For days, I have shunned images of the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. I don’t have any relatives or friends from the provinces ravaged by the typhoon, but like many Filipinos abroad, I am one of those who are deeply troubled by the tragic news back home. I have been receiving messages from some of my Korean friends and my former wonjangnim asking if my family in the Philippines is safe. My family is from Pampanga, an area not affected by Typhoon Yolanda, but my family and I know what it’s like to be scared and helpless when a calamity strikes. We were victims of a natural disaster, too, when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991.

Typhoon Yolanda has claimed the lives of thousands of people and devastated several provinces in Visayas. Millions of people have been affected by the calamity. More than a hundred thousand families have lost their homes and are seeking shelter in evacuation centers. Some are still looking for family members.

People are in desperate need for water, food and medical assistance.

If you would like to help the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, you can find a list of organizations and institutions that are accepting donations for relief operations from this article:  How to Help Philippines Typhoon Victims

There is also an advisory on donations for those affected by recent disasters in the Philippines posted by the Philippine Embassy in Seoul. You may send your cash donations to the following organizations:

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC)
Account Name: NDRRMC Donated Funds
Account Numbers: 0435-021927-030 (Peso Account); 0435-021927-530 (Dollar Account); Swift Code: DBPHPHMM Account #36002016.
Address: Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Camp Aguinaldo Branch, PVAO Compound, Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines 1110
Contact Person: Ms Rufina A. Pascual, Collecting Officer NDRRMC, Office of Civil Defense, Camp Aguinaldo, Q.C.
Contact Numbers: +632-421-1920; 911-5061 up to 65 loc 116
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Account No. 3124-0055-81
Bank Branch Address: Land Bank of the Philippines, Batasan, Quezon City, Philippines
Contact Person: Ms Fe Catalina Ea, Cash Division
Contact Numbers: +632-931-8101 loc. 226; +63-918-628-1897 (mobile phone)
Website: http://www.dswd.gov.ph

Philippine Red Cross (PRC)
http://www.redcross.org.ph
Contact Number: +632-527-0000
Bank Accounts for Donations:
Banco De Oro
Peso: 00-453-0018647
Dollar: 10-453-0039482; Swift Code: BNORPHMM

Metrobank
Peso: 151-3-041631228
Dollar: 151-2-15100218-2; Swift Code: MBTCPHMM

Philippine National Bank
Peso: 3752 8350 0034
Dollar: 3752 8350 0042; Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

Unionbank of the Philippines
Peso: 1015 4000 0201
Dollar: 1315 4000 0090; Swift Code: UBPHPHMM

Per PRC website: “For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip to PRC nos. +632-527-0575 or +632-404-0979, with your name, address and contact number.”
Donations in kind may be sent to DSWD National Resource Operations Center (NROC), with address at DSWD, Chapel Road, Pasay City, Philippines. Contact Person: Ms Francia Fabian – +63-918-930-2356.

Donation of used clothing is discouraged.

Here in South Korea, some Filipino organizations have set up a fund drive for the victims of the typhoon. You may send your donations to any of the following:

An organization in my hometown called Nurture the Children Foundation of Pampanga Inc. is asking for volunteers who can help them in preparing food packs. If you are from Pampanga or you are near the area and would like to volunteer, you may call 02 552 7930 for more information.

Tonight, I will be reading Psalm 23 for the victims of the typhoon. I don’t have much to give, but I believe that ardent prayers will help renew the strength of our fellow Filipinos.

Sa mga kababayan kong nasalanta ng bagyong Yolanda, hindi po kayo nag-iisa. Marami ang nananalangin para sa inyong kaligtasan.  Marami ang gumagawa ng paraan para kayo ay matulungan. Hang on. This too shall pass. 

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