the country due to a “change in wind direction."

The PNRI is set to release an update on the radiation levels in the country Tuesday afternoon.

A magnitude-8.9 earthquake, followed by a devastating tsunami, hit Japan earlier this month, killing thousands and damaging the nuclear power facility in Fukushima Prefecture. This posed a radiation threat to the country and nearby areas.

The Japanese government admitted on Monday the presence of high levels of radiation in water flooding the basement of the damaged nuclear reactor, which might seep into the soil or out to the sea. - Andreo C. Calonzo/KBK, GMA News

To know more go to SOURCE: GMANEWS

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I hope this radiation level that have reached Philippines would remain at "normal" level...

"We Heart Japan" Earthquake Relief Gallery

2011-03-23T23:57:00.000-07:00

News from AnimeNewsNetwork

"We Heart Japan" Earthquake Relief Gallery
by Justin Sevakis and Pinguino Kolb, Mar 24th 2011

On St. Patrick's Day 2011, Los Angeles' famous Meltdown Comics store was the scene of a unique event. "We Heart Japan" was a 4-hour benefit for the purpose of raising money to benefit victims of the large Earthquake off the coast of Eastern Japan that had happened only a week earlier. Masterminded by voice actress Stephanie Sheh (with "a LOT of volunteer help," she quickly pointed out), the event transformed the store for a few hours into something of a compressed anime convention.

Despite the somber occasion, the mood of the event was festive: a DJ spun dance records, bartenders served drinks, and a small army of LA-based voice actors signed autographs. Outside the festivities continued, with 3 of LA's prominent food trucks providing snacks, burritos and bubble tea. The centerpiece of the night, however, was two-fold: a raffle, featuring a small truckload of anime DVDs and Scott Pilgrim posters as the prize winnings; as well as a large silent art auction, featuring work by the fan community as well as autographed posters. The proceeds of both were donated to the Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund.

To see pictures, go to SOURCE: AnimeNewsNetwork

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I love anime [and manga]!!!

We all know that two of the great contributions of Japan is anime and their manga! "We Heart Japan" event is a great way of paying it forward!!! Great Job to all!

...I love the pictures by the way!

More than 9,000 dead in Japan earthquake

2011-03-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

News from Fox News Latino

More than 9,000 dead in Japan earthquake

Published March 22, 2011 | EFE

Tokyo – The number of deaths from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan rose Tuesday to 9,079, while another 12,645 are still missing.

Eleven days after the magnitude-9.0 temblor on the northeast coast, Japan's worst disaster since World War II, it is feared that the number of victims will increase even more as attempts are made to restore infrastructure services to provide care for those left homeless.

Of the total number of fatalities, 4,080 have been identified and 2,990 bodies have been returned to their families.

Some 320,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and most are lodged in the 2,100 temporary shelters in 16 prefectures, according to the latest figures provided by the Kyodo news agency.

Among them are the 200,000 evacuees from the environs of the Fukushima nuclear plant, where technicians and the military struggle day and night to lower the temperature of its nuclear reactors to avoid a meltdown.

The hardest hit prefecture, Miyagi, accounts for 5,364 of the confirmed earthquake and tsunami deaths.

The more than 600 aftershocks that have shaken Japan since the original quake have caused no serious damage up to now, though they keep the frightened inhabitants in a constant state of tension.

Read more from SOURCE
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We will still continue to pray for the victims (and the relatives of the victims) of the earthquake and tsunami...

Japan earthquake miracle - two survive after nine days trapped

2011-03-21T02:52:00.000-07:00

News from Mirror,

Japan earthquake miracle - two survive after nine days trapped

by Steve White, Daily Mirror 21/03/2011

THEY had been given up for dead by virtually everyone.

Everyone, that is, except for defiant dad Akira Abe. He clung stubbornly to the desperate hope that his frail mother and teenage son had somehow survived the devastating earthquake and tsunami that brought destruction to Japan.

And yesterday – NINE DAYS after the disaster – his faith was rewarded.

Now 80-year-old Sumi Abe and her 16-year-old grandson Jin have become symbols of hope for the entire nation.

And relieved Akira, who had begged police to keep searching, told the world: “I always believed they were alive.” The pair were rescued after Jin was spotted in the collapsed roof of a wooden house in the ravaged city of Ishinomaki.

As rescuers answered his cries for help he pointed them further down inside the rubble to where Sumi was trapped.

Both were weak and exhausted after surviving without water or power.

Elderly Sumi, who has trouble walking, and Jin, who had hypothermia and could not pull himself from the debris, were taken by helicopter to a hospital.

The official death toll stands so far at 8,400 – with a further 13,000 missing and almost half a million still living in temporary shelters.

Experts battling to stabilise damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima yesterday described radiation levels as “minimal”, despite traces turning up in spinach and milk up to 75 miles away.

To know more, go to SOURCE
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Miracles do happen!!!

Resources related to the 2011 Japan Crisis

2011-03-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from Google Crisis Response,

Resources related to the 2011 Japan Crisis

On March 11 at 2:46pm JST a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near the northeastern coast of Japan, creating extremely destructive tsunami waves which hit Japan just minutes after the earthquake, and triggering evacuations and warnings across the Pacific Ocean. The earthquake and tsunami have caused extensive and severe damage in Northeastern Japan, leaving thousands of people confirmed dead, injured or missing, and millions more affected by lack of electricity, water and transportation.

SOURCE
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Go to Google Crisis Response page if you want to help. You'll find here ways to contribute to relief efforts in Japan. Also, this website has a Person Finder; Alerts and Status regarding Blackout info, different Electric Power companies, Government agencies, U.S. State Dept. & Embassy Resources; Transit status of Trains and buses (Japanese language); Flight Status; Radiation and health information, Shelter information; and many more! This website also has Realtime updates.

Go to Google Crisis Response page to know more.

Wind near nuclear plant to blow out to sea

2011-03-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

This news is from smh.com.au

Wind near nuclear plant to blow out to sea
March 17, 2011 - 12:53PM

The wind near a quake-hit nuclear complex in north-east Japan that has released radiation into the atmosphere is forecast to blow from the north-west today, moving towards the Pacific Ocean, the weather agency said.

Plus, the tsunami-ravaged coast has now been hit by an unseasonal late snow dump, compounding the misery.

The wind near the plant, which is on the coast, will blow as fast as at 12 metres a second, the Japan Meteorological Agency in Fukushima prefecture said.
Advertisement: Story continues below

The Fukushima Daiichi plant, run by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) , is about 240 kilometres north of Tokyo.

The plant sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo this week, triggering both fear in the capital and international alarm.

Officials said radiation in Tokyo was 10 times normal at one point on Tuesday, but not a threat to human health in the sprawling high-tech city of 13 million.

Early today, radiation levels were barely above average.

But many Tokyo residents stayed indoors. Usually busy streets were nearly deserted. Many shops and offices were closed.

A Japanese military helicopter has dumped water from a huge bucket on to the stricken nuclear power plant, as US officials warned of a rising risk of a catastrophic radiation leak from spent fuel rods.

Cold snap

The plight of hundreds of thousands left homeless by the earthquake and devastating tsunami that followed worsened following a cold snap that brought snow to worst-affected areas.

Supplies of water and heating oil are low at evacuation centres, where many survivors wait bundled in blankets.

About 850,000 households in the north were still without electricity in near-freezing weather, Tohuku Electric Power Co. said, and the government said at least 1.5 million households lack running water.

"It's cold today so many people have fallen ill, getting diarrhoea and other symptoms," said Takanori Watanabe, a Red Cross doctor in Otsuchi, a low-lying town where more than half the 17,000 residents are still missing.

Reuters, agencies

To know more go to SOURCE

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The crisis worsens. But there's always a good news here. People helping each other! I heard from different news channels that there a lot of people helping, not only experts regarding nuclear radiation but also people from different walks of life, from children to business people around the world.

Japan crisis continues, blaze in nuclear reactor No. 4

2011-03-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

This news is from hindustantimes

Japan crisis continues, blaze in nuclear reactor No. 4
Agence France-Presse
Tokyo, March 16, 2011

A new fire on Wednesday at a quake-hit atomic power plant compounded Japan's nuclear crisis as a team of US experts headed to the country to help avert disaster. The pre-dawn blaze at the number-four reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 atomic power plant reportedly went out of its own accord 30 minutes after being spotted, the state atomic safety agency said.

But white smoke or steam was seen above the stricken plant around 10:00 am (0100 GMT).

Media reports said that it was coming from the reactor number three building, which was hit by a blast on Monday that tore off the building's outer structure.

Plant operator Tokyo Electricity Power Co (TEPCO) said that it did not know where the smoke was coming from.

Engineers have been battling a nuclear emergency at the 40-year-old plant since a massive earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems last Friday and fuel rods began overheating.

There have been four explosions and two fires at four of the plant's six reactors, and radioactive material has been released into the atmosphere. Two workers have been missing since the disaster struck.

Radiation levels near the plant had reached levels harmful to health on Tuesday, the government said.

Tens of thousands have been evacuated from a 20 kilometre (12 mile) zone around the plant, and thousands of others within a 20-30 km radius were urged to stay indoors.

Eight experts from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission were to arrive on Wednesday to advise on managing the situation, the foreign ministry said.

The hydrogen gas blasts which began Saturday have shattered or damaged buildings housing the reactors and a reactor containment vessel may have suffered damage, the chief government spokesman said.

The government has also reported apparent damage to the suppression pool surrounding the base of the containment vessel of the number-two reactor.

