I never saw this kind of disaster in my 22 years of existence. Mindanao is lucky to be spared by typhoons and we live here. We just experience scattered rain showers and rains but not this disastrous. But we all know, there are atmospheric changes that is occurring. Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth is fast happening. Just last month, I experienced a waist-deep flood at San Pedro for the first time, after living here for five years now.

I just came from my travel from M’lang when I heard of Typhoon Ondoy (international codename Ketsana). I was shocked looking at the pictures posted by friends on their Facebook walls. Much more when Erwin posted that his parents and nephew and niece ages 6 and 7 years old stayed at their rooftop when the water level started to rise. It was September 26, 2:30PM and until September 28 there were still no rescue operations. It was raining and the children are vulnerable to sickness.

Then I remembered my mother. She's living with her new family in Bacoor, Cavite. We also have relatives at Hagonoy, Bulacan. I called my mother and she assured me they are okay. Their house are situated at higher part but the creek behind their subdivision overflowed. I asked her to be vigilant and to evacuate. On the other hand, my uncle lives in Hagonoy, Bulacan. What’s disturbing is water run off went to their area but all in all, they survived and not harmed.

Then Erwin and I had a chat over Facebook. I asked him how's his family are faring. He said he lost contact with them. I sense his helplessness. It breaks my heart since I could not do anything to comfort him, to ease his tension. It’s very hard that you are here in Davao, watching the news and footages,and you know your loved ones are in dire help yet you are helpless. Words are not enough to ease the tension.




Contributed photos at GMA Facebook Account.

We talked and monitored the news. My sister and I have been checking also other relatives and her husbands’ relatives. The next day early morning, my sister texted me that my mom and my other 3 siblings evacuated their house and stayed overnight at a friend’s house since water level rose in their area. The rubber parts they are using and selling at their vulcanizing shop were swept away. My stepdad was able to save their compressor. I am thankful they are safe. I advised them to be alert since another tropical depressions are forming at the east.

Then my sister called and cried. Her mother-in-law was trapped at their house at West Floowday, Brgy. San Andres, Cainta, Rizal. It was one of the areas that was not yet reached by rescue operations. Nana Myrna and her companions texted my sister on Saturday morning and then no more contact.

I am blessed with internet and phone connections. All I can do is raise the alarms for these people. For the first time, I called all hotlines, all available numbers and websites to post queries, raise alarms for relatives (direct or indirect). This is the time I cried so hard and prayed hard for the fear of losing these people. When Erwin decided to go to Manila and personally check his parents and pamangkins, I cried. I fear for his safety and his family. Some areas are still impassable. But I know he will be uncomfortable and stressed knowing his family are in critical situation.What I can do is just pray for his safety and for his family’s as well.

He arrived in Manila late afternoon, then he and Gani, his bestfriend went to their area. I was trying to call him this morning. No signal. I just prayed that they were able to do it. And just this morning, he texted that his family are okay but relief goods like clothing and potable water are needed.

This is a wake-up call for all of us. I am calling for other Mindanawans to send donations either cash, nonperishable foods and clothing for the victims of Ondoy. I call for the people to pray for them and to the volunteers for their strength.

As of September 28, 2009 the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), disseminated this information..Just click HERE.

For those who are still looking for their loved ones, you can check these numbers and websites:

Useful Links
News and Updates

* Google News
* YouTube
* Official Government Site
* Local media websites
o ABS-CBN News (SOS Call Map)
o GMA News (Relief Map)
o Manila Bulletin
o Philippine Daily Inquirer
o Philippine Star
o Relief Map

