The early reports from storm-ravaged Tacloban and elsewhere in the direct path of Yolanda or Haiyan are HORRIFIC. Hundreds of casualties, and news of the staggering damage to properties, crops and infrastructure are now just emerging… We need to band together on an unprecedented scale to help those who have been hardest hit by the storm. This afternoon, our Zubuchon GM who has immediate family on Bantayan island, is trying to get to the island to see how family and relatives have fared, as there are no communications lines open as of yet. We have staff with families in Ormoc, Northern Cebu and Coron who are all waiting to hear news. Marketman & Family are currently trying to organize personal and corporate assistance in the days ahead.
I know I once asked for readers help for our feeding programs for undernourished school children many years ago and dozens and dozens of you abroad responded then — so please let me know what you are thinking. I am not an official conduit for assistance and encourage you to seek those avenues if you prefer, but if you wish to help in tandem with our efforts, then I will try to re-open bank accounts that I used for the feeding programs. You have nothing more than my word that every single cent or centavo that you send will end up in food, medical or other similar assistance to areas where we will be able to get to and operate in the days ahead. We are likely to focus our assistance to Northern Cebu and elsewhere if it makes sense. I am headed to Cebu on Monday and can open up an account (and beg the bank to waive massive fees for incoming remittances) then and I will do a post on how you can assist if you would like to.
Thank you very much.
Marketman
46 Responses
Marketman with the official aid agencies the perennial problem is knowing how much help gets to those in urgent need and how much gets siphoned off to help the next election campaigns of various levels of politician. I would really welcome the chance to donate via someone like yourself who is there on the ground, with minimal overheads.
I trust you more than any other group so please go ahead and open the account for the financial assistance to typhoon victims.
Thanks, Ken and Cwid. Zubuchon and Marketman & Family will absorb ALL OVERHEAD. Any assistance sent (100% of it) will go directly to food, medicine, etc. as we have ALWAYS done for feeding programs, etc. Please check back Monday afternoon for details, if we decide to move forward with this.
I’m going to help through you, MM. Please guide me though because this is my first time to give a donation thru you. Thank you for all your efforts to help.
Ill help MarketMan, tell us details how.
I also enclose this open letter below (pls delete it if you dont agree with it or you find it inappropriate here):
AN OPEN LETTER TO IMELDA MARCOS, THE MARCOS AND ROMUALDEZ FAMILIES
The damage to Tacloban by Typhoon Yolanda was horrific. While many are dead, those still living will suffer even more. Infrastructure will have to be rebuilt. Their economy will have to be revived.
Your families were more than lucky (take this whatever way you want) in this country’s history. We will not discuss here how lucky you, your family and the Romualdez family got during your husband’s reign. The people of Leyte even convinced themselves that you, your brother and your nephew, Martin Romualdez deserved to be voted into office in the past several years.
Open your wallets and open them widely. Do not use your pork barrel funds, government funds and pretend it came from the goodness of your hearts.
This is your chance to do something good, specially for you Mrs. Marcos. We are aware you are in your twilight years, and your trips to the hospital have been frequent lately. Do not pass this up.
(Please pass on this letter in social media if you agree with it. Thanks.)
Yes, I am interested to help esp. Bohol, Cebu and Tacloban.
I am very much interested to send in my help through you. Leyte is my late mother’s province (Ormoc/Villaba/Palompon/Tacloban). God bless you.
Please post the bank details. I’ve decided not to buy a new gadget (my current celphone is 8 yrs. old this Dec. waah!) for me this Black Friday & Christmas so I can make a donation. :-)
They need help!
We’re with you, MM.
MM money may not be enough. Roads are impassable in many areas so relief goods may take some time. You will probably need to coordinate with a team to navigate through the debris. Helicopters are the main transport as the airport roads are blocked with debris.
