Pictures of Erap City's creek before Ondoy

There's a little isle on this creek. The people rely on these bridges they've made to get to real land.

Almost 50 families were squatting here.

13 of Paaralang Pantao students lived on this isle.

On rainy days, kids living here won't go to school cos the creek will be swollen and they can't cross these bridges.

Last year I asked a resident living on the isle what would happen if there was a flood.

He replied that they would lose everything. Maybe even their lives.

This family's home is one of the 1st houses we past when we walk towards Kasiglahan.

The boy is one of our students.

Further Updates from Paaralang Pantao (from Jay's email)

This morning Jay and Tita Letty head to Paaralang Pantao (Erap) to assess the needs of the many people affected by the typhoon “Ondoy.” So far he confirmed that 50 families lost their houses due to flash floods, 13 of these families have children studying in our school in Erap. Our teachers Maykool and Sydney were among those whose houses were not spared. Jay confirmed around 50 more houses currently submerged in waist to chest deep mud. Majority of the residents started going back their homes and begin cleaning up, slowly moving on.

In Payatas, lower dumpsite (Isang Dakot) there are about 30 families who have been hit hard by the flooding as well.

Critical needs are:
1. Clothing
2. Sleeping Mats
3. Safe Drinking Water
4. Medicines (for cough, colds, flu), and topical treatments for wounds.
5. Food (preferably canned goods and rice).

Further message form Jay:

- managed to solicit 10 x 50kg bag of rice (good enough for 100 families if we give them 5kg each) Next week, I'll be talking to some people who are importing construction materials... affected families will need help to rebuild their houses but hopefully this time, in a safer location.


In behalf of Mrs. Leticia Reyes, our tita letty, I wish to thank you very much for all your prayers and suuport. Tommorow our acts29 friends Sherlyn, Daryl and Debbie will be coming over to help provide assistance to those in need. We are very grateful the support of the many organizations there in Singapore for the promptness of your actions and well meaning endeavors for all the typhoon vicitms here in our country.

God bless and more power!

Sandakot: "A Handful..."

What Sandakot area looks like…

Sandakot is tagalong word for “a handful.” I sense that the place live by its name, simply because people there seem to embrace life and even try hard to survive even with “a handful.”

I experienced going there a few times with Teacher Jane when we were giving medicines for the kids supported by the TB Program. This place is another area in Payatas where one can sense a feel of the “community” because people know each other very well and people so familiar with one another’s life stories. Many people there can even identify the kids without birth certificates.
I remember the Balanquit siblings, Benito and Anna, “Beauty”, Reynante, Carlo and Teresa. They are just some of the many students that I’ve met the last time I went there, very active and cheerful playing and proud to show off their houses. I remember the houses there made of cardboard and the house with a mosquito net for a wall. I remember the very narrow alleys that serve as playground for the rugged kids around. We’re thinking one lighted cigarette can almost bring the whole place down. Sandakot is near Erwin’s place one of our scholars before too. It rests very near the dumpsite, Payatas version of a land down under. Going there I felt proud of the kids who can attend classes in Paaralang Pantao everyday. Truly, the kids showed great perseverance and strength to be able to walk and trek the rough roads.

Tonight I receive a text message from Teacher Jane, the people of Sandakot are now slowly going back from the relocation sites in Payatas. I wonder if there’s anything left…even a handful…

of courage, strength, endurace, hope….

Typhoon "Ondoy" in a blink of an eye

It took me a while to to grasp the reality of the recent storm “Ondoy”. I was at home last Saturday comfortable and lazy. My friends kept sending messages about the flooded streets Manila, Ortigas and Makati, worst they were exhausted and hungry. At the back of my mind I was thinking, what’s new? Everytime a typhoon hits the Philippines we hear tragedies—floods, people drowning, houses collapsing, landslides, accidents side by side. But this rain was far from the ordinary. It has been 2 days already and it seems like he rains wouldn’t even stop. The clouds were thick and dark and at 3pm it looks like it’s almost night time.

I decided go to SM Fairview to buy groceries. But the roads were impassable. What I’ve seen was enough to confirm that something had definitely gone wrong. We cannot come out of our place (Lagro Subd.) because the main roads were all flooded. It’s our first time to experience such flooding in our area which is much higher than any area in Quezon City.

Some friends kept on messaging about the flooded areas and how they were walking on the streets and stranded. We cannot do anything but hope they’ll be home soon to rest. It was a silent evening.

Electricity and phone lines were down in our area from Saturday to Monday.

The next day, I managed to get some news. I stayed in my friends’ house to watch the news because we don’t have electricity yet. And yes, what we’ve seen happening in areas so near to us was a shocking experience.

Fairview’s flood reached to chest levels. Fairview Elementary School was flooded. Houses in the creek side near Lagro were washed out. Flood waters reached 2 story houses in SSS Village and nearby subdivision. There were thousands of people on top of the roofs waiting for rescues. So many cities were submerged in water, Marikina, Pasig, Malabon, Manila area and the government wasn’t ready to provide assistance. There were very limited rubber boats for rescuing. Manila in itself is too big, together with its surrounding cities. There were text messages coming from the nearby provinces like Bulacan, but there were no means to reach the people. In the news people were just too helpless to see people drowning, getting electrecuted or cars being washed out. Most of the people in the affected areas fought for survival.For once we felt there were no barriers between the rich and the poor.Afluent villages were not even spared. The shanty's along creeks were washed out and to date many are still missing.

In Largo we were safe, we are in higher grounds but the surrounding areas are so much in need of relief, food and rescue. We’ve seen in the news many volunteers rescuing, sending life vest, boats and providing assistance. It is a comforting moment. But the efforts are not enough.. There were still places unreached and many people in need up to now.

How about Paaralang Pantao children? Payatas? Erap City?

Typhoon: Paaralang Pantao Updates!

This morning I receive a message from Ate Baby. She told me the floods did not reach the school in Erap but it hit many houses located near the creek. Some of our students live in the area. Two of our teachers, Sydney and Maykool (siblings) lost their homes to the flood. They are now in need of assistance and support.

In Erap City Sub-urban Village families are in need of water, food and clothing. The teachers went on their way this afternoon to check the homes of our students. They have witnessed how the mud and water almost washed the houses. The people are in need of the basics: food, water and clothing. To this moment there were no relief and relocation going on. Some of the families pitched make-shift tents on the alleys and sidewalks and some found shelter with their neighbors who managed to survive the floods.

The lower areas in Payatas were affected as well. People are now settling in basketball courts and schools and waiting for relief goods and relocation. In Bagong Silangan, a place near Sandakot Area, Payatas, it has been reported that 20 people died. Many houses have been washed out as well. Classes have been suspended till Monday. Up to now we don’t have any news on the plights of our individual students. We hope they’re all safe from this tragedy.

We are in need of volunteers who can help reach out to those in need in montalban and Payatas:
1. People badly needing food, drinking water and clothing
2. First aid and medicines
3. Blankets, toiletries and cleaning material to help them clean up their homes

Tomorrow Jay will be going to Erap City to see what more we can do to assist. Mutual prayers,
May