singing and dancing to Korean pop with Renzie Baluyut.

It’s undeniable.  “Nobody” by The Wonder Girls is everywhere.

See, it’s Christmas party season in the Philippines, and it’s customary for offices and schools and groups of friends everywhere to have real festive Christmas parties, involving lots of food, gift-giving, as well as singing and dancing.

And where singing and dancing is involved, chances are, you’ll have group presentations.  And when that happens, chances are, there’s going to be at least one group dancing to The Wonder Girls’ monster pop/dance hit, “Nobody”.

In case you’ve been living in a rock all these months,  The Wonder Girls are an all-chick pop group straight out of South Korea.  These ladies have been building up a following of some very passionate fans since they were formed in 2007.  They’ve come up with several hits already, as Korean pop enthusiasts would tell you– among others- “Tell Me”, “So Hot”, “Irony”, “Take It”, and of course, the song that made them such a mainstream sensation in the Philippines, “Nobody”.

“Nobody” is also a global phenomenon.  As I was putting this blog post together,  I was doing a search of videos on YouTube.  There are just *so many* fans of The Wonder Girls online, it’s just unbelievable.  How global is global?  Check out all the fans compiled on this nice little collage they put together:

The Philippines alone has all sorts of fans.  And why not?  They’re cute, they got an incredibly infectious pop sound going on, and they got some pretty interesting videos.  Just this weekend, I’ve been to at least four different Christmas gatherings, and if it’s not a Christmas party dance presentation, there’s a band going on, or a DJ playing some Wonder Girls music!

Heck, you even got American Idol Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks into the whole Wonder Girls craze.

Do you think it’d be an awesome idea to bring in the five lovely ladies from The Wonder Girls to perform live for their Filipino fans?  I’m sure there are lots out there.  And I’m fairly certain they’d want to catch them perform “Nobody” live on stage.  After all, our group (IMG Live!) is bringing in 20 international artists to perform for their Filipino fans on February 2010.  So why not The Wonder Girls?  Just a thought, really.

Hey, lots of stuff from The Wonder Girls are right up on their very own active YouTube channel.  You can also find them on MySpace, and on various fan sites all over the web dedicated to all things Wonder Girls.  Pictures, btw, are courtesy of Wikipedia.

Cheers, everyone!

it’s gonna be a music festival like no other with IMG Live! and Renzie Baluyut.

I suppose the time for secrecy is over.

See, for the past several months, I’ve been involved in a rather massive project that involved a whole lot of planning, phonecalls at 3 in the morning, pulling some strings and essentially laying down all the groundwork for one truly awesome undertaking.

I am part of a concert production & promotions crew known as IMG Live! All you have to know about IMG Live! is that we’re here to give you- all our fellow music fans right here in the Philippines- the world-class live music outdoor production you all deserve to see.

Check this out: We’re flying in twenty (yes you read it right!) international recording artists- all who had hits in the late 80’s, 90’s and this decade- each and every one performing only their hits, onstage, live- for all their Pinoy fans to come see, for one out-of-this-world evening.

Sounds unbelievable, yeah?  I know.  I felt the same way myself.  Right until we were talking to the artists and managers themselves.  And man, lemme tell you- they’re all looking forward to coming over to the Philippines.

Who do we have flying in?

• Tracy Chapman.  She’s won Grammies and all kinds of special honors, and is one of those artists that made it cool to be socially aware.  Best known for her hits “Give Me One Reason”, “Baby Can I Hold You”, “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” and “Fast Car”.

• Frankie J.  Accomplished R&B singer-songwriter-producer Frankie J is made famous by his songs “Don’t Wanna Try”, “Obsession (No Es Amor)”, “How To Deal”, “Suga Suga” (with Baby Bash), and his own cover of “More Than Words”

• P.M. Dawn.  Remember “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” and “Lookin’ Through Patient Eyes”?  It was the awesome stylings of PM Dawn that made those hits possible.  Other hits from this pop/rap duo: “I’d Die Without You”, “Paper Doll”, “Downtown Venus”, “I Had No Right” and “Gotta Be (Movin’ On Up)”.

• Exposé.  The all-girl trio known as Exposé were tearing up the charts not only with dance hits “Come Go With Me”, “Point of No Return”, “What You Don’t Know” and “Let Me Be The One”, but also with more mellow and laid-back tunes such as “Seasons Change”, “When I Looked at Him”, “As Long As I Can Dream”, “I’ll Say Goodbye For The Two of Us” and “I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me”.

• Baby Bash.  Baby Bash frequently collaborates with, and writes for other artists, but also has several hit songs to his credit:  ”Cyclone” (featuring T-Pain) (2007), “That’s How I Go” (featuring Mario and Lil’ Jon) (2009) and “Suga Suga” (with Frankie J) (2003).

• Paula DeAnda.  R&B singer-songwriter Paula DeAnda broke into the music scene in 2006, already with four hits to her name: “Doing Too Much” (with Baby Bash), “When It Was Me”, “Easy” (with Lil Wayne or Bow Wow, depending on which version you got), and “Walk Away (Remember Me)” (with the D.E.Y.).

• TQ.  TQ may be considered the pioneer of “Thug R&B”,  His breakthrough single “Westside” was one of the biggest singles of 1999.

• Diana King.  Diana King is best known for her monster pop/dance hit “Shy Guy” (1995).  Other hits to her credit include her covers of “Ain’t Nobody” (1995) and “I Say a Little Prayer” (1997), as well as the pop hit “L-L-Lies” (1997).

• JoJo.  She’s cute as a button, and she’s had film projects (Aquamarine and RV, among others) on top of her hectic singing career.  Known for her hits “Baby It’s You”, “Leave (Get Out)”, “Too Little, Too Late” and “Beautful Girls Reply”.

Took that bit from a blog post I wrote a few weeks back.  There’s definitely more, and personally, I can’t wait to reveal who else is coming.  Looks like I’m gonna have to write another post about that soon.

So, keep your eyes peeled for our star-studded show: we call it the Then And Now Concert Series.  It happens on a Saturday, February 6, 2010, at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.  The dudes behind it are the dudes of IMG Live!, and this massive music mashup is a John Usi production.

At this point, it’s really more than a music festival than an actual concert.  It’s got twenty international acts, including JoJo, Diana King, TQ, Baby Bash, Paula DeAnda, P.M. Dawn, Exposé, Tracy Chapman, and so much more.

I’ll reveal more stuff about this huge-ass event as soon as details go public.

In the meantime, go fire up your hard disks, dig up the old classics, and re-learn all the lyrics in time for concert night on February 6.  I’ll be seeing you all at the concert!

Cheers, everyone!

a Blog Action Day 2009 post, with Renzie Baluyut.

After being hit by Typhoon Ondoy/International Storm Ketsana, Metro Manila has already moved on, albeit begrudgingly.  What can you do when a massive flood hits the city, really?  As soon as the waters subsided, we all just picked up the pieces and got back to work.  Life just had to go on.  So now, everyone is all about recovering and rebuilding.

So OK, the worst is probably over.  But the entire Typhoon Ondoy/ International Storm Ketsana episode was a complete eye-opener.  How could seemingly harmless everyday-variety tropical rain be so incredibly widespread and destructive?  You can read about my own personal Ondoy/Ketsana experience here.

Some people would lament about how corrupt and terribly inadequate the Philippine government is when it comes to disaster preparedness, city planning and population control.   You have politicians pandering for votes and tastelessly politicking at such an inopportune time.  Quite possibly true, I would say.  Heck,  I got the impression it was the regular folk- Filipinos from all over, and people from the international community, who really stepped up and made a difference helping each other out- a rare, but inspiring display of love for country, if you ask me.

