Remember Ondoy.
We put this site up a few days after the Typhoon hit. It was a wake-up call. It made people care, move, unite, and just like predicted- forget just after a little while. All the site ever was was an attempt to make people forget a little less, or remember a little longer… and hopefully make a lasting commitment while spirits are still high…
We put up pages where people could donate to the Red Cross, Unicef, and various independently organized groups. Many of them have disappeared or dissolved. We didn’t want to collect any money.. others are already doing that.
Then we asked people to volunteer. We had feeding programs and started to connect with groups that could go beyond emergency relief- and begin rehabilitating our nation. Many came, some for the first time. We didn’t limit ourselves to Ondoy-stricken areas. The problem was there before the storm.
Our vision now is to keep on creating avenues for “normal folk” like you and me to get involved and get messy. Messy means you have a faces attached to the numbers. Messy means you’re emotionally involved. Messy means your mind is now thinking of ways to help, not just dissuade feelings of remorse.
Relief is like a band-aid. It buys time. Our nation needs rebuilding. Rehab. Therapy. These “medical” concepts are apt for the situation because our country is sick and needs healing. We need to care, but also think. We need to stay involved, and stay together. If this site helps in doing that (and it has for many), I want to invite you to stay connected by subscribing. That’s all. And maybe we can all see each other on the field one day- on the next volunteer program (trip) we have.
Thank you for visiting.
Media on Ondoy:
In the News:
Ondoy death toll climbs to 280
By Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:49:00 10/01/2009MANILA, Philippines—The death toll from Storm Ondoy rose to 280 on Thursday and the number of people crammed in more over 700 temporary shelters ballooned to more than 680,000 as government agencies scrambled to prepare for a new typhoon roaring toward Northern Luzon. More…
Worst Floods in 50 Years Hit Manila
Time.com
A tropical storm that swept through the Philippines over the Sept. 26 weekend left 80% of the city underwater, dozens dead and hundreds of thousands of people displaced. View Photos.
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