The nuclear safety agency, citing information from TEPCO, said 70% of the fuel rods at the number-one reactor and 33% at the number-two reactor are believed damaged judging by radiation levels.

It was possible the rods' metal cladding had melted, exposing the radioactive core, a spokesman said.

Seawater is being pumped around the fuel rods in a desperate attempt to cool them down, but there are also fears about pools which hold spent rods.

If water in the pools evaporates, the spent rods would be exposed to the air and radioactive material would be released into the atmosphere.

TEPCO initially considered spraying boracic acid over the containment pool at reactor number four but is now leaning towards pumping it through fire engines, the safety agency spokesman said.

Boracic acid curbs nuclear fission by absorbing neutrons, a key element in a nuclear chain reaction.

The main US nuclear energy regulator backed Japan's efforts, saying on Tuesday it had taken appropriate actions. But there was greater concern elsewhere.

Scared Tokyo residents filled outbound trains and rushed to shops to stock up on face masks and emergency supplies amid heightening fears of radiation headed their way.

Officials said on Tuesday that the levels in the mega-city were above normal but not harmful to health.

France's Nuclear Safety Authority said the disaster now equated to a six on the seven-point international scale for nuclear accidents, ranking the crisis second only in gravity to Chernobyl.

Europe's energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger went further and dubbed the nuclear disaster an "apocalypse", saying Tokyo had almost lost control of events at the Fukushima plant.

"There is talk of an apocalypse and I think the word is particularly well chosen," he said in remarks to the European Parliament.

To know more, go to SOURCE

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It is great to hear that US experts are headed to Japan to help.

Fresh footage of huge tsunami waves smashing town in Japan

2011-03-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

This video is from RussiaToday

To know more go to video source

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This is really a traumatic experience to everyone...there are still a lot of missing persons. According to Foxnews Latino, based on the latest tally by Japanese police, there are nearly 1,900 people have been confirmed dead and 3,002 are missing as a result of last week's powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Let's continue to pray for them...

No truth to radiation text msg: gov't

2011-03-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

Another [latest] news from abs-cbn,

No truth to radiation text msg: gov't
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 03/14/2011 4:00 PM | Updated as of 03/14/2011 4:39 PM

MANILA, Philippines - There is no truth to text rumors that radiation from a nuclear plant in Japan has reached the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Monday.

DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI)'s routine daily radiation monitoring in the environment showed the level of radiation in the environment in the country has remained stable since the Fukushima incident in Japan.

"The advice that people should stay indoors and to wear raincoats if they go outdoors did not come from DOST or any agency member of the National Disaster Coordinating Council," the DOST said in a statement.

The department also advised the public not to believe rumors currently spreading through text messages, emails, the Internet, and other means of communication.

"DOST emphasizes that there is no immediate danger of nuclear radiation in the Philippines," it said.

A DOST-PAGASA plume trajectory study also showed that the plume from the site of the incident at Fukushima will not pass the Philippine territory as of March 14, 2011.

"The direction of the smoke appears to go away from the direction of the country," DOST-PNRI Director Alumanda dela Rosa said. "The smoke is carried away by the northeast monsoon (amihan)."

According to DOST-PAGASA, the direction of the wind will continue to be stable until about May 15, and there is no imminent sign of weather disturbance that may affect the current wind direction.

Dela Rosa said DOST-PNRI's National Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan has put in place an organized emergency response facility for a timely, coordinated action of the Philippine authorities in the event of a radiological emergency.

Classes not suspended

The Department of Education, meanwhile, said there will be no cancellation of classes since there is no danger of radiation from Japan reaching the country.

"As advised by the Department of Science and Technology, there is no need to suspend classes based on the allegations circulating in text messages about rains that can burn or cause cancer," the DepEd said.

The department issued the advisory after receiving calls from concerned parents about circulating text messages on the radiation scare.

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines canceled classes in all levels Monday afternoon after receiving the calls from parents of students, PUP President Dante Guevarra said.

Stop spreading text hoaxes

Sen. Loren Legarda on Monday called on people to stop spreading rumors of the radiation leak in Japan reaching the Philippines.

"Sa panahon ngayon ng sakuna at trahedya at sa panahon ng krisis sa ibang bansa … hindi siguro dapat magpasimula ng mga maling impormasyon. Ito'y hindi nakakatulong," she said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also denounced those creators of text messages spreading rumors of alleged radiation contamination in the country.

“Hindi po ito nakakatulong. Wala pong lugar yung mga ganitong actuations sa ganitong sitwasyon which is already sensitive,” Valte said.

To know more, go to SOURCE
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I am glad that clarifications regarding the circulating sms/ txt messages about the nuclear leak at Fukushima nuclear power plant have been reported immediately...

Science officials: No threat of nuclear clouds, acid rain in PH

2011-03-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

Many SMS (text messages) are now circulating here in the Philippines regarding the aftermath of earthquake and tsumani in Japan, specifically about the leak from one of the nuclear plants in Japan following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake last week. That's why I decided to search the latest news regarding this matter. Here's one from Inquirer,

Science officials: No threat of nuclear clouds, acid rain in PH

By Katherine Evangelista, Kristine L. Alave
INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 15:24:00 03/14/2011

Filed Under: Nuclear power, Politics

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Government officials stamped down fears that acid rain and nuclear clouds allegedly resulting from a leak from one of the nuclear plants in Japan following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake last week.

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), sought to allay the public's fears as warnings of radioactive clouds and acid rains circulated through text messages.

The PNRI said it had been conducting tests of the air since the first explosion at the Fukushima power station on Saturday, a day after a deadly quake and tsunami struck Japan.

"Based on (our) monitoring, there has been no increase in the levels of radioactivity since the time of the Fukushima event," the agency said in an emergency response bulletin Monday.

The bulletin came hours after a second explosion at the Fukushima plant.

The PNRI also allayed fears of radiation clouds coming over to the Philippines. And should there be one, "the plume from the site of the incident will not pass Philippine territory as of March 14," PNRI said.

“It does not make sense,” said weather forecaster Raymond Ordinario when asked to react to text messages warning the public of possible contaminated rainfall caused by radiation emitted from a leak inside the Fukushima plant.

“It does not make sense dahil masyado malayo ang location ng explosion, so it does not affect our local rainfall,” Ordinario told INQUIRER.net.

“PAALALA: 4:30 in the afternoon sumabog ung isang nuclear power plant sa Fukumi (sic). Kapag umulan daw mamaya at bukas, wala daw lalabas. Kung kung lalabas kayo,siguraduhin nyong nkakapote o nkapayong kayo dhl kpag naulanan kayo, delikado daw, may tendency na masunog balat nyo, mkalbo o mgka cancer. Pls pass (REMINDER: 4:30 in the afternoon, a nuclear power plant exploded in Fukumi. Do not go out if it rains later and tomorrow. If you are going out, wear a raincoat or use an umbrella because if you get rained on it’s said to be dangerous. There is tendency that your skin will be burned, you will go bald or will get cancer. Please pass),” one of the circulating text messages read.

Ordinario denied this saying that what the message described was possible effects of acid rain.

He said that acid rain was formed when gaseous substances like sulphur and nitrogen mix and react with water in the clouds.

Ordinario said that radioactive materials were in metal form so it would not react with water.

Another text message has been spreading allegedly from BBC saying, “Japan govt confirms radiation leak at Fukushima nuclear plants. Asian countries should take necessary precautions. Remain indoors first 24hrs. Close doors n windows. Swab neck skin with betadine where thyroid area is, radiation hits thyroid first. Take extra precaution, radiation may hit Philat startng 4pm 2day. Pls send to ur loved ones."

The Agence France Presse reported that United Nations atomic watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency, has declared the radiation levels from the Fukushima nuclear power plant normal.

"Radiation dose rate measurements observed at four locations around the plant's perimeter over a 16-hour period on 13 March were all normal," the IAEA said in a statement.

Likewise, Pagasa forecaster Robert Sawi said the winds from Japan would not travel to the country. As of Monday, it has been moving west to east, which meant it has been traveling from Japan to the Pacific Ocean, he said.

“Kung sino man nagpapakalat nito, baka nananakot lang [Whoever is spreading this is probably just scaring people],” Ordinario said.

To know more, Go to SOURCE

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My son's school decided to suspend classes today as a precautionary measure...

Japan: new reactor blast unlikely to cause big leak

2011-03-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

TOKYO | Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:02am EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - A fresh explosion at Japan's quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex on Monday is unlikely to have led to a large escape of radioactivity, the government said.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano was speaking after a hydrogen explosion at the No.3 reactor in the plant, which sent a plume of smoke into the air.

Japan's nuclear safety agency later said, quoting a report from the facility's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co (9501.T), that radiation near the No.3 reactor about 40 minutes after the explosion was about one-50th of that considered critical to human health.

The data suggests the explosion would not have damaged the reactor's containment vessel, a spokesman at the agency said at a news conference.

There were casualties, but the number or other details were not available, the spokesman said.

There is no wind near the plant near the ground and wind above the plant is blowing from the west or from the southwest, the spokesman added, meaning the wind is blowing toward the sea.

The direction of the wind is a key factor in judging possible damage on the environment from the radiation leaking from the plant, which was hit by Japan's biggest earthquake on record and a tsunami.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies and Risa Maeda; Editing by Joseph Radford)

To read more, go to SOURCE

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Just like Ondoy, this is another disaster caused by our deteriorating Mother Earth. Let us pray for all the people affected by the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Legarda offers Roxas crash course on climate change

2010-03-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TUGUEGARAO CITY—How about a basic classroom lesson on climate change after an acrimonious debate Sunday night?

Vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda told reporters here that she was willing to “educate” her rival, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, on climate change issues, after the latter apparently belittled her environmental advocacy during the ABS-CBN “Harapan” vice presidential debate.

Legarda quipped that Roxas might have been taking a snack or could have left the Senate session hall early, during the countless times she delivered privilege speeches on the warming planet.

“Climate change is not just an election issue. My advocacy for climate change started in 1998. It is a timeless, universal issue,” she said Tuesday during a press conference.

Two million trees

“I am willing to teach him about the needs of the farmers and fisherfolk. I am willing to give him copies of my speeches on climate change in the United Nations and the Senate. I am willing to sit down and teach him, so that he could understand that El Niño is connected to hunger,” said Legarda, chair of the Senate committees on agriculture, and on health.

She claims to have planted over two million trees under her Green Philippines’ campaign for which she was recognized by the UN in 2001. She is also the UN Asia Pacific regional champion for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

At Sunday’s debate held at La Consolacion College in Manila, Roxas had questioned Legarda’s priorities in making the environment her campaign advocacy, noting that the Philippines accounted for less than 1 percent of the Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission that is chiefly blamed for global warming.

Legarda had said that climate change was a gut issue, as the Philippines was one of 10 countries considered most vulnerable to disasters related to climate change.

Directly affects people

The El Niño-caused drought that damaged crops and the floods that killed many people during Storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng,” showed that climate change was an issue that directly affected the people, she had said.

“This shows the ignorance and elitist nature of other people who don’t understand climate change, protecting the environment, banning cutting down of forests, rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, and preparedness for coming disasters to lessen tragedies caused by the changing climate,” Legarda said.

She called on her closest VP rival to go down to the grassroots and ask farmers, fishermen and ordinary folk about the effects of last year’s cyclones Ondoy and Pepeng and this year’s El Niño.

“To ignore climate change is to neglect the poor,” said Legarda.

SOURCE
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Anyone could offer help even if you are not elected on your desired position in the government. After the 2010 election (Philippines), we could tell among them who really are public servants...or those who have a lot of personal agenda...

HP Foundation gives $500K to Chile earthquake relief

2010-03-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

by: Sacramento Business Journal

Hewlett-Packard Co. said Thursday that its internal foundation made a $500,000 donation for relief and recovery efforts to Chile.

Palo Alto-based H-P (NYSE:HPQ) said the grant will be split down the middle between two organizations actively involved in the post-earthquake relief efforts, the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

H-P said it also launched a global fundraising program among its employees in all countries where it operates. The company has launched a dedicated Web site for employee donations, and the Hewlett-Packard Co. Foundation has committed up to $250,000 to match eligible employee contributions in a bid to raise an additional $500,000.

The Hewlett-Packard Co. Foundation recently donated $500,000 to aid Haiti relief efforts following the earthquake that devastated the country last January. In September 2009, the Foundation donated $350,000 to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines.

H-P has an estimated 2,500 employees at its Roseville campus and another 1,000-plus at the former EDS facility in Rancho Cordova
SOURCE

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God's blessings through HP Co. Foundation. Providing great products and paying it forward. =)

Valenzuela launches housing project for ‘Ondoy’ victims

2010-02-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Willie L. Catapat of Tempo

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo graced yesterday the formal groundbreaking for a housing project in Valenzuela City intended for victims of typhoon Ondoy through the joint efforts of the government and private sectors in the city.

The housing project dubbed Disiplina Village located in Barangay Ugong will allocate housing units to 900 city residents whose houses located in the banks of Tullahan River were destroyed during the Ondoy floodings which hit the metropolis late last year.

Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian said the 1.9-hectare site was provided by the city government while funding for construction materials will be provided by the private sector through the Dakilang Handog Foundation.

The village site will also have a multi-purpose covered court, a day care center, a health center, and a livelihood training center, he added.

To know more: SOURCE

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Up to this day, there are still a lot of Ondoy heroes!

Cause for alarm

2010-01-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

By JULLIE Y. DAZA of www.mb.com.ph

Killer earthquakes. Catastrophic tsunamis. Volcanic eruptions. Deadly deluges. Eerie erosions. Snow storms. Melting ice caps. Drought – El Nino, now.

Which candidate up for election has prepared a contingency plan for climate change? Loren Legarda, vice presidential candidate, seems the most ready to answer questions. Gibo Teodoro, presidential candidate, foresees a R208-billion plan to drain Metro Manila of flood waters when the next Ondoy or its Jr. hits. (Remember, he was the only government official who was at his desk, in the field, flying a chopper, riding in a truck and not sleeping for three days to oversee government relief and rescue operations as Ondoy and Pepeng turned the big city and Luzon into a stinky lake. In short, his vision of a flood-free metropolis is based on eyewitness accounts and experience – his own.)

Pity that Jun Palafox, architect and urban planner, does not have the ear of a candidate, because he’s in a state of near-panic as he sounds the alarm: Take immediate action, now! The world is turning and there is no time to lose as climate change sweeps the planet. Making do with what is do-able is the order of the day – carpe diem! – so he suggests with a note of urgency:

“1. Create awareness. [Ignorance is not bliss, it is dangerous.] 2. Publish hazard maps [instead of survey results and more survey results]. 3. Conduct geologic, hydraulogic, structural audit of buildings and infrastructures [even if the ugly truth be known], particularly if those projects were tainted with corruption in the award, construction, and obtaining of permits.”

Weathermen have forecast 19 typhoons hitting the Philippines this year. Weathermen have already told us to expect another blue moon on Jan. 30. But weathermen cannot predict when an earthquake will occur. However, we can predict that someone will deliver a nice little speech after the next disaster shakes, rattles, and ruins us to say that everything is being done to assuage the situation,
minimize the damage, and help the victims while condoling with their families. And then we’ll be able to predict that no one will believe him or her.

SOURCE

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I hope the candidates would prioritized plans for climate change. Of course, our awareness (and avoidance) regarding the activities that may contribute in Global Warming is a great factor in taking care of Mother Earth.

I am not sure where exactly in Metro Manila but I think there are now bicycle lanes in some parts of the Metro. This is not only a campaign for environmental care, but also [of course] for our health. I hope there would be more bicycle lanes in Metro Manila [most especially] as well as in provinces where cars and motorbikes dominate the road.

Gosh! A forecast of 19 typhoons hitting the Philippines this year?! =(

RP pays it forward to Haiti with medical teams

2010-01-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer Visayas

MALAY, Aklan, Philippines—Citing the country's own disasters and the outpouring of international assistance when a series of calamities ravaged the country, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday said the Philippines would be sending aid to earthquake-devastated Haiti to help hundreds of thousands of victims.

"I had instructed the (Department of Health) to send medical teams to Haiti to help the earthquake victims there. And I instructed the (Armed Forces) to put our reserve peacekeeping company on standby in case the US asks for additional troops," the President said in a speech during the launching of the P2.5-billion Caticlan Airport Development Project here.

"Why? Because we are more than ready to give a helping hand as we were victims ourselves (tropical storm) ‘Ondoy,’ and (typhoons) ‘Pepeng’ and ‘Frank’ a few months ago and a year ago," she said.

"We have also been a recipient of international assistance. Now it is our turn to do that," she added.

She said that in past, the country's worst typhoons—including Reming, Ondoy and Pepeng—claimed almost a thousand lives each but in the earthquake in Haiti, at least 100,000 were casualties.

"If we suffered that way we can imagine their suffering a hundred times," Ms Arroyo said.

She said Haiti is "especially close to our hearts" because of the Filipino peacekeeping troops "who are doing a good job there and who have once again risen to the occasion as they (done) here in the Philippines each time."

The peacekeeping troops would be given medals when they return from duty, Arroyo said.

The President recalled the devastation wrought by Typhoon Frank in 2007, which ravaged Western Visayas, especially Aklan.

"Not so long ago, it was like Armageddon hit the province of Aklan. Kalibo was the worst-hit urban area in the whole impact area of typhoon Frank but now everything is back to normal," Arroyo said.

She said she was happy that Aklan has turned around from the devastation of Frank as symbolized by the new airport project.

"We are here very grateful to the Lord for our recovedry from our own calamities of nature," she said.

SOURCE

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I love the principle of "paying it forward."
Doing this principle will make the world a better place whether there is or no crisis.

Top artists give back to Ondoy victims

2010-01-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

By Patricia Esteves

MANILA, Philippines
- The country’s most prolific and innovative artists banded together to raise funds for the construction of the new homes of victims of typhoon Ondoy through Gawad Kalinga.

The artworks generated some P4-M plus in a live auction/exhibit titled Art to Heart put together by Julius Babao, wife Tin-Tin Bersola and friends.

At the auction, a painting titled Casta Diva by world-renowned provocative artist Geraldine Javier was sold for P 1-M.

The devastation wrought by Ondoy has deeply affected Julius and friends and he thought of doing something to alleviate their suffering, particularly help those who lost their homes.

One day, he and friends John Jaylo and Tina Fernandez talked about a project that will help the victims.

For Julius, giving them permanent aid, rather than a band-aid solution was the best way to help. What better way to give them permanent assistance but build their homes again, Julius said.

“We brainstormed and conceptualized and then we came out with Art to Heart,” said Julius.