Like I said, a wake-up call.

The blog posts I published a couple of weeks back was a slap-in-the-face wake up call, not just for people in Metro Manila, but for everyone around the country. Thanks to all the activity going on on Facebook at the height of the rains and flooding, I was able to keep track of important updates on rescue and relief operations, as well as Typhoon Ondoy/International Storm Ketsana pictures from all over the National Capital Region.

Let’s look at the bigger picture now.  Climate change.  Drastic changes in our atmosphere and environment causes shifts in global air currents, and therefore, changes in weather patterns all over the world.  The result: famine- because food production is hit, war- because conflicts will erupt over scarce resources, and yes, flooding- just like it did a couple of weeks back here in Metro Manila.

This December, world leaders will meet to discuss the global response to climate change- and this blog is part of the worldwide effort to make our collective blog statement be heard.

In the Philippines, we will be having our elections next year.  I sure hope people won’t forget what they had gone through with Typhoon Ondoy/International Storm Ketsana.  Remember the good people in government who actually made a difference in the aftermath of the floods.  Take note of the ones who don’t think it’s urgent enough to deal with population control, the environment, and more responsible city planning, just to get their grubby little fingers on more votes and taxpayer money.

As for ourselves- to you, my dear reader and fellow denizen of the blogosphere- spread the word.  Educate people.  Recycle.  Heck, use less paper and plastic.  Switch off, power down and unplug whenever you can.  Do webinars.  Support the local markets.  Buy responsibly.  Plant some trees.  Visit websites and other blogs and learn more on how you can help in the continuing effort to deal with climate change.  Then spread the word, and educate people some more.

My blog supports Blog Action Day 2009 | Climate Change

Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be one of the largest-ever social change events on the web.

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change is sponsored by Change.org.  This blog: The Life & Times of The Renzie Man, together with thousands of other blogs (11,483 other blogs to be exact) all around the world (from 155 countries), is part of the massive effort to get people to actually do something about dealing with climate change.

Cheers, everyone.

Share This Post: “…this video will blow your mind!” –Renzie Baluyut

Seriously it will.

Not too long ago, I posted an article, pretty much evangelizing the importance of having a continuing desire for learning and discovery.  I go online and try to learn something new everyday, on top of reading a book, or immersing myself in some of the latest songs.

That last one was probably a habit I picked up from my days in radio.

In any case, I actually got a few friends into the same idea, and so we’ve been actively sharing all kinds of useful (as well as some not-too-useful) things with each other: links, blog posts and articles, ebooks, webinars and webcasts, podcasts and video.

One of the most interesting videos I’ve seen lately was this one posted by the good people of TeacherTube, which they shared over their YouTube channel.  Particularly of interest to business-folk and internet professionals, entrepreneurs and small business owners, as well as all sorts of marketing and media professionals.

That highly informative video, along with so much more great stuff, is available on TeacherTube.com’s official channel on YouTube.

Almost totally useless trivia: You were watching that video to the tune of Fatboy Slim’s “Right Here, Right Now”. The song was released in 1999, from Fatboy Slim’s second studio album, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.

A similar video and blog post can be found here on Keyboard Monkeys | Tips, Tricks and Advice for the Digital Entrepreneur.

Cheers, everyone.

Share This Post: monitoring chatter on Facebook once more, through my friends’ and contacts’ status updates, with Renzie Baluyut.

For a list of rescue hotlines, links and resources, please click this link.

Help out the victims of Typhoon Ondoy /Kestsana.  Click on this link to find out how you can help today.

A couple of days back, I posted a transcript of sorts- a compilation of status updates on Facebook as my friends, colleagues and contacts sent out all kinds of messages related to the Typhoon Ondoy / International Storm Ketsana rescue and relief efforts.

It had been three days since Typhoon Ondoy / International Storm Ketsana had hit the Philippines.  This was the worst incident of flooding seen by Metro Manila in 42 years.  More than a month’s worth of rain crashed down on the city in just a relatively short span of 12 hours.

The damage was so bad- mainly because everyone was caught completely unaware, thinking it was just another rainy weekend.

Drainage in Metro Manila had already been terribly neglected to begin with- in fact, certain areas were already generally expected to flood up, even with the most regular of rainy days.

But with the sheer volume of rainwater, areas that never used to flood up at all suddenly found themselves sinking fast, as all that rain just kept pouring in at an alarming rate.  By mid-afternoon, 80% of Metro Manila was submerged in murky floodwater.

More pictures of the September 26 flooding can be seen here on a previous post of mine.

Photo taken by JM Rodriguez. Entire neighborhoods were submerged in water; as the flood recedes, mud-soaked furniture, vehicles and belongings are strewn all about the streets, mingling with garbage, and even the carcasses of animals and livestock and the decaying bodies of those who didn't make it through the weekend.

As of this writing, there are at least 240 dead, some 100,000 displaced, and at least 2 million people affected across 25 provinces, including Metro Manila and Rizal.

Relief and rescue operations have been going on for a couple of days now.  For Filipinos like myself who find themselves online the entire time, Facebook had been a steady stream of information as stories of selflessness and heroism, and all sorts of pictures and video have been coming in.

Here’s a compilation of status updates I got from some of my friends and colleagues- these were little messages taken from a 12-hour period, between 3PM of Sept 29 (Tuesday) to about 3AM the next day (Wednesday, Sept 30).

Despite stories of opportunists, looters, corruption, politicking, grandstanding, and even rumors of crocodiles lurking in the floodwaters, what I find heartwarming is the fact that ordinary Filipinos have banded together to aid in rescue and relief operations, passing on information and updates, giving (and doing) what they can, and encouraging so many more to join in.

Even those who have been hard hit are reaching out to those who have been hit even harder.

And so, the cleaning up and the rebuilding goes on.  Hopefully, this post gives you a better idea of what’s been going on in the Philippines through the messages of various people all over Metro Manila as they help out with the the survivors of Typhoon Ondoy / International Storm Ketsana.

Around 3:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

From Paolo Marinduque:
HONDA & NISSAN OFFERS FREE TOWING! 09228504452 -09224452242 -09228997959. (reposted from a friend)

From Jonas Diego:
says If you know of overpricing for meds/basic goods DTI hotline at 751-3330. Save receipts as evidence! http://plurk.com/p/23e0s3

From Ricky Baizas:
BULACAN HAS NOT YET RECEIVED RELIEF GOODS FROM THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, So that we can help our fellow Filipinos there in BULACAN, you can send your donations in cash but PREFERABLY IN KIND at… #1 MAY ST. CONGRESSIONAL VILLAGE PRO…JECT 8, QUEZON CITY. You can reach my staff through contact nos. 02-9274776/ 09212611308/ 09291816111.

From Leah Camilla R. Besa-Jimenez:
For International Donors, go straight to Red Cross PH through Paypal http://bit.ly/3PKdUM. Here are other sites where you can also easily donate http://bit.ly/wDbJj , http://bit.ly/2OzLZ0 , http://bit.ly/4bjCsW and MyAyala http://bit.ly/3zH5Tu . Please repost and retweet.

From Jenn Manigao:
Looks like Tropical Storm Parma and Tropical Depression 18 will spare the Philippines this week. Will check again tomorrow. Here are the links:  http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp200919_5day.html#a_topad

From Jane Tenefrancia Uymatiao:
Repost from Noelle: VICTORY ORTIGAS UPDATE: We need trucks, vans, vehicles to help deploy relief goods! (Particularly to Canyogan, Pasig) Please call 631-1212.

From Tracy Abad:
Brg PALASAN in Valenzuela is in need of DONATIONS! coordinate with brgy capt. EDDIE Lzada 09178970187 – They’ve been asking for help since saturday and they were DENIED of HELP by their own MAYOR because of political issues. Please HELP! (from Soki)

From Charo Limaco:
Repost: Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health is looking for areas that needmedical assistance. Peferrably areas that have not received any yet. They are planning to deploy on thursday. Please contact ANNE GOMEZ 09175330815.

From Leslie Dioko-Cariaso:
REPOST – HARD BOILED EGGS AND SABA BANANAS ARE GOOD FOOD TO DONATE AMONG ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU CAN SPARE! IT DOES NOT NEED PLASTIC
OR A CAN OPENER AND IT IS LOADED WITH NUTRIENTS. AFFORDABLE IN BULK. PLEASE TAKE NOTE, PASS THIS ON! I suggest we also share bath soaps, alcohol, toilet paper, baby powder, comb, towels, etc. anything for personal hygiene.

Around 4:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

From Cacay Moras:
If you have friends and family who are stuck in their houses and need assistance, please contact Red Cross 143, MMDA 136, NDCC 9115061 & Coast Guard 5276136 for rescue. Provide street names, roof colors, landmarks, etc. so that it is easier to find them.

From Eric Kahn:
with all the help going out in plastic bags, styropore trays, plastic cups plastic spoons, tin cans, plastic bottles etc. please dont make the mistake of just throwing them on the side of the streets again. Trash is one of the major casues of flooding.  This will all happen again if we arent vigilant.

From Josa S. Quintas:
volunteer doctors and nurses please proceed to PNRC Shaw Blvd. near Kapitolyo Rotonda Mandaluyong City tomorrow by 10am to be deployed to different areas that need medical assistance.

From Leah Camilla R. Besa-Jimenez:
From Mark Ruiz’s sister Meg : DONATIONS ON WHEELS! If you have donations to give but no means to transport (cash/clothes/food/hygiene prods), pls contact us: Raine-09177974098, Meg-09326991794, Gerald-09189791229 and we will deliver your goods to a relief center! Delivering HOPE to the HOPELESS! Through Jan Chavez-Arceo.

From Maricris Irene ‘iRis’ Tamolang:
At the NDCC meeting, Frisco Nilo of PAGASA said another tropical disturbance may enter the Philippine area of responsibility by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning and make landfall in Northern Luzon or Central Luzon early next week.Frisco, meanwhile, calmed fears over the coming storm that will be named “Peping.”

From Luz Imperial-Harvey:
c/o Rollie Inocencio: Att’n relief workers in PASIG: exact address: 2 banuyo st. Phase 8 Marietta Romeo village Rosario pasig brgy. Sta lucia. Luz Imperial-Harvey is looking for her parents, a bed-ridden sister and her son. Please assist. Thank you!

From Neil Galang:
PASIG RED CROSS : We have enough volunteers but in need of more vehicles for the deployment of relief goods. Vans, pickups or trucks needed.

From Chiz Escudero:
Also please send help to Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Nobody, not even the local officials, have taken action to address the calamity.

Photo from Marizel Sarangelo, taken from a neighborhood in Fairview, Quezon City.

Around 5:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

From Juliana Palermo:  
Show some LOVE!!! Please donate via RED CROSS, Globe or smart.   TYPE: RED<space>AMOUNT ex: RED 100 and send to 4483 (SMART) or 2899(GLOBE) Amounts that can be donated are as follows:10, 25, 50, 100, 300. You can send more than one message!=)

From Pilipinas Kontra ConAss:
NO CLASSES TIL FRIDAY! Students, find out how you can help typhoon victims today!

From Alvin Chua:
GMA used up 800million pesos for foreign trips. Kaya pala meron tayong 12 ambulances, 59 rubber boats – our assets. wow. dami!

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=496123&publicationSubCategoryId=63

From Regina Layug:
Going East tonight, to visit/help friends and relatives in Pasig, Cainta and Marikina. Text me at 0917-8163500, maybe we can check on your friends/relatives too. Or PM me their info. Full names and address, and directions if possible.

From Nelson Capulso:
There are at least 4 trucks servicing villagers in and out of Greenwoods. But you still have to walk knee-deep water to the main gate to get to the trucks to carry you to Pasig Rotonda. That’s good news…need to buy food. Going back to Greenwoods same routine..Basing on the 2003 flood, they say water will recede in a weeks time.

From Brian Cua:
Donate your clothes/shoes that you haven’t worn in a year! Your closet would love some breathing room!

From Sara Lecciones:
Pls refrain from posting unnecessary status msgs most esp quiz results (for chrissake, youve the option to unpublish!). Facebook is now being used for faster dissemination of rescue calls, updates, and other important info re: Typhoon Ketsana / Ondoy.–PLEASE REPOST.

From Maui Vera Reyes-Drilon:
From Neva: Stories from Provident Vill Mkna: relief goods not distributed bec they’re waiting for MEDIA COVERAGE!!! pls help

From Cacay Moras:
for those in California: MANILA BOX USA is now accepting donations in kind & will provide FREE shipping to Manila. Items will be sent by Sea Cargo and will delivered to the Whitespace Relief Center/Mar Roxas Headquarters in Cubao. Please drop them off at their warehouse: 361 Beach Road Burlingame , CA 94010 or call (650.342.2858) Please pack them in boxes for easier handling. Business hours Mon-Fri 9am-6pm

From Joanna U. Zuñiga:
HEADS UP: UA&P NEEDS VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH RELIEF EFFORTS. THEY ALSO NEED VEHICLES TO TRANSPORT RELIEF GOODS.

From Suzzie Ng
We would be conducting relief operations and feeding program within the week so we are seeking for your support. Kindly donate canned goods/ noodles/clothes/toiletries/biscuits/blankets/ rice & bottled water for they are of need at the moment. Cash donations are welcome as well. Please help us in this endeavor to help out our less fortunate citizens. For sure your small acts of kindness will go a long way.

For Donation Information Contact:  Mobile: 09178544566  Email: onecoreproductions@yahoo.com  We’ll update you if we’ll be needing volunteers.  Thank you!xxx

From Etta Medina:
attention..PROVIDENT VILLAGE MARIKINA in urgent need of POLICE!!! Gunshots every night, relief trucks looted. HOSTILITY LEVEL HIGH

From Merrie Chris Capuli
RT: Angat dam releases water;warning up over Norzagaray,Hagonoy,Calumpit, Pulilan, Sn. Rafael, Angat, Bustos, Baliuag & Plaridel in Bulacan.

From Angel Abella:
As of 5:00 pm: IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS: Balay Expo in Cubao, Red Cross, World Vision OVERSTAFFED: LSGH, ADMU, Xavier, UP, Megatent.

From Claire Agbayani:
My friends Nonoy and Ruth Floresca invited their sons to help in repacking goods at the World Vision office. I’m sure that their kids will never forget this experience.

Around 6:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

Photo taken by my friends Jam and Mon. In Marikina, floodwaters rose up quickly, forcing residents to seek higher ground by camping out on rooftops in the pouring rain. While floodwaters have already receded in these villages, residents are now faced with the daunting task of cleaning and rebuilding.

From Mariami Tanangco:
it’s depressing, travelling through marikina now. ruins, ruins everywhere. long lines for water and food, people cleaning their homes of mud. let’s donate or volunteer. kahit papano, kahit magkano, kahit blankets o damit o noodles o mineral water.