Disaster Emergency

* Rescue Operations
o National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) (+632-9125668, +632-9111406, +632-9115061, +632-9122665) Help hotlines: (+65 734-2118, 734-2120)
o Philippine Coast Guard (+632-5276136)
o Air Force (+63908-1126976, +632-8535023)
o Metro Manila Development Authority (136)
o Marikina City Rescue (+632-6462436, +632-6462423, +632920-9072902)
o Pasig Rescue Emergency Number (+632-6310099)
o Quezon City Rescue (161)
o San Juan City Hall Command Post (+632-4681697)
o Bureau of Fire Protection Region III (Central Luzon) Hotline: (+63245-9634376)
o Senator Dick Gordon (+639178997898, +63938-444BOYS, +632-9342118, +632-4338528)
o Senator Manny Villar (+639174226800. +639172414864, +639276751981)
* Civil Society/ Media
o Philippine National Red Cross (143, +632-5270000)
o Philippine National Red Cross Rizal Chapter operations center hotline: (+632-6350922, +632-6347824)
o Go to GMA Facebook page & post complete addresses and names of people in need of immediate help.
o ABS-CBN Typhoon Ondoy Hotline: (+632-4163641)
o Jam 88.3: (+632- 6318803) or SMS at JAM (space) 883 (space) your message to 2968
* Rubber Boat Requests, 4×4 Trucks
o NCRPO (+632-8383203, +632-8383354)
o Private citizens who would like to lend their motor boats for rescue
please call emergency nos: +632-9125668, +632-9111406, +632-9122665, +632-9115061)
o You can also text (+632917-4226800 or +632927-6751981) for rescue dump trucks.
o For those who are able to lend 4×4 trucks for rescue: Please send truck to Greenhills Shoppng Center Unimart Grocery to await deployment, Tel No. (+632920-9072902).

Online and In-Kind Donations

Below you'll find a list of groups in the Phillippines that are accepting cash and in-kind donations to help with disaster relief efforts:
Monetary Donations

1. Bank Donations

2. Credit Card/PayPal Donations

* GMA Kapuso Foundation
* ABS-CBN Foundation
* Philippine Aid

3. SMS Donations
Procedure Smart Money Globe GCash
PNRC Type RED Ex. RED 100 4493 2899
TXT POWER 5577-5144-1866-7103 0917-9751092.


In-Kind Donation

* Victory Fort is opening its doors to those affected by the typhoon. Call 813-FORT.
* NoyMar relief Operations: Clare Amador (+639285205508) or Jana Vicente at +639285205499). Drop off for relief donations is at Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao.
* Miriam Quiambao drop off points: One Orchard Road Building in Eastwood, or message http://www.twitter.com/miriamq for more details.
* Philippine Army Gym inside Fort Bonifacio or GHQ Gym in Camp Aguinaldo are now distributing donations for Ondoy Victims.
* 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.
* Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (+632-5639298, +632-5639308)
* Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Cor EDSA (+632-9257931-40)
* Aranaz Stores in Rockwell & Greenbelt is accepting donations of any kind for Payatas communities affected by Ondoy
* 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.
* Philippine National Red Cross‘ different ways to Donate.
* 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: REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)
* 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)
* 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.)
* TXTPower now accepts donations via SmartMoney 5577514418667103, GCash 09179751092 and Paypal http://is.gd/3GvuN
* Our Lady of Pentecost Parish (+632-4342397, +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.
* 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.
* 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 La Salle Greenhills Gate 2 tomorrow or volunteer from 9am to receive, sort, repack the donations.
* Petron: You may bring your relief goods to all Petron branches.
* LUCA stores (Rockwell, Shang-rila, Eastwood, or GA towers): Send your old clothes & donations (no cash pls).
* “LUZON RELIEF: Volunteer / Donate / Pray”: Donations can be brought to RENAISSANCE FITNESS CENTER, 2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers Ortigas, MeralcoAvenue, Pasig City starting MONDAY (Sept.28) / 9am – 7pm Contact Person: Warren Habaluyas (+632929-8713488) or email at luzonrelief@gmail.com
* MOONSHINE boutique in Rockwell also accepting relief good to help Ondoy victims in Marikina and Cainta.
* 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.
* Manor Superclub, Eastwood City will accept goods and other emergency items starting Sunday at 10 am.
* Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC): Relief goods for typhoon victims being accepted at 72-A Times St., West Triangle, QC. Tel (+632-9299820/22)
* 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.


We can help in your own way.

Tayong Mismo ang Magtutulungan. Sama-sama, bayanihan in rebuilding lives.

Going to a place for the first time could be a wondrous adventure. Much more if you are with your friends. But doing it alone is another matter. It is like being thrown to an entirely different place and with no one you know, it is uncomfortable.

But having this kind of work in an NGO, research institution for that matter is a challenge for me. As a researcher , I need to be resourceful. I need to be creative enough in my data gathering. It takes necessary skills and interpersonal skills in order for the people to be at ease with you. I need to personally investigate issues that I have to talk to and push for other sectors to support for.