“It’s an auction/exhibit because I feel that the best way we can contribute to the victims of typhoon Ondoy is by giving them houses through GK,” he said.

“We came up with a project, came up with art pieces and held live auction and it’s been very successful,” he added.

Julius said he didn’t expect the turnout of support for their project and feels very grateful to the magnanimity of the artists and the art collectors.

“The turnout is more than expected. We raised about P4-M, but that is not the final amount yet,” he said.

He also shared the good news that most of the artworks of the 45 artists who participated were sold.

Julius said proceeds of the auction would be used in constructing new homes of Ondoy victims in Sitio Amparo in Caloocan.

“As much as possible we are planning to build another village. What GK needs is P3-M I think. We can raise that based on the amount we raised,” Julius said.

He lauded the artists and art collectors who participated in Art to Heart, which only proves they care for their fellow Filipinos’ plight.

“I’m very thankful to artists and art collectors because to invest in this kind of work, I am amazed at their humility and willingness to help people. Of course, they are doing well in auction houses abroad and getting so much appreciation in other countries. With this project, madali silang lapitan. It’s the artists’ way of giving back. Ganun din naman ang collectors. They felt now is the best time to give. They’re not only getting the best artworks but they’re also helping save lives,” said Julius.

“If you have so much money to spare, don’t think about the amount you spent. That amount will help a lot people. Aside from helping, they’re also getting good artworks,” he added.

Julius said the artworks would remind them of their compassion and generosity.

GK founder Tony Meloto agrees, saying the auction is commendable.

“What makes it really significant is the creative talents of the people, and the generosity of the art collectors combined to give new life to the victims of typhoon Ondoy,” said Meloto.

“The idea is to relocate the victims to safe homes and safe environment and where they will no longer be informal settlers,” Meloto added.

He said this time, the houses are sturdier and the good thing is, aside from giving them homes, they will also help in declogging the passageway of waters.

Meloto reiterated that it’s not just “building homes” but building the nation as well.

“They will be given houses that will withstand typhoons. This project will help our effort in the Philippine reconstruction group led by Manny Pangilinan to relocate 200,000 squatters in Metro Manila, not only affected by floods but which cause the flooding. They block the passage of the water to the spillways, so what we are seeing is the work of nation building, the work of every Filipino from the ordinary citizen from the ground and from top artists, contributing paintings and art collectors for encouraging local talent and for social artists like Julius and Tintin, for using their own popularity, credibility and love for art and channel this love for the people,” Meloto said.

Artist Igan D’Bayan said he is very proud to be a part of the project.

“When Julius told me he wanted me to be part of the Art 2 Heart auction-exhibition, I was so flattered. Well, I saw the names on the list — such as Ronald Ventura, Geraldine Javier, Wire Tuazon, and the former members of the legendary Salingpusa. (And it got me thinking I am not worthy to be on the list with those people.)”

“We all know them as provocative and innovative artists, and it is heartening to know that they also give a damn about the plight of typhoon victims. That just goes to show that artists do not live in so-called ivory towers. And what Julius is doing should be lauded. It takes heart and guts to do such an endeavor,” D’Bayan said.

For more news go to: SOURCE

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Using God-given talents to help and improve lives is the heart and soul of being human. Giving new homes to the victims of Ondoy is also giving them new hope, and them experiencing the love of God.

I was a frustrated artist, but now I am a budding artist! =) When the time comes when my works are already considered artworks =), I would also offer my talent to help empower others. =)

Yoko Ono donates P2.5M to ‘Ondoy’ victims

2010-01-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

by Nikka Corsino/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Yoko Ono, widow of the late Beatles member John Lennon, has donated ¥5 million or P2.5 million for the thousands of victims of Tropical Storm Ondoy (international code: Ketsana), which hit the Philippines September last year, killing hundreds.

Yoko Ono sympathizes with victims of storm Ondoy (Ketsana) which devastated the Philippines in September 2009. Photo courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Japan

A statement from the Philippine Embassy in Japan said Ono visited the Philippine Embassy in Fujimi, Tokyo before Christmas to personally pledge the donation.

"[Ono] learned about the very severe and continuing conditions of the "Ondoy" victims and decided to take action. As a mother herself, she feels deep sympathy and love for suffering children," the statement read.

A total of 464 people were killed when Ondoy brought a record rainfall in Metro Manila and several nearby provinces on Sept. 26, 2009. Thousands were left homeless by the floods it caused.

Ono, an artist herself who belongs to an aristocratic family, grew up in the Fujimi manor that now houses the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo. The mansion was built by Ono’s uncle, who later sold it to the late President Jose P. Laurel.

After World War II, the Philippines bought the property from the Laurel family and is now called the "Jewel of the Philippines."

"The Fujimi residence is very close to my heart and I consider it my home sweet home in Japan. I am therefore very grateful to the Philippine government for maintaining the house in a good condition all these years," the statement quoted Ono as saying.

Ono and Lennon married in 1969 and collaborated on several projects. They have a son named Sean. John was shot dead Dec. 8, 1980 in New York by Mark David Chapman. - Nikka Corsino/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

SOURCE

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This is a very inspiring move by Yoko Ono. A mother's love for children.
Thank you so much.

Pagasa: RP should brace for long, hot summer

2010-01-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Agri sector to suffer, weather bureau warns

By Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes
Inquirer Northern Luzon

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan – After being pummeled by cyclones in 2009 Pangasinan and most parts of the country will experience a long, hot summer in 2010, according to an official of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Nathaniel Cruz, Pagasa weather services bureau head, said the cold weather being experienced in the country since December has not been as cold as it was in December 2008 because of the El Niño phenomenon (an abnormal dry spell).

The country has been experiencing the El Nino since September and might continue to feel it until June 2010, he said.

Cruz was in this city on Monday to brief the city council on Pagasa’s program on preparedness and mitigation for extreme weather conditions.

“It could be a long, hot summer. The rainy season may come late, maybe in the last week of May or first week of June, instead of April,” he said.

He said Pagasa has started linking with the Department of Agriculture to discuss mitigation measures as the country’s agriculture sector would be severely hit by the dry spell.

No typhoon is expected to enter the Philippines in the first half of 2010 because of the El Niño, according to Cruz. He added that there would be less typhoons in the second half of 2010.

About 20 typhoons entered the country every year in the past few years and “we are expecting less than that number this year,” Cruz said.

But he warned that the typhoons that would come would be just as strong and potentially devastating as those experienced in 2009.

“It does not mean that less typhoons mean weak ones. Some could be as strong as ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng,’” he said.

Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international name: Ketsana) caused massive flooding in Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog in September while typhoon “Pepeng,” (international name: Parma) which entered the country thrice, eventually weakening into a tropical depression, flooded more than 30 towns and cities in Pangasinan in October.

“What is important is that we should always be ready long before the typhoon season is here. We should always be prepared because climate change may cause more terrible typhoons,” Cruz said.

He said people should learn about the impact of climate change, a phenomenon that would not only increase temperature but could cause severe typhoons and floods.

“From now on let’s keep in mind that what we have not experienced in the past, we can experience now. If during the past flooding, it was only the first floor of the house that can be flooded, it is possible that the second floor will be flooded when the next typhoons hit the country,” he said.

Cruz also asked Filipinos to do their share in using water wisely in preparation for the dry spell.

“For instance, those who wash clothes… should not throw away laundry water and use it for cleaning. Restaurants should not give water to customers unless they ask for it. We should also save on electricity,” he said.

SOURCE

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I think I need to check our Air Conditioner unit as early as possible...plus double check all the electrical set-up to get ready for this long summer...

Of course, I agree that we must all use our resources efficiently, not only during dry season...Filipinos are creative. Almost all Filipinos (or majority of Filipinos) use tabo and timba (dipper and pail) in our restrooms. It's more efficient than using a shower head. Also, when flushing the bowl, using the laundry water in a pail may save a lot of clean water.

BAGYONG ONDOY a.k.a. STORM KETSANA... "KANG YAWEH" (God alone)

2009-12-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

featuring the song "KANG YAWEH" (Cebuano dialect)
by Gary Granada...
September 2009
Manila Philippines

Gary Granada is a public school tutor (University of the Philippines) of a masteral subject in Development Communications. He is a musician and his name is synonymous to musical excellence in Filipino music. Gary Granada's music awards are numerous.
To know ore about Gary Granada, click here (Gary Granada Profile) or visit Wow Celebrities!

I saw this video from kimphils

Ondoy victims to spend Christmas in covered court

2009-12-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- Neighbors used to share food on a long table set up in the middle of the street as children joined various street games. That was how 32-year-old Jean Borromeo and her neighbors celebrated noche buena in Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City.

Not this year. Not after Typhoon “Ondoy” swept away their houses.

Some 100 families, including Borromeo’s, are still awaiting relocation in a covered court in Bagong Silangan, which served as the evacuation center for families affected by Typhoon Ondoy more than two months ago.

It is likely they would spend Christmas there, according to Borromeo.

“We have no choice but to wait here,” she said.

The covered court is divided into several squares for each family, bounded by boxes and sacks filled with their things, like clothes they got from donors and stuff they managed to save or retrieve.

The families also hung blankets on the iron grills of the covered court, but these were not enough to protect the children from the cold.

Many families who stayed in the covered court have been relocated to Towerville in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Those remaining are supposedly the last batch to be relocated, but houses in Towerville are not yet ready, according to Borromeo.

She and her husband Ronald, 33, could not leave the covered court, because just like other families, they have to wait there for the relocation.