From Lee Grane:
PLEASE REPOST> REDCROSS MARIKINA BRANCH NEEDS MEDICINE FOR CLEANING WOUNDS. ORAL MEDICINE FOR FEVER, FLU, COUGH&COLD, LBM. WE NEED HELPING HANDS TO COMFORT ORPHANED CHILDREN. SEVERAL EVACUATION CENTERS THERE WITH TOO SLOW & LITTLE SUPPORT……. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. KEEP SPREADING LIGHT! Contact Noel at Red Cross Marikina- 382 7270, 0917 509 3053 OR Gina Choy at 0917 846 2337.

From Liliane Cobiao:
With over 100K people in shelters, stagnant water, outbreak of disease are feared. Philhealth is willing to provide coverage for affected families and medicines but needs sponsor partners. Sa…mple: Sponsor gives P60k, Philhealt…h gives coverage to 200 families and P30K worth of meds. Please call Jam @687-4956 or email wbacareza@philhealth.gov.ph- From Etta Medina

From Jonas Diego:
says RT: hope help wud reach Malaban, Binan, Laguna.  Those people living near Laguna de Bay already evacuated needs food & clothing. #ondoy #fb http://plurk.com/p/23gcab

From Yumi Calderon:
repost: hello friends. i know everyone is worried about cainta and marikina, but we went to muntinlupa today. squaters area still under water. people still on their roofs. i saw this. i also heard that marikina has enough supplies (for now). megatent… and muntinlupa in dire need. pls help additional note: the people there are STARVING and getting wild due to lack of assistance.

From Cacay Moras:
UPDATE FROM CEBU: 2 container vans has been filled with life jackets and water!! closed and sealed ready to be shipped… Thank you to all who helped make this happen!

Around 7:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

From Lora Morier:
is alive and well. Not all of Manila is underwater though she is worried about the next typhoon hitting the area again SOON.

From Angel Abella:
RT: @christiandeleon People in Pililla Rizal also need help. No food & drinking water for 3 days now! Stranded due2 landslides |*| RT @mlq3 GK at RFM Gym & Kapuso Foundation Warehouse, Charles Conrad St., Dona Faustina Village II, Brgy. Culia…t, Tandang Sora needs volunteers |*| RT @carlosceldran: Red Cross Port Area is sufficiently manned for now but by the 8-10PM shift needs people then |*|

From Valerie Peramide:
let’s help rebuild homes and lives. There is always something you can do to help.

From Charisse Abalos:
just came from the most affected areas in Mandaluyong. We’d really appreciate donations of clothes and footwear. There are children walking around on their bare feet. You can bring them over at the Mandaluyong City Hall, or contact me here (via private message). Thanks!

From Angie Legaspi:
It’s the giving that’s more important, it’s not what you get, so find someone to cheer, & you will have no regret. For those who are abroad & wish to help: http://www.philippineaid.com/The Philippines Needs Your Help

From Jane Tenefrancia Uymatiao:
Scenes from the volunteerism efforts of students, parents, teachers, staff and friends alike at Xavier School to prepare relief goods for the victims of Tropical Storm Ondoy.  Two of my kids and a nephew pitched in too. What an experience for us all!

Around 8:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

Photo by AFP Getty Images. As the floodwaters from Typhoon Ondoy /International Storm Ketsana recede, rescuers are faced with the grim task of recovering the dead. At the height of the floods, raging waters were strong enough to tear down walls, toss vehicles around, and even carry off those unlucky enough to be caught in the currents.

From Cacay Moras:
The toll, thus far, from Typhoon Ondoy / Tropical Storm Ketsana in the Philippines: at least 240 dead; at least two million people affected across 25 provinces on the island of Luzon; at least 100,000 people displaced; and metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolises on Earth, was nearly 80 percent flooded   urgent repost for relief efforts: Food/meds requested at E.Rodriguez Elementary School in Montalban, some evacuees there said to be dying.

From Melanie Dujunco:
reposted 4 min. ago: saabmagalonaRT @jeid16: REPOST: PROVIDENT VILLAGE MARIKINA in urgent need of POLICE! Gunshots every night, relief trucks looted. HOSTILITY LEVEL HIGH

From Dennis Poliquit:
REPOST> Eric Virata: PNRC NEEDS VOLUNTEERS.We are welcoming volunteers at the Philippine National Red Cross Nat’l Headquarters in Anda Circle,Bonifacio Drive,Port Area Manila…just walk in and say you want to help…if you want to donate bri…ng bottle water, sardines, and instant noodles for the relief packs they put together.

From Leslie Dioko-Cariaso:
REPOST from Krissy: Got info from Asa Uy wall post asking us to extend relief goods to San Pedro, Laguna too since almost all donation went to the Metro area. They say it will take 3 mos. for flood waters to subside & their calamity fund is not enough. Kindly coordinate with JCI Mem. LESLIE LU 09088623507.

From Kristine Abigail Miranda Lingbaoan:  
Nasa jeep kanina ay may nakita akong batang mag hawak na mineral water bottle na kulay orange at…. may mukha at name ni Sen. Manny Villar. Bakit ganun, may panahon pa silang mag-ganun sa kabila ng lahat. Hindi ba pwedeng bukal sa puso ang tulong at walang halong pamumulitika. Nakakapanlumo.

From Cacay Moras:
Suggestion: 1 egg costs PhP 2.50 and banana (saba) costs PhP 1.75 each. At PhP2,500, you can buy 1,000 raw eggs or 1,400 pcs. of banana. Take them to Enderun so they can boil these there for distribution! Boiled egg is a good source of protein and banana is good for potassium and to combat dehydration and diarrhea..plus, it’s biodegradable.

Enderun Culinary school has produced over 5200 meals since yestrday. They need more goods. People are counting on them. Pls donate canned goods, instant noodles, crackers, biscuits, milk in tetra packs. They accept raw food too & rice. Enderun campus is located at 1100 Campus Avenue McKinley Hill, Fort BonifacioTaguig City. Tel 856.5000. Thank you.

Around 9:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

From Melanie Dujunco:
Please help to displace the flood water in SAN ANTONIO ABAD, MAYBUNGA, PASIG. Flood is 3 days old, breeding mosquitoes and other diseases. Water level is waist deep in the low lying areas, shin deep in the higher grounds. Please send pumps ASAP.

From Charo Limaco:
Packing is on hold because we lack items! They’re asking us to text! Water rice noodles toiletries!

From Ron B. Titular:
Gianormous traffic going to marcos hiway from all directions, but it is moving.

From Leslie Dioko-Cariaso:
REPOSTING w/ UPDATED contact #s: Relief goods also badly needed at San Pedro, Laguna. They say it will take 3 months for flood waters to subside & their calamity fund is not enough. Men of big hearts & good will may proceed to San Pedro and/or contact LESLIE LU at 0908-8623507.

From James Deakin:
thinks there should be a special place in hell for those who extort during a crisis. Its bad enough a Merville guard would ask for money to let vehicles pass that were delivering relief goods, its even worse that a board member of the village would refuse to do anything about it when my wife reported it. Instead, she ends up getting yelled at.

From Raffy Barreiro:
The government and the private sector with security agencies can help prevent looting in severely hit areas! Please help! Village security and the Home Owners Associations should step up!

From Marizel M. Sarangelo:
Nobody would have predicted the devastation brought about by Ondoy. Even our town here up north perched on one of the highest parts of the city wasn’t spared. Houses near the creek were devastated by two-storey high flood waters last saturday and the onslaught reached all the way down the far stretches of the creek. Families were displaced, pets were lost or worse yet dead due to drowning and a number of families lost their love ones who were carried by the fast rising water along the muddy banks.  all relief efforts have been handed to our captain jose arnel quebal and private residents around the area. Still, more help is needed and it seems that what we do and what we have is never enough. But we soldier on, hand in hand we shall overcome.

