This is off my regular blog programming, but this matter is of the essence and we all need to act upon it and do our part (no matter how little) to shed light on the plight of the victims. Just using my blog as a humble vehicle so that I may be able to bring your attention into it as well, and I hope i am successfully able to do that.
Last night while a lot of us having our regular weekend, Manila and a lot of neighboring parts in Luzon suffered a terrible fate as Typhoon Ketsana rolled in and virtually landslided and or/flooded over most parts of the area. It's not looking good at all.
To quote from the AP:
"...Rescuers plucked bodies from muddy floodwaters and saved drenched survivors from rooftops Sunday after atropical storm tore through the northern Philippines and left at least 106 people dead and missing...
..Tropical Storm Ketsana roared across the northern Philippines on Saturday, dumping more than a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours. More than 330,000 people were affected by storm, including some 59,000 people who were brought to about 100 schools, churches and other evacuation shelters, officials said."
The search and rescue operations are still ongoing, and authorities are expecting to add more figures to the death toll. Scores of people have been displaced from their homes, having their properties completely buried by mud. It is a time to be one in action, and all our thoughts and prayers would count.
Every little bit of what we can pledge also helps. Currently most of the victims have no access to food or water as well. If you are living abroad and wish to aid via donation, you can course it through TXTPower's Paypal. Meanwhile, do course through most national bodies (DOH, PNRC, PAGASA, etc) for all local help.
Let's help each other out in this time of need.
**images courtesy of MSNBC, and Getty Images.. special thanks to Leah
