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I am filing this article under “The Baguio I Remember” because recent events have reminded me that, Baguio is not only about the place where I spent my happy childhood, but also, about its extraordinary people.

When my Baguio friends heard about the devastation wrought by typhoon Ondoy, they called on all Baguio people to donate relief goods for the victims of the flood.  I then found myself picking up from Victory Liner in Cubao boxes of relief goods that my Baguio friends had pooled together  and delivering them to the Don Bosco relief center in Makati.

The Baguio relief operations for typhoon Ondoy had not yet ended when Baguio itself was hit badly by typhoon Parma, a.k.a., typhoon Pepeng.  As I was still reeling from the effects of typhoon Ondoy, I immediately asked Padma how she was doing. Her text message to me read “Baguio has experienced worse weather”.  That was the first day of typhoon Parma in the Philippines.  Little did we know then that typhoon Parma was a slow moving typhoon that dumped a lot of rain on the first few days it was in the Philippines.  As we all know, things took a turn for the worse when typhoon Parma took a U-Turn as it was leaving the Philippines and came back for a second visit.  To everyone’s horror, typhoon Parma not only caused massive floods in many Philippine provinces up north, it also caused multiple landslides, which led to the isolation of many areas in Benguet, including Baguio.

For many days after typhoon Parma fled the country, northern Philippine cities and towns, were isolated.  My Baguio friends advised me that as no supplies could be brought into Baguio, there was a food shortage and the prices of goods increased. Although Baguio is now open to light vehicles, there are still many places beyond Baguio that remain isolated.

As soon as typhoon Parma left Baguio, the Cafe by the Ruins, began its relief operations.  From its own funds, the Cafe by the Ruins purchased available food from the Baguio Market to feed the victims and rescuers.  I cried when I found out that the meals consisted of boil bananas, rice, monggo and dried fish.  Meat and other fruits and vegetables were too costly to include as part of the meals.  I laud Padma and the others who are heading the Cafe by the Ruins relief operations for their creativity in serving healthy meals on such a tight budget.  As days passed, my admiration for the Cafe by the Ruins team and the rescuers grew tremendously when I learned of the efforts they took just to bring food to the people in isolated areas.  The volunteers had to trek over landslides and walk through mud and dangerous terrain carrying relief goods that will save countless lives.  This video and this video just shows how difficult the relief operations are.

I am reminded that nineteen years ago, when that terrible earthquake had isolated Baguio, the Cafe by the Ruins also conducted relief operations and the same people were out there helping people.  Once again, in times of tragedy, I remember that the Baguio is composed of these extraordinary people whom I grew up with.   In this respect, I can honesty say that Baguio has never changed.

And so, I am appealing to all of you to help the the victims of typhoon Parma.  You can do so by sending donations in cash or in kind to Cafe by the Ruins.  I assure you, the people there will make sure your donations are given to the people who need it most.

BAGUIO & ITS SURROUNDING AREAS STILL NEED YOUR HELP.  CASH DONATION MAY BE MADE THROUGH  CAFE BY THE RUINS MOBILE SOUP KITCHEN. INT’L: SWIFT code BNORPHMM ROUTING# 0210-0001-8. DOMESTIC: RUINS INC savings account #940060574 Banco de Oro (BDO) Legarda Road, Baguio City.

DONATIONS IN KIND MAY BE BROUGHT TO MARTHA LOVINA AT NO. 1 CAIMITO, MCKINLEY ROAD, FORBES PARK, MAKATI.  MARTHA WILL ARRANGE FOR GOOD TO BE BROUGHT TO BAGUIO.

It was only Strom Signal No. 1 in Metro Manila yesterday but heavy rains poured non-stop from early morning until nighttime.  Our street was flooded and I could see that the water level had risen to as high as the wheels of the cars parked on the street.  This was the first time the flood was this high.  It appears that my family and I were the lucky ones.

When I began watching the news, I was horrified to discover that EDSA was flooded, the Marikina River swelled, the underpass of Ayala Avenue was flooded to the street level, people were stuck in Paranaque, NLEX and SLEX for hours.  Metro Manila and more than twenty Provinces were declared in a state of calamity.  Click here, here, here, here and here to see videos from YouTube.

A quick check of family and friends revealed that an aunt had to evacute from her home in Quezon City because the floodwaters reached the second floor of her home, a cousin was stuck in traffic in Paranaque, two people who work for my parents barely survived when Marikina River swelled and swept away their houses and everything they owned, my uncle and his family were stuck in the second floor of their home as floodwaters were slowly rising and my sister’s friend has been stuck in a bus in NLEX for more that twelve hours.  Despite this, they are alive and so is everyone else in my family.

There are, however, many who are still waiting for help to come.  Please help me pray for those who need help.

I am posting the numbers you may call if you or any of the members of your family need help during these time and the persons you could contact or places you could go to if you want to extend any assistance.

HELPLINES:

Sen. Dick Gordon (text FULL ADDRESS for rescue): 09178997898 or 0938444BOYS

Sen. Manny Vilar rescue text hotline: 09174226800, 09276751981

Rubber Boat Request: 838-3203, 838-3354

Rescue dumptrucks: 0917-4226800, 0927-6551981

Bagyong Ondoy: 734-2118, 734-2120

PAGASA: 433-8526

NDCC: 912-5668, 911-1406, 912-2665, 911-5061

Red Cross: 0938-444-2697, 0938-444-2697 and 0917-899-7898

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

From Louie Aguinaldo: “We are starting a Relief Operations Center at La Salle Green Hills beginning 9am tomorrow, Sunday, September 27. Basically, we are turning LSGH into a drop-off point for donations and from there we intend to pack them and coordinate distribution to flood victims…”We would need volunteers for the following: 1. people to help spread the news that donations are accepted at La Salle Green Hills, Gate 2 along Ortigas Avenue.
2. people to help man the Relief Operations Center. This would involve collecting, receiving, sorting, and repacking donations. This would also include helping in coordinating the distribution of goods. So far, the Relief Operations Center will be open throughout the day, it will be decided tomorrow if we will keep it open 24 hours.
3. For those that want to help organize this, we are having a meeting at 9am”

“From Karen C: Ateneo is now accepting DONATIONS for the victims of ONDOY. Donations may be dropped at the MVP LOBBY. For all students who are stranded/ those who need help (as well as those who know of other students who need help), please TEXT your/their name/s, …location and contact number to 0908-8877166. The MVP Building (HQ)is open to all those who have difficulty going home tonight.”

<MANOR TYPHOON RELIEF DRIVE>>. QC/MARIKINA IS ONE OF THE WORST HIT. PLS SEND YOUR DONATIONS FOR CANNED GOODS, CLOTHES, MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND OTHER EMERGENCY SUPPLIES TO MANOR SUPERCLUB, EASTWOOD CITY QC (10AM- 9PM) STARTING TOM SUNDAY AS YOU SOON AS YOU CAN. LETS DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP.