Philppines
- Thread starter Glenn
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Talked with my in-laws who are now in the Batangas - near Manila. They have a place there also. House and water supply are intact in Tacloban so they didn't suffer too much. I KNEW my father-in-law built a strong house. Cop son-in-law stayed with them. It's nice to have an extra gun, I suppose. He was a great help as he drove his car to the airport and got them out of there. I married into a tough family and am proud that my father-in-law says I am as tough as a Filipino. It's a long story.
Sometimes you don't know how tense you have been until the stress is gone.
Sometimes you don't know how tense you have been until the stress is gone.
Sounds like strong, pulling together close family Glenn - with everyone safe and a hopeful recovery now possible.
Good deed efforts by NBA family and Coach Erik Spoelstra, helping to get dollar contributions to affected Filipino children after the devastating typhoon. Story and video link:
http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/mia...-miami-heat-featured-unicef-typhoon-relief-ad
and at last USS George Washington nuclear powered aircraft carrier and its support ships arrive to assist:
http://news.yahoo.com/us-carrier-spearheads-philippine-relief-effort-141828702.html
Good deed efforts by NBA family and Coach Erik Spoelstra, helping to get dollar contributions to affected Filipino children after the devastating typhoon. Story and video link:
http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/mia...-miami-heat-featured-unicef-typhoon-relief-ad
and at last USS George Washington nuclear powered aircraft carrier and its support ships arrive to assist:
http://news.yahoo.com/us-carrier-spearheads-philippine-relief-effort-141828702.html
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It's good to know that my people are felt and cared by very well recognized members in this forum.
Though I have been a resident of Singapore for 8 years now, I am full-bloodied Leyteno (general term for people for Leyte, Philippines) and it breaks my heart seeing and reading the devastation of my beloved island.
In behalf of the people that would receive your donation through Red Cross, I would like to personally thank you for lending us a hand.
May you be blessed back ten-folds.
Though I have been a resident of Singapore for 8 years now, I am full-bloodied Leyteno (general term for people for Leyte, Philippines) and it breaks my heart seeing and reading the devastation of my beloved island.
In behalf of the people that would receive your donation through Red Cross, I would like to personally thank you for lending us a hand.
May you be blessed back ten-folds.
Where on Leyte are you from? Nanay is from Tacloban and Tatay from the opposite side of the island and south. Tatay grew up speaking visayan (I get confused with all the languages) and Nanay spoke wari wari. Now tatay speaks wari wari as that's the neighborhood he lives in. I have HUGE respect for both and always have. It was fun giggling with nanay on the phone last night despite the fact she really struggles in English. Her pain came from driving away and being unable to take neighbors as they were begging for a ride. Tatay was proud that his house was undamaged, even the tank that held their water supply. He built it all. Son-in-law really took over but he had my sister-in-law riding his arse. He had no options. 
He and sister-in-law were living in Batangas but she sent him to Tacloban.
For those who don't know and I presume most are too young, Tacloban is where McArthur landed.
Just because people are poor doesn't mean they aren't intelligent. The "crime" that Anderson Cooper has been highlighting because how could he not is that despite the fact that typhoons are a regular occurrence in the Philippines (this is the 20th this year) the government seemed helpless to do anything. They had no medicines or blood so people died unnecessarily. The rich don't like to share their money but we should all know that.
I particularly admire Tatay. He has a fifth grade education yet his hand writing is immaculate. He is clearly very intelligent. It's just that at the time of 5th grade, he could go to work to support his family. He became what I presume would be called a project manager building subdivisions. He makes a mean lechon. I don't have a clue how he met Nanay as there is a mountain between their towns and I really don't know if there are any decent roads. I've ridden straight across the top of Leyte and it's quite a ride. To go across and south is (guessing) a 6 hr drive and no one has a car. I have a story to hear.
I have two nephews I've never seen and have to somehow get to Batangas.
Now I need to get them all here and take them to a Kings game. Nanay will add to Arco Thunder. You betcha.
He and sister-in-law were living in Batangas but she sent him to Tacloban.For those who don't know and I presume most are too young, Tacloban is where McArthur landed.