You learn a lot by talking with the people- farmers, fisherfolks, the taxi driver. Talking with them social concerns like food security, poverty, hunger, corruption, you'll realized these people knows so much than you do. The talk is spontaneous. As a researcher, it is your duty to make your participants at ease for an easy sharing of information. Staying in the community is also a must. As for my research on public investment of Local Government Unit (LGU) in local rice production has just started, I choose M'lang North Cotabato as one of the research locale.


I was lucky, it's harvest time!

M'lang is one of the highest rice producing municipality together with Midsayap and Kabacan in North Cotabato. North Cotabato, on the other hand, is a consistent top ten rice producing province. I went to University of Southern Mindanao for a meeting with different networks for preparation for the World Food Day Celebration on Oct. 13. Meeting at Kabacan then data gathering at M'lang afterwards. It's idea of hitting two birds in one stone. :)

Then I went to M'lang armed with only two contact numbers of people I will be interviewing- the municipal agriculturist and the president of the irrigated rice farmers association. I planned to stay in an inn or lodge but I was surprised to learn that a small room for an overnight stay costs P300! Quite expensive lodging for a rural area, I thought. My budget is quite small. I texted my contacts and asked them if they know some place more affordable. The farmer president called me and asked me to spend the night at their house instead. Oh! I just meet him on that day. I put aside my shame and accepted the offer.


The house where I stayed. Hospitality at its best. I love my host family!

While I was waiting for my the kind farmer, the municipal agriculturist who happens to be an aunt of a sorority sis called me and offered their home too. Such hospitality overwhelmed me.

I stayed on the area for three days and I am not dislocated for it is an Ilonggo-dominated area. I speak their language which is one important factor in conducting research. I enjoyed hearing deep Ilonggo words like ayam (dog), igma (eat), kanugon (what a waste). My family host was so sweet and they treated me like their own granddaughter.

I will be coming back maybe next week and I'm glad I had this assignment.

GRUB Resto

I wanted another taste on my palate. Not the usual carenderia lunch we had at the office, or any fastfood meal. Despite the sweltering heat, Jamir and I went out and found this quaint little place in Duterte Street. The Grub Resto, just in between a saloon and Dunkin Donuts offers good food. It’s quite pricey from the usual resto and it takes a long time for them to serve the food, but it’s worth the wait.

They serve coffee, frapuccino and entrée. We order stir-fried seafood vegetable and fish parmegiano in tomato sauce. The entrée comes with brown rice. Good for people in diet and with diabetics!




Fish parmegiano for P125.


Stir fried seafood vegetable. in short chopsuey for P78 :)


Karlyn’s

Where to dine best and you don't have any idea, either ask your food-lover friends or surf the net. I choose the former. Gracey, a college friend who loves to eat with her boyfriend has almost tried every eat-all-you can/ buffet and restaurants around the city. I want a new place to eat out and I asked her. She told me to try Karlyn’s steak. According to her, it was one of the best.

I wanted to tried it with my Someone but never got a chance to do so. So when Jamir, a close friend wanted to try a happy food, something “unique Davao feel”, I told him we should try Karlyn’s. It would be an adventure for both of us. So after strolling in SM, we asked around where the place is.

Located along the highway of Phase 2 Doña Luisita Village, Ecoland, Karlyn’s serves steak ala pobre, fish steak, lengua estofado, Salisbury steak, chopsuey. They serve in buffet style but you only have to pay for what you have ordered. They will cook and/or reheat your order. The special ice tea concoction by the owner leaves a cooling minty feel on your throat.

Oh! It is affordable. The lengua is only P40, fish steak at P75 and the special ice tea for P30. Truly happy meal!



soft and tasty Lengua.

Karlyn's is at the second block near SM ecoland. For reservations and order call Tel.: 299-0087.


Greenhills

Davao is known for eat-all-you can restos that sprouted anywhere in the city. As Jamir said, “Dabawenyos really love to eat.” Eat-all-you-can restos manifests these. While doing his internship in our office, he had tried Grandmenseng, Buffet Palace, Kuya Ed’s, Tita Dei’s. And since his just be here for about two weeks, he wanted to savor the remaining buffet resto he never tried: Greenhills. It offers seafoods.