I would like to help too, MM. Will await your posts about the account numbers.
present tense, that may be true, but roadways in Northern Cebu are apparently being cleared as we speak… and then its a short ferry ride to Bantayan. We will know by tomorrow if we can reach affected areas to provide assistance. I suspect we will not get there to distribute until mid- to late next week like the 13th to 15th. Alternatively, we do have some contacts in the affected areas, so we may be able to work with them to bring some relief. As with the recent Bohol catastrophe, we also were able to coordinate with other trusted folks to transport aid to the most affected areas as private citizens offered up their speedboats, large tourist bancas, barges, etc. If there is a will, there will be a way…
I saw a feature on tv before and they used makeshift mini parachutes (plastic, tape and string) to drop off the relief goods to areas which could not be reached. Would be happy to help knowing you are in charge of distribution.
Thank you for spearheading. Will wait for details how we can help
i’ll gladly contribute in your efforts, MM.
Looking forward to the bank details MM. Thanks for making it easier for all of us to help.
Would very much like to help. Will wait for further details. God bless you, MM.
thank you, MM.. A most trusted avenue for help . Awaiting your info
My dad’s hometown, Bacolod, was largely spared but we are eager to help. Please keep us posted and thank you for all you do!!!
Maybe it’s time the Philippines invests in mobile kitchens set in 20 ft containers similar to a food truck. Fill it with steamers so it can cook large quantities of rice which can then be paired with canned or pouched protein. Equipping it with water purifiers and a generator would be great. These mobile kitchens could then be moved to the different locations where they will be most needed. We have so many calamities a year that this could be one solution to the food issue.
Count me in MM.
Hi MM and everyone,
I’m from Bogo and Ceres buses have been bringing passengers since early this morning (I’m sure of this as my Aunt was able to go there from here (Cebu City) and another Aunt also arrived in the City from Hagnaya, San Remegio this afternoon. As what I’ve gathered by talking to my Aunt and listening to local AM radio, Cebu City to Hagnaya roads are passable but there are still a lot of debris in the roads of Medellin and Daan Bantayan as LGUs were reportedly not working to clear these. Most houses are damaged and very few remain standing. Even Bogo’s sports complex and schools which were used as evacuation centers were affected so evacuees had to find another place that’s safer. As for relief goods, there’s been talk that local gov. officials are doing the “partido2” style – if you’re not ka-alyado then you go look for other sources of relief goods.
There’s also local talk that a lot of casualties are in Bantayan Island (mostly in Sta. Fe) but this is not confirmed yet. I pray that this is not true.
So thank you so much MM and family for your selfless help not just for Northern Cebu at this time, but for every time you share something to us. :=) And advance thank you to everyone who will be helping my kababayans. Will keep you guys posted if I find useful information tomorrow.
It appears that hardest hit was Tacloban and neighboring Palo. With only two funeral mortuaries, no power, no communications and food and water in scarce supply – these places will be overwhelmed.
I would entrust my donation to you as well. Will wait details on how I can send help… Thank you for giving us an avenue to help in some way.
Our earliest news directly from the island of Bantayan : “Devastated ang entire Bantayan island. 8 reported dead so far. Mostly from the smaller surrounding islands. The port (for ferries) is damaged, houses, poultry farms, piggeries and feedmills destroyed…” Bantayan was a source of eggs, chickens, crabmeat, seafood and dried fish for the main island of Cebu and it is now effectively cut off. They are in need of food and water and this is ironic considering how much food they have supplied to the main island for decades…
My hometown GUIUAN EASTERN SAMAR was the first to receive the enormous strength Yolanda gathered from the pacific before it made its second landfall on a town near Tacloban City. Seeing the devastation it did to Tacloban’s people and its infrastacture makes me wonder how much more damage it did to my hometown. ISOLATED is the status of my hometown and its neighboring areas, we are 3hrs by land and about less than an hr by air from Tacloban we have a massive airport that can accomodate and can be used for delivering help. we will gladly appreciate any help anyone can do for us to let us know if the people there are ok or if my hometown still exists. thank you!