Just because people are poor doesn't mean they aren't intelligent. The "crime" that Anderson Cooper has been highlighting because how could he not is that despite the fact that typhoons are a regular occurrence in the Philippines (this is the 20th this year) the government seemed helpless to do anything. They had no medicines or blood so people died unnecessarily. The rich don't like to share their money but we should all know that.
I particularly admire Tatay. He has a fifth grade education yet his hand writing is immaculate. He is clearly very intelligent. It's just that at the time of 5th grade, he could go to work to support his family. He became what I presume would be called a project manager building subdivisions. He makes a mean lechon. I don't have a clue how he met Nanay as there is a mountain between their towns and I really don't know if there are any decent roads. I've ridden straight across the top of Leyte and it's quite a ride. To go across and south is (guessing) a 6 hr drive and no one has a car. I have a story to hear.
I have two nephews I've never seen and have to somehow get to Batangas.
Now I need to get them all here and take them to a Kings game. Nanay will add to Arco Thunder.
You betcha.
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Where on Leyte are you from? Nanay is from Tacloban and Tatay from the opposite side of the island and south. Tatay grew up speaking visayan (I get confused with all the languages) and Nanay spoke wari wari. Now tatay speaks wari wari as that's the neighborhood he lives in. I have HUGE respect for both and always have. It was fun giggling with nanay on the phone last night despite the fact she really struggles in English. Her pain came from driving away and being unable to take neighbors as they were begging for a ride. Tatay was proud that his house was undamaged, even the tank that held their water supply. He built it all. Son-in-law really took over but he had my sister-in-law riding his arse. He had no options. He and sister-in-law were living in Batangas but she sent him to Tacloban.
He and sister-in-law were living in Batangas but she sent him to Tacloban.
I do speak the a bit of waray-waray and understand most of it as I frequently travel to Tacloban , Palo, and Samar during my childhood days. Tacloban is the capital of Leyte and most regional school activities are held there and in Palo, Leyte, McArthur Park is my frequent stop. Now looking at the images of devastation and the widely criticized slow response of the National government, I can't even imagine how the people of Leyte and Samar will be able to rebuild their lives.
Fortunately, due to the wind cutter mountain range that split Leyte vertically, the southwestern part of Leyte, which my hometown sits, was spared from any human casualty. Houses and building though were not spared. My father and sister still lives in our old house there and I was finally able to talk with them 3 days ago after all communications went down since Yolanda arrived. We lost a quarter of our roof there. But at least my family is doing fine. So far, it seems that my city has now turned into a temporary capital of Leyte as it is the closest town to Tacloban and Ormoc with at least some surviving economic infra like water supply, money exchange, gasoline, telco towers and wet market. But still no electricity.
As my father told me when I called them again yesterday, a lot people from Tacloban have now reached our city. Most of them walking the whole 200-300 kilometers, God bless them. The interior secretary and our President don't really know Leyte and Samar and probably the advisers they have now as well. And I don't why the keep forcing these guys to lead in this calamity.
People have left Tacloban on foot to other towns because as Anderson Cooper mentioned (and that is seems to be the truth that the Aquino government still deny) no sustainable and reliable help really arrived even on the 5th day. This interior secretary even turned into a bottleneck as he wanted to sign approval on any aid first before distributing it to the victims. And he seems to only see Tacloban as the city that needed help. And probably Tacloban airport is the only place he know of Tacloban......
I don't know, But didn't they even think that a lot of victims from Tacloban, Palo, and Tanuan have already hiked to other towns which are now running out of supply and the government didn't even care until they don't get criticized in social media.
Really disappointed now, sorry. Samar have it's share of the devastation. But I don't know why it never even made it to the news or even to the attention of the president when he first came to Tacloban. I have a lot of childhood friends around the region and a few of them resides in Tacloban and Samar so I do get first hand info on what they suffered there, especially with one high school classmate who actually lived just in front of San Jose in Tacloban which really was the worst hit in Tacloban.
As of now, I am only able to send supplies to my immediate relatives in Leyte a whole bunch of my circle have been really active to send relief goods themselves and not through the government because the sentiment around the Samar/Leyte folks that have social media access is that the Aquino administration is all about protecting their image. Manipulating death counts and all? I don't know why they have to do that...It's a calamity brought by nature and not initiated by any political party. Why are they doing this? Why are they leaving people to die in hunger and illness just after surviving a record-breaking typhoon in the history in the last century.....