From Abie Co-Floreza:
Reposting: Temporary lodging places are available at Ateneo Faculty Housing (4266001 loc. 4036 c/o Ms. Sofie Castro) and New Dorms (4266001 loc. 5930 c/o Mr. Mon Bunag). Shelter also provided at the MVP Student Center.

From Heide Lynne Canlas:
RT @helloluis So we have fake donation centers, media-hogging govt officials, and now evacuees reselling relief goods. Oh, humanity. #ondoy

From Cacay Moras:
pls.share! people need help.your P150 can be a relief pack for an entire family.

Photo from John Estallo. John and his friends headed over to the flood-struck areas of Pasig City to hand out much-needed supplies: food, water, towels and dry clothes, mostly. Elsewhere, ordinary people are helping out however they can- volunteering at relief camps, helping out the rescue teams, relaying information and updates, and getting others to join in.

Around 10:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

From Jean Claire A. Dy:
reposting from Sandy: PRAYERS NEEDED FOR VIETNAM TOO, AS KETSANA ROARS INTO THAT COUNTRY, KILLING 23 ALREADY AS OF 2 HOURS AGO… http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_re_as/as_vietnam_typhoon

From Mari Kaimo:
On the lighter side naman: a look at some of the rescue craft created by entrepreneurially-inclined residents of a town in Pasig…http://web.me.com/mkaimo/Home/The_Ever-Resourceful_Filipino.html

From Melanie Dujunco:
La Salle Greenhills has been deploying thousands of bags everyday. But as of 5:30PM today(09/29/2009), they still need supplies for 25,000 families 15,000 families from Marilao & 10,000 families from Rizal/Marikina. LSGH still needs ready to eat food & water to be able to supply our unfortunate kababayan’s needs. You may drop off your donations at Gate 2 of La Salle Greenhills, Ortigas Avenue anytime…

From Chelleypie Sy:
Let today be a day of compassion, let us feel our bond of humanity. Put aside color, geography, wealth, education, political and religious beliefs, and feel the throb of each human heart in your heart. Never let your compassionate connection with all… creation be limited by your politics, your language, or your traditions. Know that Spirit transcends all cultural differences and embraces all creation. Reach out…

From Carlos Celdran:
its ten o clock. And Im filling sacks of rice with the Jaycees at Baypark. What are you doing?

From NJ Torres:
Repost for those who want to contribute bottled water in Makati: ATTN please assist vounteers at WhiteSpace, Pasong Tamo Extn. In need of additional drinking water supplies for distribution. Assembly line at a standstill. Thanks very much

From Rachel Malaguit:
Manila will move on. It’s a city of survivors.

Around 11:00 PM (GMT +8:00) Sept 29

From Chris Otero:
Additional tip/reminder from Violeta Imperial: To all brave volunteers going to the relief and evacuation centers, Please be careful, bring extra set of clothes(you might spend the night), nametag (if u have), Raincoat, Wear rubbershoes, personal water bottle, please bring your own food, and happy thoughts of being a blessing to others. Thank you Thank you and GOD Bless.

From Lee Grane:
::: Relief operations badly needed at Pinagbuhatan elementary school in Pasig. There are an estimated 400 families there that are still surrounded by chest deep water. First supplies arrived only this evening. Thank you Dodot Jaworski for initiating …this. The surrounding area is submerged as well and in need. I hope the military can get their act together. A couple of boats is not enough to carry what’s needed!!

From Carlos Celdran:
salutes the Jaycees. They cancelled their board election night parties & donated all the Php & labor to Ondoy relief. Classy. Kudos.

From Sue Prado:
REPOSTING: report scams, mapagsamantala persons/establishments> If you know of overpricing for meds/basic goods DTI hotline at 751-3330. Save receipts as evidence!

From Lorainne Naig:
Thank you guys for those who helped, participated and gave their donations for Ondoy victims. And also for our prayers… For those who still wanted to give their donations please let us know.. God Bless you all!

Photo taken by Cynthia Reyes. Residents and relief workers trudge through the muddied streets, this one along St. Mary's Avenue in Provident Village, Makati. At the height of the floods, this main thoroughfare into the village was a roaring river of floodwater, crashing into homes and tossing aside everything in its path.

Around 12:00 MN (GMT +8:00) Sept 30

From Sue Prado:
Repost: Ateneo needs more donations of men’s trousers, pants, shorts, and underwear, as well as sanitary napkins and toothbrushes and toothpaste. Please repost!

From Ito Rapadas:
(REPOST) For those in Australia: PAL shipping donations from Australia Free Of Charge! Sydney Delivery point for donations in kind: Revesby Press 3/50 George Street Granville. Ph:9760 0933. Urgently seeking donations of clothes, blankets, canned goods.,medical supplies. Please segregate clothing according to: infants, girls, boys, women, men, shoes! Please call 0414-736-231.

From Yvette Tan
thru Jennifer Jacinto Weber: For people whose houses have been submerged: 1. Make sure you use CLOROX for dirt and not just Lysol to kill mold; 2. Spray/Fumigate against mosquitoes, or there will be an outbreak of dengue & cholera may follow. Please pass. (Note: Earth-friendly MESSY BESSY or PLANTEX better than Clorox.)

From Jeremy-Benjamin Domingo:
Thank you, Bob Guerrero: The world needs to know how bad it is. Facts on Typhoon Ketsana: – 380,000 are homeless and seeking shelter in evacuation centers. Food running out. – 450mm of rain fell in 9 hours, what usually falls in 1 month and nearly 2x Katrina rainfall. Waters rose as high as 20 ft. – Some places have received little or no aid 4 days after the rains because waters have yet to subside.

From Sunny Lucero:
let’s minimize the use of plastic. they will end up clogging drainage systems. what goes around comes around. just a thought.

From Karen Ang:
Help needed at Payatas. Corpses all over lacks media attention. Please repost so others can also take action.

From Sandy Allan:
IMMEDIATE AID is needed in San Antonio Abad, Maybunga, Pasig. WATER IS NOT SUBSIDING. In danger of dengue & water borne diseases. SEND HELP! THANK YOU TO WANGGO GALLAGA FOR THIS POST!

Around 1:00 AM (GMT +8:00) Sept 30

From Nityalila Saulo:
Reposting: Message from a doctor: For people whose houses have been submerged: 1. Make sure you use CLOROX for dirt and not just Lysol to kill molds. Then 2. Spray/Fumigate against mosquitoes, otherwise there will be an outbreak of dengue & cholera may follow. Please pass.

From Ito Rapadas:
For our US Northeast/ New York city based kababayans: You may bring your donated goods to Pandayan Center, 406 W40th St. Between 9th and 10th Ave, NY 10018 or call 212-564-6057 for more information.

From Carlos Celdran:
CONGRESS can no longer deny the fucking connection between overpopulation and the destruction of the environment. Too much trash from too many people causing too much trouble. We’ve turned a blind eye for way too long already. Pass the fucking R…eproductive Health Bill already, godammit. Fucking VOTE on it already will you??