I trust private individuals more than govt agencies. So yes, please let us know how we can help through you/your team.
I’m interested in helping the victims of typhoon Yolanda/ Haiyan. Please count me in. Please go ahead and tell us how to go about it. More power to you, MM and Family and crew. God bless you all for taking charge in this undertaking. Awaiting your response. Thank you.
Please count me in. Will keep an eye out for updates on how to help.
Sharing this Bantayan update from Vince Escario. It was current as of 11 pm yesterday:
Just spoke with Dikoy Castroverde who, under the instructions of Mayor Chris Escario, left Bantayan this afternoon for Bacolod City in desperate search for a satellite phone to link Bantayan to the rest of the world. Updates: BANTAYAN DEVASTATED BY YOLANDA!!! 90% of the roof of the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church blown away; public market and Coke Food Court totally damaged; Mayor’s office totally damaged and unusable; Bantayan Sports and Cultural Center roof partly blown away and beams damaged, front and back entrances heavily damaged; Houses in the islets of Botong and Panangatan totally wiped out and washed away but, thank God, no casualties reported. The LGUs disaster risk reduction mangement evacuation procedures helped in mitigating the loss of lives. Island barangays have some casualties and missing persons but no exact record has yet been established. Guiwanon, Byaas and Patao also severely hit. No reports coming from Brgys. Baigad, Sillon, Tamiao, Atop2x, Kangkaibe, Kabac, Putian and Kabangbang as roads to and from said barangays are still impassable. Suba, particularly Sto. Rosario-Baluarte Area, badly hit!!! Quite a number of houses washed away. At least 80% of residences have no roofs! No more evacuees at the Bantayan Sports and Cultural Center as many have opted to go back to their respective homes for immediate repairs. Quite a number of evacuees still at the barangay schools which were and continue to be used as evaucation centers. What Bantayan badly needs? Drinking Water, Rice and Ready to Eat Food. Leaving for Bantayan tomorrow with Jude and Lloyd Escario to bring relief goods. Will post updates if and when I can on how donations may be made, and how relief operations, volunteer groups can help. God bless us all!!!
Hi MM, my Family are in Capiz and it’s one of the provinces badly hit by the supertyphoon po. I was lucky to hear from them by early saturday morning na ok lang po sila despite sa mga sirang part ng bahay. Many are desperate to hear news regarding the situation of their families. As in super lakas daw talaga sbi ni Mama ung hangin. maraming bahay na na wipe out po talaga. Black out din po dun at unpassable mostly ng mga daan dahil sa mga natumbang puno. wala or mahina parin po ang communication signal sa maraming areas . Thank you po sa initiative nyo to lend some help sa mga affected people. Mabuhay po Kaung lahat!
Awaiting details on how to send in monetary donation, MM!
Would love to help! Just let us know how.
Thank you MM and staff, for continuing you selfless act of helping our kababayans. I have directed friends from abroad who are interested in helping out to await your post as to bank details.
More than happy to contribute MM. Too bad we already gave some donations to a couple of agencies who I know take at least 20% for S&O costs. Knowing that 100% of what we’ll donate through you will go directly to the victims/survivors pleases me no end. Thank you MM, crew and family.
Dear MM, I ‘m writing you here to request you to consider perhaps a link up with a foundation I’m supporting called Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation, Inc. If I’m not mistaken, you may already know some of the key people behind it like Millie Kilayko and Tima Lacson. They’re also the owners of Casa Carmela which sell the Papa Daniel’s Pitaw and Sardines which you had written about in some past entries. You can also check with Lynelle G. Of Silay( she’s the mom-im-law of my brother) and check out newspaper articles about them to be assured that the NVC Foundation is a legit , well- run foundation.