Borromeo said she would rather be relocated to Bulacan than return to her house, adding that she has been getting nightmares of what happened.

Staying with her son and neighbors on the third floor of a neighbor’s house on that fateful day when Typhoon Ondoy struck, Borromeo said she saw other neighbors, even friends, drown in the flood.

She broke into tears as she said that she and her son were lucky to be alive.

Source

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Let us continuously pray for those who have been victims of typhoon Ondoy (and Pepeng) as well. Aside from the tangible goods that they need, let's pray for their emotional and most of all spiritual needs.

Filipino who saved lives during storm among TIME's Top 10 heroes

2009-12-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

SOPHIA REGINA M. DEDACE, GMANews.TV

A Filipino who sacrificed his life during the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in September was named among TIME Magazine’s Top 10 heroes this year.

The international publication recognized the selflessness of 18-year-old Muelmar Magallanes, who braved raging currents, helping bring neighbors and relatives to safer ground when record rainfall submerged three-fourths of the Philippine capital.

“By the time the storm had unleashed its full fury, bringing the worst rains the region had seen in more than 40 years, Magallanes had changed the lives of dozens of family members and neighbors – and lost his own," TIME said on its Web site.

Image source

Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City was among the worst-hit communities in the metropolis when Ondoy ravaged vast swaths in Luzon on September 26.

Magallanes, said to be a strong swimmer, rescued about 30 people but was unable to save himself.

While trying to save other neighbors, a wall collapsed on him and a television set fell on his head, killing him instantly.

Ondoy may have killed hundreds, displaced thousands of families, and destroyed thousands of homes.

But Magallanes and several other faceless heroes show that tragedy cannot dampen Filipinos’ resilience and bravery.

Just last month, CNN hailed Filipino Efren Peñaflorida for pioneering the mobile pushcart classrooms to bring education to impoverished children in Cavite, providing an alternative to gang wars prevalent in the communities. - RJAB, Jr./GMANews.TV

SOURCE
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We honor Muelmar Magallanes and all other faceless heroes for all their bravery and selflessness in the midst of calamities.

Memorial plaque for 956 Ondoy-Pepeng dead unveiled in Australia

2009-12-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

Some 956 Filipinos who died during the destructive cyclones Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) will be forever remembered in Australia after a memorial plaque for them was unveiled in New South Wales.

The plaque was unveiled at the Pinegrove Memorial Park in Minchinbury, New South Wales, according to a report from the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney.

According to the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs, the plaque is now a permanent marker in a section of the cemetery called the “Filipino Memorial of Christ the Risen Lord."

Philippine Consul General Eva Betita and Invocare General Manager Arman Mikaelian were present at the unveiling held during the solemn rituals concelebrated by the priests of the Filipino Chaplaincy of the Sydney Diocese and the Filipino Chaplaincy of the Parramatta Diocese.

Figures from the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) show at least 956 deaths in the wake of the two cyclones, including 492 from Pepeng and 464 from Ondoy.

As of November 15, the Filipino community in New South Wales had donated at least A$470,000 (P20.031 million) in assistance funds, as well as over 1,400 boxes of relief goods and 21 pallets of canned food products totaling over 26 metric tons, to the victims of the recent floods.

The Australian government gave A$3 million (P127.859 million) in relief assistance to the calamity victims. - JV/GMANews.TV

SOURCE
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Remembering those who died and helping those who survived are manifestations of love.
Also and most especially, we will always remember you people who have given your help and love, you are all Ondoy-Pepeng heroes!

8McDo Philippines on Relief Operations for Typhoon Ondoy Victims

2009-12-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Business

8McDo Philippines, through its charity arm Ronald McDonald House for Charities (RMHC) initiated relief operations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy. This typhoon has destroyed many homes, sources of living, infrastructures, leaving thousands of people homeless. RMHC provided food and finance for evacuation sites where victims take shelter.

MANILA PHILIPPINES – 8McDo or McDonald’s Philippines initiated relief operations for the victims of the most devastating floods in the country for decades. Typhoon Ondoy brought heavy amounts of rain, massively destroying properties, such as houses and infrastructures, and killing many people.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) was among the first organizations to respond and take action for this calamity.

With the help from Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), RMHC distributed truckloads of bread and juices to different areas in Laguna, Pasig and Rizal, which were considered some of the most affected areas.

Mister Kenneth Yang, RMCH President, stated that Typhoon Ondoy brought overwhelming devastation. Thousands of Filipinos lost their homes, livelihood source, and even the lives of their loved ones. He added that “It is during these times of desolation where the Filipino spirit of unity, compassion and generosity should shine through.”

RMHC Global also donated 25,000USD (or 1.2 million pesos) to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC). This is to further reach more affected areas and evacuation centers.

ABOUT RMHC: Ronald McDonald House Charities is the charity arm of McDonald’s. In America, it ranked as the second most popular charitable institution. In the Philippines, RMHC fights illiteracy through its Bright Minds Read program and has recently produced graduates. RMHC, together with 8McDo, focuses on the critical needs of children.

McDonald’s is the world’s leading quick service restaurant, serving affordable and quality food. In the Philippines McDonald’s offers delivery through 8McDo and also accepts delivery online through McDelivery.com.ph.

To read more, click here
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That's what you call paying it forward. Thank you so much McDo! =)
Many of the large-scale [and even micro-, small- and medium-scale] enterprises now are paying it forward. What I really admire are those enterprises that didn't even bother to broadcast that their company is giving help. They just want to help! Period! But don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong about telling the world that your company is offering help. It may even inspire and trigger more companies to give help and love! I myself would tell the world if I have a company that is giving a helping hand to those in need. I would even advertise if the company decides to [always] give part of its earnings to charity in order to inspire others to do the same. So, [again] don't get me wrong, I just said I admire those who kept quiet and just continuously giving help.

Lea Salonga helps raise P9.3M in Hawaii for cyclone victims

2009-11-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

According to GMANews.TV

Lea Salonga has lifted up the image of Filipinos through her artistic achievements. She did it one more time for leading Filipino volunteers in Hawaii in raising millions of pesos for victims of recent cyclones in the Philippines.

Philippine officials in Hawaii thanked world-renowned Salonga and Filipino volunteers there for raising more than P9.299 million for victims of recent tropical cyclones Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma).

Hawaii Councilman Romeo Cachola, Vice Speaker Michael Magaoay and Senator Robert Bunda gave Certificates of Appreciation to Salonga for enhancing the prestige and image of Filipinos through her artistic achievements and for her humanitarian contribution to the typhoon relief drive, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The DFA cited a report from the Philippine Consul General to Honolulu that Filipino volunteers raised $200,000 (P9.299 million) for the victims of Ondoy and Pepeng.

“Aside from this, (Salonga) donated a portion of the ticket sales of her sold-out concert at Blaisdell Arena on November 10," the DFA said.

The DFA did not specify how much from her ticket sales Salonga donated.

Cardenas hosted a reception to thank all Filipino community leaders and volunteers for their initiatives and efforts in rallying the Filipino community in Hawaii.

Almost 2,000 Filipinos were killed and millions were directly affected when tropical cyclones Ondoy and Pepeng lashed the country last September and October.

In October, Salonga managed to raise $19,000 (P889,200) in Washington D.C., and appealed to Filipinos and the international community to do more for victims of the recent cyclones.

At the time, Salonga made a special appearance at a “Solidarity Mass" at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle and had a reception for donors at the Philippine Ambassador’s Residence.

“Much has been done… but there is so much more that still needs to be done," the DFA quoted her as saying at the cathedral, where she sang “The Lord’s Prayer" in Filipino and made a special appeal to the Mass participants.

Salonga made a similar appeal at the donors’ reception and urged everyone present to do their part for the typhoon victims in the Philippines.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Wilfredo Gaa thanked Salonga for her commitment to help raise awareness and funds for typhoon victims in the Philippines. - GMANews.TV

SOURCE

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Let's us wake up every morning thinking how we can bless others. Of course, [many of us] are not like Lea Salonga and other international artists, but each of us has talents that we could use to give assistance in any way we can. Hmmm...what was that movie talking about random act of kindness?
With regard to this news, we can see that there also Filipino community leaders and volunteers who gave humanitarian contributions. May God bless you all as you bless your fellow countrymen.

EU gives another P490M to Ondoy, Pepeng victims

2009-11-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

EU aid totals P630M

Another great news from INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—The European Commission, the European Union’s executive branch, has allocated an additional €7 million (about P490 million) in humanitarian assistance for the victims of typhoons Ondoy (international code name: Ketsana) and Pepeng (international name: Parma).

The amount, which is in response to the second flash appeal for aid by the United Nations, is on top of the €2 million (about P140 million) EC grant approved in September. It brings the total EC aid for typhoon victims to €9 million (about P630 million).

“The extent of the suffering and damage caused by Ondoy and Pepeng had called for exceptional efforts and resilience by the national and local authorities, and by so many ordinary citizens who responded directly to help those affected by the floods and landslides,” said Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, head of Delegation of the European Commission in Manila.

The amount will come from EC’s Humanitarian Aid Office and will be coursed through the UN agencies as part of the Commission’s response to the revised flash appeal.

“The UN flash appeal, revised and substantially increased on November 18, underline the tremendous needs that still have to be addressed. The European Commission has been happy to respond to this need through this additional grant,” said MacDonald on Friday.

Last Wednesday, UN revised its flash appeal from the earlier target of $74 million to $144 million, owing to the extensive devastation in crops in Northern Luzon brought about by weather disturbance that came after Ondoy and Pepeng, typhoon Santi (international code name: Mirinae). So far, only $26 million has been raised.

