Tiara-Ra

Just last week I got an email from WomWorld Nokia. In the email was an offer to test a Nokia phone (of course, it’s a nokia phone, duh.) My fingers flew off the keyboard to type E72 and the N97. I’m a big fan of Nokia’s E series and I use a black E63, which is often mistaken as a blackberry by some people. :p

A few days later I saw another email from the guys at WomWorld saying they have an E72 unit I could play with. The unit is on it’s way already…and I just can’t wait!

It’s been almost a year since I moved to Makati. Countless storms have passed by, one after the other, with their names hardly remembered. All I know was that if there was a storm it never stopped raining and the weather’s all gray and gloomy for a week. But never, never have I been rendered trapped and almost helpless by a storm, not once in my entire life here in Makati.

Lucky me

You see, I was lucky enough to find a spacious apartment that wasn’t plagued by floods every time it rained and was near enough to the office that I could be at work in 5 minutes by cab.

I’m still lucky, compared to other people in the metro. The apartment up to now is dry and safe, the compound isn’t flooded but that’s it. The street outside is submerged in water, and this is the first time I’ve seen our street as well as Kamagong street rendered impassable by even the bravest of tricycles.

Luck came through again for me when I decided to buy groceries yesterday at Waltermart Makati. I was still sick but was feeling a bit better after taking my own cocktail drug (5 kinds of paracetamol + dalandan + honey) so I decided to go out and buy some dvds at Makati Cinema Square. Once there I had this sudden urge to do a little grocery shopping and rather than go to SM (which is where I usually shop for groceries) I walked over to WalterMart and bought my usual grocery fare of noodles, pancit canton (all instant), canned tuna, native oranges, crackers, and a big pack of samba.

Never did I know that this is what I’ll be eating the next day because of Ondoy.

Trapped

Come Saturday morning it was raining hard. I didn’t think anything of it. I just went down, turned the router on and grabbed a pack of Nissin wafers thinking I’ll go out and buy a full meal later when the rain stops.

Even when people were plurking and twittering about the floods and how they’ve lost their things I still didn’t worry. I felt bad for Ate Aileen and Migs on their plight but since I was so sure I lived in a flood proof home I didn’t think Ondoy will affect me that much.

Wrong.

Ondoy showed it’s effect by trapping us all in our apartment with no real food. Yes we were dry and our apartment isn’t flooded but safety and flood free stopped right in front of our gate. If I wasn’t so sure that I was living in the city, I’d have thought I was at a river side, what with the water all rippled and flowing.

It finally sunk in that I was going nowhere. Not for food and not even for work.

Ondoy’s Effect

By 6pm I finally went down to watch the news. People were plurking and twittering about floods as deep as 10 feet, some posting pictures and videos. But seeing the news on tv, with reporters like Susan Enriquez looking harassed and stressed, people’s faces looking resigned, desperate, and just plain helpless made me realize how grave the situation was.

I looked around, started thinking and making a brief inventory of the things I could use in case the flood decides to conquer the apartment as well. It was dismal. No candles, no flashlights, not even a match under my name.

Most of the food was junk, everything instant, save for the native oranges I bought from the supermarket. The only useful appliance I had was my trusty rice cooker,  which can be rendered useless if the electricity gets cut off, and my 5 year old scout knife.

I wasn’t prepared at all! And to think I was a girl scout once and went through all those disaster preparedness trainings.

When it finally stopped raining I let out a big sigh of relief. I am alive, dry, and the apartment is in one piece. I am so fucking lucky.

I’ve learned my lesson though. Come rest day, I am so gearing myself up in case Ondoy’s cohorts strike anew. Meanwhile, I’ll start sorting out my things so I could donate clothes and a few pairs of sandals and slippers.

Interested in helping out? Click on this link to find out how you can help.

Erica Paredes

Katipunan Avenue, QC

0917-4741930

donate bread, packed juice, sandwich filling or you can help her team distribute the goods

Junior Chamber International Manila

Baypark Tent, Roxas Blvd.

will accept goods starting Monday

Our Lady of Pentecost Parish

12 F. Dela Rosa corner C. Salvador Sts., Loyola Heights, Quezon City

(+632-4342397, +632-9290665)

will accept relief goods

Kapuso Foundation

2/F GMA Kapuso Center

Samar St. cor. 11th Jamboree St. Diliman, Quezon City

Call 9827777 loc. 9901/9904/9905.