They conduct several programs and projects ranging from education, provision of classrooms, social enterprises and nutritional feeding programs. Of special interest to your disaster relief effort may be MINGO, an instant nutritious meal they have been formulating and producing with the help of the Dept. of Science and Technology. A mix of moringa(malunnggay), rice and mongo, this is a most convenient food pack for disaster relief and evacuation centers because it needs no cooking and can be prepared with water at room temperature.
Sold at only Php4 per pack, the NVC Foundation has sent more than 200,000 Mingo Meals to evacuation centers in Zamboanga, Bohol, Manila, etc.
I most heartedly ask you to check out their website http://www.nvcfoundation-ph.org on more info about this and how you can purchase these Mingo Meals which are a hundredfold more nutritious than the infamous but very-top-of-mind-to-donate- instant noodles. Thank you very much.
If you want to directly contact Millie herself for immediate reply, please let me know so I can help arrange. Thanks again.
Josogoru, yes, please send information, I would be very interested. I wish I knew about this sooner, and would have been able to ship them to cebu. But perhaps for the next wave of assistance. Thanks. I agree about the instant noodles, but they are readily available and people know how to prepare them for an immediate carb boost (aaacck, but all that MSG and Sodium).
Would like to donate . Will wait for your bank account info. This disaster is of biblical proportion, I plead to all Fil-Ams to donate. Our prayers go to all victims .
Zack
I would also like to donate. I’ve been asking other Euro-Filipinos to donate as well. I was in tears when I saw the videos of the storm’s aftermath and her victims. My relatives are in Metro Manila so we were lucky to have been spared. Thank you MM for organising.
Awaiting your bank account information, will support this drive. Please include information for those of us abroad. Thank you for organising.
Awaiting the bank details. Will surely help in my own little way.
Hi MM, i am making a pledge to help. Do publish the bank details we can use. Similarly, i want help that goes direct instead of going through groups who may use part of the funds for their own convenience. Thanks a lot for reaching out.
MM, I have been sending money to the Philippines thru MONEYGRAM (thru Walmart); family recipient in the Phils. get the peso equivalent at any BANCO DE ORO branch.
All I need is the NAME of your designated staff as shown in his I.D. (FIRST AND LAST NAME is sufficient), his PHONE NUMBER.
All that staff who will pick up the money needs is the REFERENCE NUMBER which we can send thru private email and the ADDRESS OF THE SENDER (us). No fee on your part. Cheaper fee via MoneyGram as compared to the 45usd in bank to bank transfers that my bank charges.
Money Gram also ONLY asks for the Giver’s/Sender’s name, address, phone number, and no other private info.
I’ve used XOOM before, but they needed all my personal and financial info. which I am not wont to give out.
I think MONEYGRAM is an option to consider. I’ve sent some help to classmates on medical missions thru MG.
Thank you for spearheading this, MM and family.
Hi MM, i know you and the zubuchon family will come up with this. And those who are long time marketmanila readers absolutely trust you. Will wait for your bank details so we can contribute in our own small way.
Also, asking your permission to share this post on facebook so as to reach a wider circle of relatives and friends who i know are more than willing to share with whatever resources they may have.
Again, thank you for doing this.
The Mingo Meals sounds nourishing and so inexpensive.
I’ll be waiting for yr instructions as to how to send our donation.
Our thoughts and prayers goes to the families who were affected by this devastation.
MM, you have such a kind heart and I’m very deeply touched .
Bearhug et al, yes please go ahead and share this on facebook so a wider audience is aware of one of many ways to send donations and assistance to the Typhoon victims in the Visayas… Thanks.
Dear MM, re the MINGO instant , nutritious moringa-rice-mongo powdered food packs, you may write info@nvcfoundation-ph.org or call (034) 434-5568. Or better, you or any of your staff members can email me so I can reply back and give you the email address and other contact details of the foundation’s director in charge of the Mingo so you can coordinate directly with her. I can also send you the primer on Mingo which provides more detailed information on the product ( nutritional info, etc) and their disaster relief programs. Thank you for your interest.