From I Love Manila:
Muelmar Magallanes, an 18-year-old construction worker braved rampaging floods to save more than 30 people, but ended up sacrificing his own life in a last trip to rescue a baby girl

From Josa S. Quintas:
RT- Since every1 else is giving out goods for adults…pls don’t forget the BABIES! they need clothes, diapers, warm blankets, formula and baby cereal! I can’t imagine the pain the mothers must be feeling.It’s not easy

From Mari Kaimo:
Many thanks to those who’ve already given donations of relief goods. May God richly bless you all! Today we had teams in Marikina handing out relief bags, helping with home clean ups and we did a soup kitchen effort elsewhere as well.  But since there are so many who remain in desperate need, we are still accepting donations at Word Community Church at #352 Capt. Henry Javier St., in Pasig, just down the street from Ultra and the Valle Verde Country Club. Our phone # there is 910-0777
May God bless and save the Philippines!

Around 2:00 AM (GMT +8:00) Sept 30

From Lee Grane:
REPOST: Everclear Water Station needs help preparing 9000 water bottles for flood victims. Shift starts at 6pm tonight till 8am tomorrow. Address: 38 Sct. de Guia cor. sct. santiago turn to roces from tomas morato then right at sct. sntiago. Store is…… at the corner. Text Clarisse 09189142369 or Greg 09285021988. BADLY NEED PEOPLE FOR 3am shifts. go now if you can, text numbers above.

From Kaye Ricamora:
For friends and family living in the Greater Manila Area as well as in the other parts of the Philippines, cancel any plans to go on trips to other islands because there’s another storm coming in… Bigger boats and planes can be very well affe…cted by the storm as smaller boats and planes… So please, put your safety and the safety of your family first!

From Jeremy-Benjamin Domingo:  
Time Magazine asks, “Why Wasn’t Manila Prepared?”  http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1926646,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner

From Jean Claire A. Dy:
is trying to feel positive today, although it’s so hard to feel that way what with what’s happening in manila.

From a set of photos compiled by Tanya Escaler. A family wades through floodwaters to safety. Days after Typhoon Ondoy/ International Storm Ketsana came roaring through Metro Manila, several villages in Pasig, Cainta and Marikina still have knee-high floods as poor drainage prevents the waters from subsiding.

Read about my own personal Typhoon Ondoy / Internatiional Storm Ketsana here.  You can also check out my previous posts on Typhoon Ondoy /International Storm Ketsana here.

• Get an idea of how bad things were the day Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana hit Metro Manila; check out the chatter I was monitoring on Facebook at the time.
• Pictures the day Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana came crashing down on an unsuspecting  city.

Share This Post: personal post-disaster processing, with Renzie Baluyut.

It is the end of Day Two- the second day after Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana poured down an unearthly amount of rain over the entire city .  I headed for the Pasig apartment earlier on, which was actually the first time since the floodwaters hit.

Taken by my friend, Jam Mayer-Flores, who was on her way with her husband Mon, to rescue some friends and family in Marikina the day after the rains hit.

The entire time that Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana was raining down on Metro Manila, I was fortunate enough to have been in the Quezon City office (well, it’s actually a house that doubles as an office).

I remembered it was raining the night before, just as I was getting ready for bed.  No real cause for alarm- it wasn’t even storm-level rains.  Just regular rainy-season-variety rain.  The only indication I had that there was something wrong was when I woke up the next day, and was told that the cars parked in the backyard had to be moved because the water levels were rising.

Turns out it had been raining all night- which by itself, wasn’t much of an indication- but when we looked out the window, there it was: there was a lake forming in the backyard- something that has never happened before, according to one of our partners, who pretty much lived in this area of Quezon City all her life.

Over a late breakfast (it was almost noon by this time), reports were already pouring in on how certain parts of Quezon City were experiencing flash floods.   Now normally with this kind of rain, you’d already expect the usual places to be flooded up- España/Quezon Boulevard, the area of Banawe and Del Monte, Araneta Avenue, parts of Cubao perhaps.  Elsewhere in Metro Manila- the area of Navotas and Malabon flood up pretty quickly too, as are areas along dela Rosa, Buendia, Pasong Tamo and Vito Cruz Extension in Makati, as well as parts of Taft Avenue in Mandaluyong and the Boni Circle in Mandaluyong.

And then we hear Timog Avenue is flooding up, as well as parts of Valle Verde (in Pasig City) and Greenbelt (in Makati).  You usually don’t have floods in those areas.  A quick look online was what we needed, and the chatter on Facebook was confirming the unbelievable: the entire Metro Manila was flooding up.

How could this happen, I thought to myself.  Was it an issue of drainage?  Apparently much more water was coming in than there was going out.  It was much later on that I realized: it was the sheer volume of water.

It wasn’t one of those days when it’s raining in Quezon City, but it wasn’t raining in Makati or in Parañaque.  It was raining EVERYWHERE in Metro Manila.  For what seemed to be eight straight hours right about now.  So much water in so little time.  Some people were even comparing Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana with Hurricane Katrina:

Hurricane Katrina dumped OVER AN INCH of rainfall in Louisiana for 3 hours and another 0.5 inches per hour over the next 5 hours on August 29, 2005. Ondoy dumped an AVERAGE OF 2.24 INCHES per hour for six hours… and is still going.

I thought it was an unfair comparison.  Katrina at least, had the courtesy to announce her presence with strong- well, hurricane-force winds.  Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana was a sneaky little bastard.  Metro Manila had no idea whatsoever.  We were all lulled into a false sense of security thinking that it was just another rainy day.

Marcos Highway all muddied up. This used to be a busy thoroughfare, but now looks like a scene straight out of a post-apocalyptic future. Marikina, Pasig and Cainta are some of the areas hardest hit by Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana

As you can see from the pictures, it’s a completely different, and ultimately tragic, story. Almost a hundred lives have been lost, a lot more missing or still unaccounted for, on top of several thousands displaced, and property damage that’s just completely unheard of.

The rains have stopped as early as Sunday.  Rescue and relief operations were underway.  The whole Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana incident made me think:  would something like this ever happen again?  Some people said flooding like this last happened some 42 years ago.  But with the way climate change has been messing around with the regular air patterns and weather conditions, I say this is just a taste of things to come.

Something to think about, really.

Now, I haven’t been home in days.  Not for lack of trying.  As of this writing, the water levels were still hip-deep.  People were wading through the murky muddy floodwaters trying to get all sorts of supplies: fresh drinking water, food, diapers for the babies.  And while I know the apartment sustained a considerable amount of water damage, I know others have it much worse than I do, and that my problems, however significant, really pales in comparison.

Nevertheless, we pick up the pieces and move on.  And as we do so, we help others along the way.

Another picture taken by Mon and Jam. You'd see overturned vehicles everywhere as a result of floodwaters tearing through the streets the day before. Yes, it was that bad.

Click here if you want to know how you can help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana.

You can also check out my previous posts on Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana here.

• A list of relief and rescue/information hot lines, as well as other links and resources on all things Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana.
• Get an idea of how bad things were the day Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana hit Metro Manila; check out the chatter I was monitoring on Facebook at the time.
• Pictures the day Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana came crashing down on an unsuspecting  city.

Share This Post: parts of Metro Manila are still in shambles, so let’s help whoever we can, and share whatever we have –Renzie Baluyut.

As bad as things are now in Metro Manila, what with Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana crashing down on us all a couple of days ago, it’s a sad fact that there are people worse off than us who need our help.

Case in point: I live in Pasig City.  The floodwaters have actually gone into my apartment and made a mess out of things, but that is nothing compared to people whose houses were flooded all the way up to the roof and had to wait it out ’til the next day for food, warmth and rescue.  Or those whose cars were swept away by the surge of floodwater, or were completely submerged in water-filled basement parking lots.  Or those who were literally trapped in their homes because they had children and babies with them, floating around in murky waters until the next day.

A not uncommon scene: raging floodwaters submerged houses completely in several areas in Metro Manila, then left behind a thick layer of mud when it subsided the next day. Photo courtesy of Yahoo! News.