The UN revised flash appeal is based on its latest assessment that Ondoy and Pepeng had affected 9.8 million people and destroyed more than 40,000 homes. It said 4.2 million people are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, including 520,000 children younger than five years old.

The EU ambassador also said that aside from the €9 million in EC humanitarian assistance, another €7 million in grants was given by individual EC member-states to the Philippine government for the typhoon victims.

These “reaffirm the long-standing commitment of the European Union to help the people of the Philippines affected by natural or man-made disasters,” MacDonald said, adding that the financial assistance will help provide food, shelter, and nonfood items; primary health care; psychosocial assistance; emergency livelihood assistance; and logistics and transport.

Aside from financial assistance, the European Commission also dispatched experts to help assess humanitarian needs within days of the disasters, and has contributed substantially to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment currently being carried out in cooperation with the World Bank and the United Nations, MacDonald said.

SOURCE

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This is another proof of bayanihan not only in the Philippines. This is GLOBAL BAYANIHAN!
For the humanitarian assistance for the victims of typhoons Ondoy (international code name: Ketsana) and Pepeng (international name: Parma) provided by the European Commission, thank you so much [once again], and also to World Bank and the United Nations.

Katy Perry, Arnel Pineda, Jed Madela rock for ‘Ondoy’ victims-tonight

2009-11-14T10:06:00.001-08:00

By Niño Mark M. Sablan
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Music fans got dissapointed when pop star Katy Perry’s one-night-only concert in the Philippines scheduled last October got canceled. The good thing is, not only is it finally happening today (11/14/2009), it has also turned into a fundraiser to help the survivors of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” and Typhoon “Pepeng.”

Dubbed “Katy Perry Rocks for Relief!” this musical extravaganza will happen tonight (11/14/2009) at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds, at 8 p.m.

Boys Like Girls, the band supposed to open for the international singing superstar last October, might have passed up on the chance to perform in the country due to schedule conflicts, but taking their place is a bunch of world-class performers to make the show even bigger than it already is.

Joining Katy Perry, who broke into the scene in 2008 with her smash hit “I Kissed a Girl,” are American rock band MAE, singer Jed Madela, plus Arnel Pineda and Neal Schon of Journey.

Watch “Katy Perry Rocks for Relief!” tonight and you can have a great time listening to her hit singles such as “Hot N Cold,” “Thinking of You” and “Waking Up In Vegas”—while making a difference, since all the net proceeds will be donated to the Philippine National Red Cross, the concert’s only beneficiary.

You can help out even more by bringing relief goods and old clothes; there will be donation booths at the venue. Get your tickets (P3,500 for VIP, P2,200 for Gold, P1,200 for Silver and P400 for Bronze, plus three-percent service charge) at www.ticketworld.com.ph, or call 891-9999.

The Ticketworld branch where you bought your old ticket from will also honor refunds. For more information, visit www.mtvphil.coml

SOURCE
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I also love to sing. To all producers, I would like to inform you that I would be glad to offer my talent for a concert that would help those in need! B-) ...I believe it feels great to use your talents to help others...

Clinton announces $5.2M in aid to flood victims

2009-11-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

from INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—After visiting a school in Marikina that was damaged by the floods caused by tropical storm Ondoy (international code name: Ketsana), United States State Secretary Hillary Clinton on Thursday announced an additional $5.2 million (about P245 million) in disaster relief and recovery assistance to the Philippines.

This foreign aid is in addition to the more than $14 million in rescue and relief aid already provided by the US government after the three storms that hit the country between September and October.

Clinton, who visited the Malanday High School in Marikina after her bilateral meeting with foreign affairs officials and her briefing with the press, said the new monies will go to education, water and sanitation, health, and disaster preparedness needs.

The former first lady is on a 24-hour visit to the Philippines in what is dubbed as a solidarity trip in the wake of storms Ondoy, Pepeng (international code name: Parma), and Santi (international code name: Mirinae), which altogether affected over 10 million people and claimed almost a thousand lives.

According to a briefer from the US embassy, Clinton opened a book fair made possible by the American Brother’s Brother Foundation, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),which donated 50,000 reading books to Malanday High School and Elementary School teachers. Aside from books, the teachers were able to pick other items donated by the USAID, such as desks and ceiling fans.

The Malanday High School, Elementary School and Health Clinic are part of the US embassy’s Community Partnership Program. Last weekend over 100 US embassy employees and family members worked side by side with Malanday community members to repair the schools and Health Clinic. The Community Partnership Program is a long-term initiative of the U.S. Embassy to participate in the local community as neighbors who work together to improve the health and vitality of Metro Manila.

SOURCE

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To madam United States State Secretary Hillary Clinton, and to everyone who offered their help, thank you so much. May God bless you all...

50 nurses in Metro to help Ondoy victims

2009-11-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

byVeronica Uy of INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The labor department has deployed a second batch of 50 nurses in areas badly affected by typhoon Ondoy.

In a statement issued Tuesday, labor department’s Metro Manila regional director Raymundo Agravante said the “warriors of wellness” were assigned in Marikina, Pasig, Pateros, Taguig, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Pasay.

Under the department’s Nurse Assigned in Rural Service (NARS) Program, the nurses will try to stem “the surging rise of leptospirosis” and prepare for the “second wave of A(H1N1) flu virus.”

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said NARS trainees shall work on a five-nurse team in each critically affected village. He said they are expected to render the three I’s in nursing care: initiate primary health, school nutrition, maternal health programs, and the first line of diagnosis; inform the public on community water sanitation practices and perform health surveillance; and immunize children and mothers.

The program, which is aimed at addressing the glut of untrained but registered nurses, will compensate the nurses P8,000 for a period of six months. The program aims to give them practical experience that will make them more employable here and abroad, as well as help the government achieve the Millennium Development Goal targets.

Jointly implemented by the departments of labor and health and education, and the Professional Regulation Commission’s Board of Nursing, the program is also part of the government’s pump-priming strategy in the face job losses following the global financial meltdown.

SOURCE

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Providing service to areas badly affected by typhoon Ondoy and at the same time helping not-so-experienced but registered nurses to have practical experiences that will make them more employable, is a good idea.

Typhoon Ondoy: Marikina

2009-11-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Marikina, Philippines is one of the places severely damaged by typhoon Ondoy. One of my sisters-in-law is from Marikina. I admire her because she has a positive outlook in life, and even in the midst of Ondoy, she retains that attitude.

To give you an idea regarding the aftermath of typhoon Ondoy at Marikina, here's a video entitled typhoon Ondoy- Aftermath (Marikina) uploaded by ondoy2609.

SOURCE

MAS Staff Rally To Aid Of Typhoon Ondoy Flood Victims

2009-11-06T08:45:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Staff of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) have donated 1.1 tonnes (1,128 kilograms) of rice, essential items and cash to helpthe victims hit by Typhoon Ondoy that swept through Manila on Sept 26.

The drive to collect the donations was held at both MAS headquarters in Subang and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The contributions were flown to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, MAS said in a statement Friday.

MAS area manager, Philippines, Mustaffa Kamal, said the donated items were packed into 80 boxes, with each box containing items for one household like rice, noodles, biscuits, drinking water, canned food and blankets.

The packages were distributed to several parties, including MAS own staff who were affected, he said.

MAS also gave 40 boxes to the governor of Rizal for affected families in the province while another 25 boxes were distributed to about 120 families in Barangay Singkamas, Tumanac and Marikina.

-- BERNAMA

================================

There are more and more people that are becoming blessings to others!

Space-based technology to help RP prepare for next Ondoy, Pepeng

2009-11-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

by JOSEPH HOLANDES UBALDE, GMANews.TV

If it weren’t for satellite technology, the Philippines would have a difficult time assessing the damage done by two recent tropical cyclone visitors, said Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Hilario Davide, Jr.

During the Fourth Committee of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Davide thanked the UN’s help for their valuable assistance when tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and typhoon Pepeng (Parma) pummeled the country last month.

In his statement on Agenda Item 30: International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Davide thanked the UN Platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) of the United Nations Office for Outer Space (UNOOSA).

“The recent onslaught and damage wrought by Ondoy and Pepeng in the Asia-Pacific region allowed the Philippines to experience the usefulness and effectiveness of satellite imagery in tracking the movement of these massive typhoons," he said in a statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Tuesday.

According to Davide, the Philippine government has found the satellite imagery of flooded areas in Metro Manila and Northern and Central Luzon useful in the planning for future disaster mitigation and response, particularly in high-risk areas.

“When efficiently combined with modern information distribution methods, such data can be sent rapidly to affected communities and local emergency agencies as early warning before the disaster occurs or as post-disaster maps to assist in recovery operations," he said.

Linked by the UN-SPIDER,the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service showed meteorologists the satellite image of tropical storm Ondoy as it unleashed a month’s worth of rain in Luzon in just six hours last September 26. NESDIS screen grab

During Ondoy’s height, Davide said the UN-SPIDER immediately made an effort to consolidate satellite date on the tropical storm and its impact, including post-disaster imagery to support the response effort in the Philippines.

“An officer was also put on duty 24-hours a day, seven days a week," he added."It also contacted additional satellite providers; sourced funds for non-free satellite imagery; and compiled, uploaded and shared this satellite information with the Philippines and other users."

Davide said that the Philippines is hoping to join the ranks of Asian countries that have signed cooperation agreements with UNOOSA to allow the establishment of a UN-SPIDER Office in Manila by June 2010.