His first night in Davao we ate at around 8:30PM. I was so starved by then that I was not able to savor the food. The choices are not so appealing for me. When Jamir asked for an early dinner the other day and would really like to pig out, he wanted Greenhills again. For P128 per person, it’s not bad.

And since we are early, we have the best choices: Lechon kawali, spicy mussels, steamed oysters, palabok, tinolang manok, chicken fillet, fish fillet in sweet and sour sauce. There are steamed asparagus, vegetable salads, yellow mango with bagoong and for desserts: mais con yelo, green sago’t gulaman, watermelon and pineapple.

By 8PM, it rained so hard and we were trapped inside. So what’s the best thing to do while bidding your time? Eat, eat and eat! You’ll not be surprised to look at the pictures of our army battalion-like consumption.


The crime scene


The suspects!


Happy meal! ('0')

I realized the other night that I can’t be a tour guide. I lack skills in terms of spatial orientation. Sometimes, I even have to use my hands when determining where is right. I confuse names and locations. And just last night are one of those times that I would rather hide my head in shame.


Jamir, our former intern from Kyoto University and now a friend (grins), came back for an additional data gathering for his masteral research. He went to Maragusan for three days and interviewed the people in the community. After that, he went to our office and tried to process his data when he realized his GPS software was corrupted. The crack code was missing. So while waiting for our systems administrator to download a replacement for his software, Jamir asked me to accompany him. We went to SM, stroll and have our usual talk. Then we ate dinner at Karlyn’s when his friend and a fellow also from Kyoto University was in town making his rounds on faultlines. Jeff, was from PhilVoc. Jamir asked his help regarding validating his areas and Jeff, a map master and a geology graduate is the answer. Jeff said he was staying in Emerald Inn.

Jamir asked me to accompany him at Emerald Inn. I asked him, what street was it?” “Camus Extension”. Honestly, I don’t know where it is. Even I stayed in Davao for five years now (4 years studying at the hinterlands of Mintal, and a year here at downtown working), I still don’t know some places here. Davao City is the largest city in the world in terms of land area, so please spare me the harsh judgment. Hehehe.

Then I remembered, I saw a green sign of a hotel in Uyanguren. Uyanguren is an old name of a street and just hearing Camus, I thought it’s the alternate name of Uyanguren. So I guided him to Davao’s Chinatown!

I remembered standing in front of the DCLA building and that green sign. When we got there, lo and behold! The hotel sign reads E-V-E-R-G-R-E-E-N!! Not Emerald! What a shame!

Oh well, Emerald is the same syllables with Evergreen and the I associated the color with emerald. I tried to reasoned out. We asked the bodyguard where the hell Camus Extension and Emerald Inn is. Good thing a jeepner driver knows and guided us. Then I texted some office mates asking them for confirmation of the information, which I should have done beforehand.

Well, we found the place and I met Jeff after asking so many people and after sweating profusely because of the humid weather. Other good thing is, we were able to discover a newly opened massage clinic just in between Sampaguitta Inn and Emerald Inn. A whole body Thai massage to cap the night and to lessen my shame. I promise myself, to ask longtime Davao friends first before assuming anything.

When looking for an affordable lutong bahay delicacies with homely feel, I recommend Melfont Pinutos (wrapped) Republik. Opened just last June, the resto was able to capture the palate of the Dabawenyos. Located along Prime Square, F. Torres Street where good food, booze and chilling abounds, Pinutos republik created a niche of its own.


The free molo soup.

It offers our favorite viands such as dinuguan, adobo, bakareta, mechado, pork barbeque, binagoongan, (to name a few) wrapped in banana leaves with hard- boiled egg. Your order comes with unlimited rice, ice tea and molo soup. Japanese specialties such as gyudon and chicken teriyaki are also available. It comes cheap- they serve for as low as P50, without sacrificing the taste.

Adodo flakes in rice with butter (yummy!)


Every night they have bands performing. They are opened for lunch and dinner. They also cater for special occasions.

Oh! I can only complain for one thing. They use their menu as their place mat. I just wish they have a separate menu list that can be reused. It's a waste of paper and in times like these (global warming and denuded forests), we have to save papers.