As you can see, my problems are more of a nuisance, really, rather than an actual lamentable concern, compared to our more unfortunate countrymen.

At the time I write this, close to a hundred lives have already been claimed by Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana.  Several more remain missing and unaccounted for, and thousands of people were displaced by the deluge.

We all pitch in, and help however we can.

I urge you to do what you can to help as well.  Spread the word, tell others about what had happened here.

If you want to help out some more, please read on.

There’s a spreadsheet right here you can check out:  http://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=tBMVeBvbdAtYRaRB6ErFWnA, that tells you where you can donate what items, where to volunteer, which items are needed more immediately, and other notes and requests.

Other ways you can help

1.   Check out the Philippine National Red Cross.  Quite possibly, the best place you can send donations, whether you’re in the Philippines, or elsewhere in the world.  Get all the details on how you can send donations right here from the official website.

2.  TXTPOWER.org.  Check out their website here.  You can send donations via Paypal (magbayanihan@yahoo.com.ph or by clicking here), through GCash (0917-9751092), or using SmartMoney (5577-5144-1866-7103).

3.  Other channels available:  Check out the blog of our dear friend, Jane, over at “Here’s To Life!”.  She constantly updates this particular post, so you have all the options you need for helping out.

Most urgent needs

* Food items: Rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans and potable water
* Medicines: Paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrheal diseases
* Non-food items: Bath soaps, face towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water purification tablets, plastic sheetings, and Laundry soap

4.  There are establishments and organizations on a previous post of mine in need of volunteers and relief goods as well.  Any assistance you can throw their way would be very much appreciated.

Businesses/ Commercial Establishments
1. 7-11 stores
2. Alabang Town Center drop off goods at the concierge.
3. Aranaz Stores in Rockwell & Greenbelt is accepting donations of any kind for Payatas communities affected by Ondoy
4. Binalot at Greenbelt 1, call Tetchie Bundalian at (+632922-8573277)
5. Brainbeam Events, Inc. 2/F MB Aguirre Cornerhs Bldg,15 Pres Ave cor Elizalde Sts, BF Homes Paranaque across the old Caltex in BF. Will accept relief goods.

6. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will be accepting canned goods, water, clothes, blankets, towels, medicine, and emergency supplies (no cash) in all our branches on behalf of the victims of Typhoon Ondoy starting today until Friday. Your generosity will be much appreciated during this difficult time for our brothersand sisters in need.
7. Fantastik Manila – send donations to 5729 Calasanz St. Barangay Olympia Makati City Telephone Numbers +632-7290530 or +632-5017405
8. Jollibee branches in Metro Manila – drop off point
9. Luca stores (Rockwell, Shang-rila, Eastwood, or GA towers): Send your old clothes & donations (no cash please).
10. Manor Superclub, Eastwood City will accept goods and other emergency items starting Sunday at 10 am.

11. Ministop IBARRA (Espana cor. Blumentritt, Sampaloc Manila) is also accepting relief goods, Food (non-perishable goods only) Clothing, Medicines, Beds, Pillows, Blankets, Emergency Supplies to help Typhoon Ondoy victims.
12. Moonshine boutique in Rockwell also accepting relief good to help Ondoy victims in Marikina and Cainta.
13. Myron’s Greenbelt will accept relief goods
14. Papemelroti stores in 91 Roces Ave. / Ali Mall Cubao / SM City North EDSA / SM Fairview / SM Megamall / Glorietta 3 in Makati / SM Centerpoint / SM Southmall are accepting relief goods (canned goods / milk / bottled water / clothes – NO CASH pls.)
15. Philippine Daily Inquirer – 1098 Chino Roces Ave. corner Mascardo and Yague Streets, Makati City and to any of its classified ads branches, and to any McDonald’s branch within Metro Manila. Donations in kind, such as instant noodles, canned goods, formula milk, blankets and clothes, are urgently needed.

16. PowerPlant Mall accepting donations for ABS-CBN foundation. Dropoff at admin office, P1 level.
17. Red Kimono restaurants – has branches in Pasig, Pampanga, Quezon City and Taguig City. Will accept canned goods, bottled water, clothing for all ages, basic household items.
18. R.O.X. – Recreational Outdoor eXchange is accepting donation for relief good for Typhoon Ondoy victims. You can bring it in the store located in B1 building Bonifacio High St., Tel. No. (+632-8564638/39)
19. Shell gas stations – drop off point
20. Smart Wireless Centers – SM Fairview, SM North EDSA, Gateway Mall Cubao, AliMall Cubao, SM Megamall, SM Muntinlupa, SM Bicutan, SM Sucat, Festival Mall Alabang, Alabang Town Center and SM Southmall. Will accept cash or goods.

21. Team Manila stores in Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell shall be accepting relief goods (Canned Goods, Ready-to-drink Milk,Bottled Water and Clothes) for distribution by Veritas.
22. Total gas stations- drop off point
23. Unimart will receive all cash and in-kind donations to be transferred to LSGH Gate 2.
24. Vivere Suites 5102 Ridgeway Avenue, Fil-Invest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Contact (+632-7… for inquiries or drop off at concierge area. Will accept relief goods.
25. Whitespace 2314 Chino Roces Ave Ext as a Makati drop-off for relief goods.

Government/ Civil Society/ Movements
1. Victory Fort is opening its doors to those affected by the typhoon. Call 813-FORT.
2. ABS-CBN through Banco de Oro account number 56300-20111 account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Incorporation
3. Akbayan’s taking donations, call 433-69-33/433-68-31 to donate or volunteer.
4. Brgy. San Antonio Bgy Hall near Paranaque City Hall (Sta. Lucia St. corner San Pablo St., San Antonio Valley 1, Paranaque. Drop off point.
5. Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC): Relief goods for typhoon victims being accepted at 72-A Times St., West Triangle, QC. Tel (+632-9299820/22)

6. Department of Social Welfare and Development donation drop off points: National Resource Operations Center, Chapel Road, Pasay City (Contact: Mrs. Francon Favian) / Quezon City Area Disaster Resource Operations Monitoring and Info Center (DROMIC). Contact Rey Martija or Imee Rose Castillo, Tel Nos. (+632-9517119 ) or Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera Tel No. (+632918-9345625)
7. Kabataan Partylist Drop off donations or volunteer at 118-B Sct. Rallos QC. (+632926-6677163) or kabataanpartylist@gmail.com
8. Sen. Kiko Pangilinan is accepting donations @ AGS Bldg Annex, 446 EDSA Guadalupe Viejo. Contact Vina Vargas at (+632917-8081247)
9. Luzon Relief: Donations can be brought to RENAISSANCE FITNESS CENTER, 2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers Ortigas, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City starting MONDAY (Sept.28) / 9am – 7pm Contact Person: Warren Habaluyas (+632929-8713488) or email at luzonrelief@gmail.com
10. Marika Bouncers Coop – 95 Malaya St., Malanday, Marikina : will accept donations starting Sept. 28 at 10 AM

11. Miriam Quiambao drop off point: One Orchard Road Building in Eastwood, or message http://www.twitter.com/miriamq for more details.
12. Move for Chiz is asking for volunteers and donations at Bay Park Tent, along Roxas Blvd., beside Max Restaurant and Diamond Hotel in Manila, or at Gilas Minipark at Unang Hakbang St., Gilas Q.C.
13. NoyMar relief Operations: Clare Amador (+639285205508) or Jana Vicente at +63928…). Drop off for relief donations is at Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao.
14. Operation Rainbow (Zac Faelnar Camara) at Ayala Alabang Village needs Canned Goods, Ready-To-Eat Food, Bottled Water, Ready-To-Drink Milk/ Juice, Clothing, Blankets, contact
15. Philippine Army Gym inside Fort Bonifacio or GHQ Gym in Camp Aguinaldo are now distributing donations for Ondoy Victims.