Established in 2006, the UN-SPIDER is a special knowledge portal created to provide space-based information and services relevant to disaster management to all countries. - GMANews.TV

SOURCE

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Yup! We definitely need all the hi-tech equiptments that we could get. Planning for future disasters and immediate distribution of data to all local emergency agencies as early warning before the disaster occurs are key factors to at least minimize damage and of course to save lives.

Sony Philippines extends its services to all victims of Ondoy and Pepeng

2009-11-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys! For those of you [in the Philippines] who are Sony products users, you have until Nov. 30, 2009 to avail of the special assistance from Sony Philippines!

Here's the report from Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation

Sony Philippines supports victims of Ondoy and Pepeng

Sony Philippines stands united with the Filipino nation in its efforts to rise above the tragedy of the Ondoy and Pepeng typhoons as it commits to do what it can to provide relief goods, participate in rehabilitation activities, rent its trucks for delivery to the affected areas, supporting medical missions, among others.

Furthermore, knowing how hard it is to rebuild one’s life once again after calamity, Sony Philippines extends its services to all victims of Ondoy and Pepeng. Sony announces its Service Support Project, which offers Sony product users special assistance on the following:

- Free labor, check-up and cleaning of all Sony products* sold by Sony Philippines, Inc.
- 40% discount on all parts charged (as quoted by the Sony Service Center)

This special assistance is applicable to both walk-in and Home Service customers within Sept. 27, 2009 to Nov. 30, 2009.

While the loss of lives and property from the two storms remain tragic, Sony Philippines draws inspiration from the strength, hope, and faith of the Filipino nation, and the sense of camaraderie and heroism its people have shown, to reaffirm its commitment not just to provide the best products and services, but also to uphold the welfare of its consumers. For more information about this special assistance, visit the website: www.sony.com.ph

SOURCE

DepEd hustles to replace 11 million damaged books

2009-11-03T20:52:00.000-08:00

Edson C. Tandoc Jr. of Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education is considering an emergency purchase to address a looming text book shortage in many public schools damaged by tropical storms Ondoy (international codename: Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma).

Ondoy and Pepeng damaged more than 11 million copies of text books in six regions worth more than P739 million, the department said in a report.

The Instructional Materials Council Secretariat has 467,676 spare but the number is puny in comparison to the number of books that were lost to the floods and need to be replaced, said Socorro Pilor, the secretariat’s director.

In a press conference on Friday afternoon, Education Undersecretary Ramon Bacani said replacement of text books started in Marikina City last week. Deliveries are ongoing in Pasig City and Caloocan City.

Deliveries in other affected areas in the metropolis will be completed by November 6, he added.

Bacani admitted the student-text book ratio would likely deteriorate. But Pilor said some book publishers have already donated some text books while learning
modules were also being distributed in place of text books for the meantime.

The department buys new books every year, but the annual purchase is only for one subject for all levels. The books lost to the typhoons cover different subjects, so waiting for the scheduled purchase next year will not address the shortage.

Schools in Metro Manila lost some 2.68 million text books while schools in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon lost 2.44 million. Some 2.4 million text books were damaged in the Ilocos Region during Typhoon Pepeng.

Ondoy damaged some P547 million worth of school buildings while Pepeng damaged some P549 million worth of classrooms, Bacani also reported.

He added that many school buildings damaged by typhoons which hit the country last year also remained unrepaired. These will cost more than P293 million.

The DepEd has allocated for building repairs at least P115 million, the only amount remaining from its P600 million quick-response fund for this year.

It is also asking private groups to join its adopt-a-school program, Bacani said.

source

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Education was severely affected by typhoon Ondoy. Not only books and school materials were affected, but of course the amount of time taken from the students...I saw kids who were so excited to go back to school not only to see and play with their classmates, but actually excited to study again!

Typhoon Ondoy made, not only adults, but children very depressed to see their own school materials devastated by typhoon Ondoy [and Pepeng]. But again, let's look and focus at the bright side! We still see people from different places continuously offering help! Again, even people who were also victims themselves! Also, private groups and organizations all over the world who have had helped and continuously giving help, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

DOH to Expand Subsidized Scheme for Lepto Cases Treatment

2009-10-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

According to GMANews.TV,

The Department of Health (DOH) is considering expanding its program for subsidized leptospirosis treatments in the provinces, in the wake of calamities caused by tropical cyclones “Ondoy" (Ketsana) and “Pepeng" (Parma).
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also reminded hospitals already under the program to show corporate social responsibility by not charging poor patients if the government subsidy is not enough.

“Dito sa Manila maraming tao, dito ang pinakamalaking bilang ng leptospirosis cases. Pero i-expand namin ang programa at ita-tap ang mga ospital sa mga lugar kung saan tumataas ang bilang ng mga kaso ng leptospirosis (Most cases have been in Metro Manila so far. But there is no reason for us not to expand this effort and tap hospitals in the provinces to help us handle leptospirosis cases)," Duque said in an interview on dzBB radio.
Metro Manila was flooded in the wake of tropical storm Ondoy, while several areas in Northern and Central Luzon were flooded due to cyclone Pepeng.

Duque said there are many possible cases of leptospirosis in flooded provinces like La Union, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija, though he said government hospitals have so far been able to handle the cases there.

“Meron tayo sa La Union, sa Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, pero kakaunti pa rin. Kayang kaya gamutin sa pagamutan ng ating gobyerno (We have leptospirosis cases in La Union, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija but they are relatively few and our government hospitals can handle them)," he said.

He also said there appears to be a decline in new cases of leptospirosis, at least for now.
Citing reports reaching him, he said leptospirosis cases peaked from October 14 to 19, with hospitals admitting up to 350 cases a day. But from October 20 to 22, the new cases declined to about 50 to 80 cases a day.

To read more, click here
-----------------------------------------
I believe that awareness regarding prevention and treatment of leptospirosis played a major role here. That's why knowledge is power! =)

SOURCE

Filipinos helping Filipinos in a Fun Way

2009-10-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Huge help coming from Filipinos in Kent, England!

This is another good news!!! =)

Filipinos are naturally artistic people, they come up with innovative ways to raise funds to help fellow Pinoys in need particularly in times of crisis.

According to abs-cbnNEWS, Filipinos in Kent recently held a basketball tournament to help those who were affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in the Philippines. The basketball tournament was not an ordinary game because every basket that a team makes is equivalent to one pound or 8 pesos that will be donated to typhoon victims in the Philippines. The organizers were able to gather 506 pounds or about P80,000 in the four games during the opening day, and the same mechanics applied during the championship game.

To read more about the report from Danny Buenafe [ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau chief], click here.
SOURCE

LEPTOSPIROSIS : UNILAB HEALTH ADVISORY

2009-10-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

Reports regarding people infected with leptospirosis due to floods caused by Typhoon Ondoy are increasing.
An email with an attachment regarding UNILAB HEALTH ADVISORY is now being circulated to create awareness. So, I decided to post it here in order to promote prevention and control to help not only those who are survivors of typhoon Ondoy but also anyone who could be at risk mainly due to urine-polluted environment.

Please read on and pass the info to help more people:

UNILAB HEALTH ADVISORY

LEPTOSPIROSIS
(Abstracted by Medical and Regulatory Affairs from the Fact Sheet of WHO)

What is leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is an infection caused by bacteria (Leptospira), that are transmitted directly or indirectly from animals to humans. Human to-human transmission is rare.

From which animals can you get leptospirosis?
Many animals can harbour leptospires in their kidneys and act as source of infection to humans and other animals. Rodents are incriminated as a primary source of infection to human beings. In the Philippines, rodents and dogs are recognized as sources of infection.

How do you get leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis results primarily from direct or indirect exposure to the urine of infected animals. Moisture is an important factor of the survival of the leptospires in the environment. Other modes of transmission of infection include handling infected animal tissues and ingestion of contaminated food and water.

How do leptospires enter the body of humans and animals?
Leptospires can gain entry into humans through cuts and abrasions in the skin, through the nose, mouth, and eyes, and perhaps through waterlogged skin. Occasionally, they may enter the human body via the inhalation of droplets of urine or via drinking-water.

Can leptospires be transmitted from human to human?
Yes, but rarely. They can be transmitted human-to-human by sexual intercourse, transplacentally from the mother to the fetus and via breast milk to a child. Urine from a patient suffering from leptospirosis should be considered infectious. As leptospires can be cultured from blood, this should be viewed as infectious up to 7–10 days of illness.

How long is the incubation period?
The incubation period is usually 7–10 days, with a range of 2–30 days.

Where does leptospirosis occur?
The disease is found mainly wherever humans come into contact with the urine of infected animals or a urine-polluted environment. It often has a is seasonal, increasing with increased rainfall or higher temperature. Epidemics may be associated with animal or sewage contamination of water, or follow natural disasters (typhoons and floods).

Who are at risk?
At risk are farm/agricultural workers, pet shop workers, veterinarians, sewer workers, abattoir workers, meat handlers, and the military. Other groups at high risk for leptospirosis include survivors of natural disasters (e.g. flooding) and those engaged in water sports.

When should a diagnosis of leptospirosis be considered?
The diagnosis of leptospirosis should be considered in anyone presenting with:
1.        an abrupt onset of fever
2.        chills
3.        conjunctival suffusion (redness of the eyes)
4.        headache
5.        myalgia (muscle pain and soreness) and
6.        jaundice (yellowing of eyes and/or skin).
Conjunctival suffusion and muscle tenderness, most notable in the calf and lumbar areas, are the most distinguishing physical findings. Others may complain of cough, difficulty of breathing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, joint pains and skin rash.