accepts relief goods and cash

Sagip Kapamilya

ABS-CBN Warehouse

13 Examiner St

will accept donation goods

Miriam Quiambao

One Orchard Road Bldg, Eastwood City

will accept donations starting Monday

Operation Rainbow

Ayala Alabang Village

4687991

Accepts Canned Goods, Ready-To-Eat Food, Bottled Water, Ready-To-Drink Milk/ Juice, Clothing, Blankets

Monique Villonco

Whitespace 2314 Chino Roces Ave Ext

will accept relief goods in behalf of NoyMar volunteers

Karen Ang (that’s me)

3 Kagandahan corner Kabutihan Streets, Kawilihan Village, Pasig

0920-9520900

will forward donated relief goods to Red Cross

Every Nation, FORT

32nd St cor University Pkwy across Market Market

will accept donations for Red Cross esp. purified water, canned goods, and infant formula

CDRC

72-A Times St., West Triangle, QC.

9299820/22

will accept relief goods

Manor Superclub, Eastwood City

will accept goods and other emergency items starting Sunday at 10 am

All Petron branches

will accept relief goods

La Salle Greenhills

Drop off goods at Gate 2

Ateneo

Drop off goods at the MVP Lobby

Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan Task Force Noah

Ateneo Cervini Dorm

Caritas Manila Office, Pandaca, MANILA

accepts relief goods esp. milk, dry clothes, food

Philippine Army Gym

Fort Bonifacio

accepts relief goods

Camp Aguinaldo

CRS Office, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City

0915-1162853

will accept food, medicines, and other relief items

Radio Veritas

Veritas Tower West Ave. Corner EDSA

9257931-40

accepts relief goods

Hillsborough Village chapel in ALABANG

Water, blankets, shoes, and clothes etc. are being accepted at the Hillsborough Village chapel for families whose houses were washed out in the nearby sitios.

LUCA store

Rockwell, Eastwood, Shangri-la

will accept relief goods

Myron’s

Greenbelt

will accept relief goods

Papemelroti Stores

will accept relief goods (canned goods / milk / bottled water / clothes – NO CASH)

91 Roces Ave. / Ali Mall Cubao / SM City North EDSA / SM Fairview / SM Megamall / Glorietta 3 in Makati /… SM Centerpoint / SM Southmall

Aranaz Stores (for Payatas communities)

Rockwell and Greenbelt

will accept donations

MOONSHINE

Powerplant Mall, Rockwell

will accept relief goods

Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao (NoyMar Volunteers)

will accept relief donations as well as volunteers

Office of Congressman Ruffy Biazon

Ground Flr South Center Tower, Madrigal Business Park Alabang.

Team Manila

Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell

shall be accepting relief goods for distribution by Veritas

Luzon Relief

Renaissance Fitness Center

2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers Ortigas, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City

Contact Person: Warren Habaluyas, (0929) 871 3488, luzonrelief@gmail.com

Relief goods will be accepted

TXTPower.org

will forward donations to Red Cross

Paypal

Smart Money – 5577-5144-1866-7103

G-Cash – 0917-9751092

Red Cross

1. CASH or CHECK

Please send cash or check donations to the PNRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine National Red Cross. They can arrange for donation pick-up.

2. BANK DEPOSIT

Account Name: The Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross

METROBANK

Port Area Branch

Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8

Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2

Type of Acct. : SAVINGS

Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS

Port Area Branch

Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99

Type of Account: CURRENT

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS

UN Branch

Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94

Type of Account: SAVINGS

Swift Code: BOPI PH MM

For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.

Credit Card

Please fax the following info to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575:

Name of card member, billing address, contact nos. (phone & mobile), credit card no., expiration date, CCV2/ CVC2 (last three digits at the back of the credit card), billing address, amount to be donated.

For online donations you may also visit our website at www.redcross.org.ph .

In-Kind Donations

LOCAL

Please send in-kind local donations to The Philippine National Red Cross – National Headquarters in Manila. They could also arrange for donation pick-up.

INTERNATIONAL

1. Send a letter of intent to donate to the PNRC

2. A letter of acceptance from PNRC shall be sent back to the donor

3. Immediately after shipping the goods, please send the (a) original Deed of Donation, (b) copy of packing list and (c) original Airway Bill for air shipments or Bill of Lading for sea shipments to The Philippine National Red Cross–National Headquarters c/o Secretary General Corazon Alma de Leon, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila 2803, Philippines.

SMS and G-CASH

SMS

text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)

G-CASH

text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

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

FOR THOSE OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY WHO WANT TO DONATE

TXTPower.org has set up a paypal account for donations. Your money will be forwarded to Red Cross.

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