16. Red Cross Load Donations: Right now the easiest way to make donations from the seat of your chair is via mobile phone load. The Red Cross Rescue and Relief Operations. Text: RED<space>AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)
17. Relief Efforts for Pasig at Valle Verde 1 Village Park, contact (+632916-4945000, +632917-5273616)
18. Relief Operations Center at AGS Annex, #446 EDSA Guadalupe Viejo after PET Tower contact Ares at (+632917-8554935) or Rachel at (+632918-9241636)
19. Sagip Kapamilya hotlines (+632-4132667, +632-4160387) #13 Examiner St. West Triangle, QC. and Scout Mayoran, cor. Morato, near Alex III.
20. Tulong Bayan hotlines for donations and volunteers are (+632908-6579998) Marilyn, (+632939-3633436) Jenn (+632-9137122, +632-9136254 & +632-9…).

21. World Vision partners with Phil Coast Guard and kind individuals for relief distribution to 3k families. Call (+632-3747618 local 242) or text (+632917-8623209) to help.
22. Worldvision Foundation is also accepting donations/volunteers to pack relief goods in QC. For $-donations, BPI:USDacct #4254-0050-08

Religious/ Schools & Universities
1. Assumption College San Lorenzo is now accepting donations. Please drop them off at the AC guardhouse.
2. Ateneo de Manila University is now accepting donations for the victims of Ondoy. Donations can be dropped at MVP Lobby. For those stranded/those who need help: To all students who need help or know of people who need help. Please text the name, location, and contact number to (+6329088877166). ATENEO, which is now an open shelter, accepts refugees. Call (+632917-8952792)
3. Ateneo Law School – Rockwell. Looking for donations and volunteers. 20 Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City. Call (+632-8997691 to 96)
4. Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge
5. CCF Ortigas St Francis Mall Room 402

6. CFC Center Ortigas is now open for donations in cash or kind. Call or text (+632922-2542819)
7. De La Salle University-Manila – The Sagip Metro relief operation will start to accept donation for Ondoy victims starting Monday @ 8:30 am. Please bring goods to the South Gate of DLSU-Manila.
8. De La Salle Zobel will be accepting donations tomorrow at Gym 5 (Near Gate 7 in Molave St.)
9. DLSU Medical Center will accept canned goods, blankets, clothes, water. Location is at Congressional Avenue, Dasmarinas, Cavite.
10. Hillsborough Village Chapel – Water, blankets, shoes, and clothes may be sent to Hillsborough Village Chapel in Muntinlupa City. These will go to families whose houses were washed out in the nearby sitios.

11. La Salle Greenhills for Greenhills/Mandaluyong/San Juan Area, if you want to help out with the rescue and relief operations, you can drop off your donations (clothes, food, etc..) at LSGH Gate 2 or volunteer from 9am to receive, sort, repack the donations.
12. Our Lady of Pentecost Parish (+632-9290665) per Gabe Mercado, donations are very much welcome. The Parish is located at 12 F. Dela Rosa corner C. Salvador Sts., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
13. Peace Retreat Movement – leave all donations at the Peace Retreat Movement (PRM) office, 2F, Rm. 72L, Christ the King (HS) Bldg. on Wednesday, Sept 30, 12noon
14. Playschool International in Better Living is open to receive relief goods. Feel free to drop it there for your convenience. No Cash Pls.
15. Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Cor EDSA (+632-9257931-40)

16. San Beda College of Arts and Sciences Student Council – accepting clothes, meds, water, canned goods, soap, money, etc.
17. Santuario de San Antonio Parish – McKinley Road, Forbes Park. Accepting all kinds of relief goods. Contact JJ Yulo or Mike Yuson
18. Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan Task Force Noah, a disaster response arm of the Jesuits, is accepting donations. Please drop it off sa Ateneo Cervini Dorm.
19. Southville International School and Colleges – will only accept goods. (+632915-5385113, +632915-4151319)
20. St. James Church Multi-Purpose Hall – Drop off point

21. St. Pedro Poveda College is now accepting relief goods. call the Social Action Center (+63… loc. 121)
22. UA&P Please contact Dae Lee [SEB EVP] at (+632917-8323533) needs donations and volunteers.
23. UP Sigma Alpha Nu Sorority MANILA – collecting food, water and toiletries. You may drop them off at unit 12-O One Adriatico Place, Ermita Manila or contact (+632917-8857188, +632917-6659948).
24. UP College of Arts and Letters (CAL) is accepting goods and cash. Donation center at CAL/text (+632929-6454102).
25. UP Diliman USC is collecting food, clothing and/or cash. Contact TITUS (+632917-8001909), JOSE (+632927-3056607) and TIN (+632915-4906106)

26. UP’s OVCCA accepting donations of relief goods starting tomorrow. Please help by disseminating this info. Contact (+632-9282947).
27. Katipunan Avenue. Contact Erica Paredes at (+632917-4741930) — they need bread, packed juice, sandwich filling (tuna, chicken, anything) You can help her make them, deliver the sandwiches to her house, or help her distribute!  Call for more details.
28. Valle Verde Mansions – 135 CAPT. HENRY JAVIER ST. BRGY. ORANBO, PASIG. This is near ULTRA for relief drop-off
29. Xavier School in San Juan is now accepting donations, please bring to Multipurpose Center (MPC).

Private Citizens
1. MAKATI: 5729 Calasanz St., Olympia Makati City or call for pick up at (+632-5017405 or +632-7290530) c/o Omel Santos
2. SOUTH: Accepting relief goods in SOUTH AREA. Please contact Anne at (+632915-2854240)
3. Karen Ang of Pasig 3 Kagandahan corner Kabutihan Streets, Kawilihan Village, Pasig (+632920-9520900) will forward donated relief goods to Red Cross
4. Colleen Manabat (Heartrio Prints) of Angeles City will accept bottled water, canned goods, blankets, clothes, medicines from 9 AM to 6PM. Address is Stall 2 MGY Building, 2444 Sto. Entierro St, Sto. Cristo, Angeles City. She will forward the donations to Sagip Kapamilya – ABS-CBN Foundation.
5. Joseph Castillo of Cebu – will send a 20 ft. container to Manila and is looking for donations from Cebuanos. Get in touch with him through (+6329082368999 or +632932-2117111)

6. Bianca – will pick up donations from Greenhills/San Juan area. Donate food, medicine, or clothing. Call (+632-4123861, +632927-8436002)
7. Kelly & Jodge – Colonade Residences, Legaspi St. corner C. Palanca, Makati City. Will accept relief goods.
8. Omel Santos – 5729 Calasanz St., Olympia Makati City. Call (+632-5017405 or +632-7290530). Drop off point for donations. Also willing to pick up.
9. RJ Ledesma and friends – call us at (+632917-8131601) for pick of donations. Only relief goods

Just doing the best we can at this hour of great need.

You can also check out my previous posts on Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana here.

• A list of relief and rescue/information hot lines, as well as other links and resources on all things Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana.
• Get an idea of how bad things were the day Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana hit Metro Manila; check out the chatter I was monitoring on Facebook at the time.
• Pictures the day Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana came crashing down on an unsuspecting  city.
• My personal thoughts on the entire Typhoon Ondoy /Ketsana disaster.

Cheers, everyone.