Please pray to your Gods the recovery of my people, our forsaken islands, and my friends...
BTW, international help seems to have started to arrive as my father mentioned Japanese Red Cross passing by our town. I hope these guys use their instincts and not fall into the government bureaucracy...
Baybay sounds very familiar. It very well may be where tatay was born. It's at least very close to where tatay was born and definitely is the language he speaks. A mountain range can come in handy to protect from the elements. People walked??? That's not only a long walk but a terrible walk because of the mountains. I always thought Tacloban was relatively protected from storms because of Samar but I guess not. I have been in Ormoc many times but only to take a ferry to Cebu. Korina Sanchez thought that going to Ormoc satisfied Cooper's challenge for her to come and look at the devastation personally. Wouldn't want to break a nail and certainly she couldn't be critical of the governmental action as her husband was in charge. The heroism is from the population and foreign governments and certainly not from the government. It's disgusting. Donations are pouring in but still hit the bottleneck of the airport. I understand planes are coming and going with great regularity now.
I THINK Aquino is better than most Presidents but attaining the Presidency or any governmental position seems to be just an opportunity to skim money. Aid arrived at the Tacloban airport stamped "Do not deliver to Philippines officials." As very few were anywhere to be seen, that wasn't difficult.
It will be interesting how the US gets involved in reconstruction. Certainly there is a link between the countries but would you send a check to the government??
I think initially the airport was under military control which sounds appropriate but you wonder if the bigger reason is so the President had control of the goods. As it is, now that the USS George Washington and its small fleet of ships has landed, the government should get out of the way. Never will happen and it probably isn't diplomatic but I will bet money the Americans get cheers.
I THINK Aquino is better than most Presidents but attaining the Presidency or any governmental position seems to be just an opportunity to skim money. Aid arrived at the Tacloban airport stamped "Do not deliver to Philippines officials." As very few were anywhere to be seen, that wasn't difficult.
It will be interesting how the US gets involved in reconstruction. Certainly there is a link between the countries but would you send a check to the government??
I think initially the airport was under military control which sounds appropriate but you wonder if the bigger reason is so the President had control of the goods. As it is, now that the USS George Washington and its small fleet of ships has landed, the government should get out of the way. Never will happen and it probably isn't diplomatic but I will bet money the Americans get cheers.
For people who want to see how a dysfunctional and poor country's President responds to a calamity, read this. Lots of finger pointing.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/529221/no-aid-aquino-points-to-local-execs
The back story is that the family that runs Tacloban (Imelda Marcos' family) were at least partially responsible for killing the President's father on the tarmac of the airport in Manila many years ago. It's all personal animosity and no one can rise above this petulance to take care of the people. 10 days after the typhoon hits he is asking what the people need. Brilliant. Most people watching CNN know what they need.
Did he expect the mayor to provide medicine, water, food, and blood for 220,000 people? I presume all the local officials were simply trying to survive. All the President had to do is look around and see that the city no longer exists. Is that REALLY the fault of the mayor or does a Federal government with all its power and supposed wealth take over. Strange.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/529221/no-aid-aquino-points-to-local-execs
The back story is that the family that runs Tacloban (Imelda Marcos' family) were at least partially responsible for killing the President's father on the tarmac of the airport in Manila many years ago. It's all personal animosity and no one can rise above this petulance to take care of the people. 10 days after the typhoon hits he is asking what the people need. Brilliant. Most people watching CNN know what they need.
Did he expect the mayor to provide medicine, water, food, and blood for 220,000 people? I presume all the local officials were simply trying to survive. All the President had to do is look around and see that the city no longer exists. Is that REALLY the fault of the mayor or does a Federal government with all its power and supposed wealth take over. Strange.
We have an understandable short memory for tragedies. Just want to remind people that the disaster that destroyed my wife's home town has a followup. It is expected that the rebuilding of Tacloban will take 4 years which doesn't surprise me. What DOES surprise me is that there are still bodies to be picked up. Even that is a bit predictable sadly enough.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/578377/hundred-days-after-typhoon-search-for-bodies-still-on
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/578027/tacloban-hobbles-on-road-to-recovery
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/578377/hundred-days-after-typhoon-search-for-bodies-still-on
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/578027/tacloban-hobbles-on-road-to-recovery
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