Suspicion is further increased if there is a history of occupational or recreational exposure to infected animals or to an environment potentially contaminated with animal urine (flood). Once the possibility of leptospirosis has been considered, appropriate diagnostic tests and clinical management should be instituted.

How dangerous is leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis can be treated. However, it can be deadly in about <5% to 70% in different parts of the world. Complications include kidney failure, liver failure and lung bleeding. Major improvements in medical care however, have been made in recent years.

What is the optimal treatment for leptospirosis?
Consult a physician immediately once symptoms appear. Treatment with effective antibiotics should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis of leptospirosis is suspected and preferably before the fifth day after the onset of illness.

How can leptospirosis be prevented and controlled?
Prevention and control should be targeted at :
(a) the infection source, e.g.rats
• removal of rubbish and keeping areas around human habitations clean;
• encourage people not to leave food around, especially in recreational areas where rats may be present;
(b) the route of transmission between the infection source and the human host;
• leptospires are rapidly killed by disinfectants and desiccation, so keep surroundings clean and dry.
• small areas, such as floors, can be cleaned and disinfected, but disinfecting large natural areas such as lakes or rivers is not possible
• avoid contact with animal urine, infected animals or an infected environment,
* avoid wading in the floods
* protective clothing should be worn and wounds covered with waterproof dressings to reduce the chance of infection if exposure is likely, e.g. floods, occupational or recreational exposure.
(c) infection or disease in the human host
• early recognition and treatment
• care in handling urine and blood of those infected

How can humans be protected?
Increased awareness of the disease is important for early recognition and treatment. Doxycycline has been reported to give some protection against infection and disease. A vaccine for dogs is available, but a vaccine for humans is not available in the Philippines.

Typhoon Ondoy in Manila

2009-10-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this video from
carbotot
He said that he was suppose to go to work at around 9am at Sta Cruz Manila. Due to heavy rain he decided to stay at SM Centerpoint....he was so thankful to SM because according to him the administration of the said mall allowed them to to stay and even use one of the movie houses and the Hall of Bingo Bonanza as a resting place...

SOURCE: carbotot

Typhoon Ondoy @ UERM

2009-10-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

I believe this video is one of the most popular videos (if not the most popular video) about typhoon Ondoy.
I saw this video from bucheng950088
The 'info' shows that this video is courtesy of Camille Magno from her Facebook account.
I saw this video posted, and be reposted and sometimes edited with a different background music. I also saw a lot of text comments at the different 'postings' of this video. There are inappropriate comments, there are nice comments, there are neutral remarks, etc.
I heard news that accounts from different networking sites have been hacked, and they say that's why we could see inappropriate remarks!...remarks that they say did not actually came from them (well, I don't know if those news were confirmed already).
Anyway, what we should take from this video is that there are still lot of people who are willing to help in the midst of this unfortunate event.
(There are actually a huge number of people, Filipinos and even people from different parts of the world, who have had given great help in any way they can, and there are a lot who are still continuously helping!!!)

SOURCE

Philippine News: Helping Each Other B-)

2009-10-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

It's really great to hear people helping each other. We see volunteers in TV who are actual victims themselves helping to repack goods or assist in any way they can. There are also thousands of overseas Filipino workers and even people from different countries who have Filipino friends, wife, etc., that offer help and give donations. And according to ABS-CBN, thousands of overseas Filipino workers based in Dubai joined a fund-raising event that generated roughly P4 million for typhoon victims in the Philippines. =)

Here's another good news from Philippine Star,

The Philippine Embassy in London and members of the Filipino-UK community have sent the first batch of collected donated relief goods to the Philippines for those affected by typhoon 'Ondoy' (Ketsana) last Oct. 8, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The embassy has been serving as a collection point for relief goods donated from within the UK since the storm hit the Philippines. Other individuals and organizations also volunteered their offices and residences as donation drop-off areas.

Subsequent shipments are scheduled on Oct. 15 and 20.

The DFA added that the embassy has been utilizing the tremendous support of concerned groups and individuals who have generously contributed their time and resources towards helping those most in need.

Banking and financial companies such as Allied Bank, I-Remit, PNB, Metro Remit, LCC Trans-Sending and CBN Grupo informed the Embassy that they were waiving remittance charges for donations to several relief agencies.

The Embassy has been regularly issuing advisories through e-mails and its website (www.philembassy-uk.org) to help centralize information on ways to help those affected by the tropical storm.

SOURCE: philstar

Also, to read more good news go to Dubai's 'Walk for a Cause'

Bocaue Area at NLEX

2009-10-03T01:23:00.000-07:00

We were stranded near Bocaue area in NLEX during typhoon Ondoy. NLEX Patrols said that the area is not passable anymore (around 3:30pm). Then I saw this video a few days after typhoon Ondoy. I believe this video was taken before the area was starting to be flooded. Because some large vehicles were still able to pass and it's still daytime. When we were stranded, even buses and trucks were not able to pass.

This is from auxmic24

SOURCE: auxmic24

Malinta NLEX due to Typhoon Ondoy

2009-10-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

This is from jonthan9684

SOURCE: jonthan9684

Typhoon Ondoy, Bagyong Ondoy

2009-10-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

September 26, 2009, Saturday, Philippines

My wife and I went to her office in Balagtas at around 12nn via NLEX (North Luzon Express Way) to attend an activity. We were confident that our place in Marilao will not be flooded; but since adjacent subdivisions can easily get submerged in water, we already made plans where we should pass or where we should stay should the roads be flooded.

With a canceled event, we went home before 3pm via Tabang NLEX again. By then, Balagtas Public Market was already in knee deep water. We were getting information from home that no jeepneys were already reaching our subdivision, since Meycauayan tollgate was already flooded. That was when we decided to stay in Petron NLEX to wait for the roads to be passable again.

Finding a parking area in Petron proved to be a major challenge...that was also the time when we learned that even the Bocaue toll plaza was flooded.

We were stranded at NLEX Petron gas station from 3pm of Sept 26 up to 1am of September 27.

This was the scenario:

...at 5:38pm

...gas station became a carpark...with buses!

...our last communication with our family (my mom, our 8-year old son, and two helpers) in Marilao was around 5pm...we're already getting so worried [of course]...

5:40pm

See those trucks?! They were already parked along NLEX!

6:43pm

We stayed here in McDonalds (still in Petron gas station)

According to one of the employees of McDo, some of the crew for the next shift were not able to come to work due to to the flood. So, this is their 2nd shift!!!

I would like to say that despite the circumstances they were still hospitable. While other restos closed earlier than scheduled, McDonalds continued with their 24 hour service. It was very commendable of the crew to stay smiling and alert while preparing orders, still shouting "Good evening Sir, Mam, welcome to McDonalds!" in their lively tone. An order can be just a cup of coffee to as many as meals for a truck load of people or a group of children in a bus. Still, they were very generous with their smiles and apologies to their tensed and panicky customers.

People were also buying food, toothbrush, cigarettes in Treats since we all had the feeling that we will be spending the night here at NLEX.

In our case, we passed the 10 hours with nuggets, the burger we bought for lunch, PikNik, water, fries, spaghetti, hot chocolate and a magazine we read from cover to cover. In between, we would go to the restroom and get news alternately, so as not to lose the precious table we got. My wife and I have 2 cellphones each, but both remained unable to contact our family at home. Every failed call proved to be a heartache for me and my wife, who is also carrying our second child. She would break into tears not knowing what was happening at home. Our only hope then was my brother who was traveling from Quezon City whom we could still contact, but was also stranded for hours in a bus in front of SM North.

As we walked around trying to relax and get news, we also got to learn a few stories of the people stranded with us.

There was a group of people between Starbucks and McDonalds earlier browsing through their laptops for news of Bagyong Ondoy and having a blast with their music on and out loud through a speaker. They gave life to the place. According to them, their other companions traveled a few minutes earlier than they did, got through NLEX, and were now stranded along the road.

Later on, this group's batteries went down, so they packed their laptops and this became the scenario...

10:48pm A Chess tournament replaced the hi-tech scene earlier, and was exciting enough to capture the attention of many as they let the time (and water) pass.

A group of 4 senior gentlemen sitting near us came from a church event in Tarlac, and needed to travel back to Paranaque. Even if NLEX becomes passable, they still needed to travel along EDSA and to SLEX...another major challenge for them.

Another group went to a wedding in Malolos and insisted on going home to Manila. Their companion wore her dress as part of the bridal entourage the whole time they were stranded.

By 11:30 pm, we received a call from my brother telling us that Meycauayan is now passable, and that he is now safely home with my mom and son. Tears of relief and joy welled up my wife's eyes as we said prayers of thanks for keeping them safe.

12:16am

We were told that after approximately 30mins, Bocaue and Meycauayan NLEX area could be passable already! So, we bought food for my mom, my son, and my brother who were waiting for us in Marilao.

Initially, the buses and trucks went on to travel. Like the dove in Noah's ark, we all waited in case they came back. After a few minutes, vans and SUVs came out next, followed by a brave taxi cab...the cab went back. Another few minutes passed, and the taxi cab went out again, this time, he was a successful risk taker.

We made more minutes pass, and by 1am, we decided to travel along NLEX. We reached home after 2 hours of what usually was a fifteen-minute drive, but we're still thankful to the Lord for keeping us safe.