How to Overcome a Calamity

How does one overcome? How does one continue on with life? I'm back from Manila and already I'm exhausted. What more for those who have lost everything? How does one sleep at night on muddy ground with pieces of debris as shelter?

How does one wait? There's nothing else that can be done except to wait for clothes and food to arrive, if ever they were to arrive... From knowng to not knowing. From having to nothing. There were no goodbyes, no time to let go. Just as the day 26 September 2009 goes off never to return again so are lives changed forever.

This past week I've experienced the power of "overcome". A man lost his house in Isang Dakot, Payatas. Yet when we saw him at the end of the week, he was sitting in wooden makeshift home, next to the very house that had been washed out to the creek. How?

Maycool and Syndey lost their home. The floors can't be seen as it's covered in layers of mud. No one would have guessed where the kitchen, living room and dining room once were. Yet they came to Paaralang Pantao and helped sort the relief aid for the others. We would never have guessed they were victims of Ondoy who had to flee for their lives.

Yet not everyone is as resilient and as ready to overcome. How can they when they've spent their lives building their dreams into reality? Start all over again? Dream all over again?

There are many people who want you to dream and they want to help you make your dream a reality. Whatever Ondoy or earthquake or tsunami has snatched away... no one can ever take your dream away. After every storm comes a rainbow. You know what? It's up to each of us to give of ourselves so that the rainbow can be as beautiful as it was made to be.

acts29 wishes to acknowledge the efforts of people who have been part of that rainbow connection, to give hope when hope was lost.

1. The many who gave more than 300kg (and still counting) of relief aid.
2. Timothy Ho, Jeremy Nonis and Herman Lopez who collected and packed the aid.
3. Paul Goh, Colin Seet, Gerry Teo, Eward G who gave their time, their determination to get all our boxes on to the flight.
4. Terence and Phyllis Spykerman for the VAN!
5. Jasmine from Church of St Anthony's who dared!
6. Youth Ministry Office at CAYC who gave us the space for collection of aid.
7. Raymond and all at Caritas for their quick and effective support
8. Gerald the travel agent who's motto was "Fly us 1st, pay later!"
9. Catholic doctors who gave medical aid
10. Laura from Catholic Nurses Guild who never says no to all our requests!
12. Pascual Laboratories (Philippines) for medical supplies
13. Willie Cheng and ACCT for responding to our appeal for aid
14. Drs John and Priscilla Lee. What an amazing team!
15. Evelyn and family... for taking the 4000 purification tablets to Manila.
16. The logistics help at Payatas: Julian, Kuya Dave and Mr. Loydy.
There's no road you can't get to and no box too heavy!
17. All teacher volunteers at Paaralang Pantao who walk in the heavy rains, through the mud to get to the families. In the toughest of times, you still give big warm smiles.
18. The de-facto medical mission i/c: Dr Christine Carbon who has made the medical missions a possibility.
19. Cathy and Jay Reyes. You believe in prayer and you believe there's always a way.
20. May Batol, our beloved coordinator. Even in your medical condition, you have given priority to the relief efforts. You hopped into Paaralang Pantao. Your hop gave hope.
21. Fr Terence Pereira, our spiritual director, who dares us to dream.
21. Letitia B Reyes. For dreaming... for building... Paaralang Pantao (School for Humanity) for 21 years. Even when others have given up, you have never stopped dreaming.


Please note:
Collection of relief aid is on-going till Friday 9th Octobe 8pm. Drop off point: Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre, No2 Lorong Low Koon, Upp Serangoon Road. *LABEL all bags/boxes acts29

1. Blankets
2. Plastic Plates, Forks and Spoons
3. Clothes (Only Casual Wear)
*No office wear, winter jackets, revealing outfits, cultural costumes, swimming costumes, badly stained.
4. Slipppers/walking or rubber shoes
*No high heels, leather shoes, ladies' boots
5. Soap bars
6. family sized straw mats (not single beach mats) for sleeping

10th October Saturday evening community Mass
All are welcome
There will be a Eucharistic celebration at 7pm, Caritas 9th Floor (Catholic Welfare Building, Waterloo Street) to pray for the victims of Ondoy and Sumatra earthquake.
Celebrant: Fr David Garcia, O.P.

Pictures of Erap City after Ondoy and relief aid

On the way home on SQ 919

At an altitude of 11,887m & going at ground speeds 3 times faster than your usual F1 car, we sit comfortably after delivering almost 300kilos of relief aid to Manila. We had gone to see the damage by Ondoy in parts of Erap & Payatas. Houses near creeks were flooded and even knocked over. Livestock and valuables were swept away by the raging currents.
The children enjoy swimming in the muddy waters but the parents can only count the losses incurred. Most families continue to show the resilient Filipino spirit, swiftly moving on to rebuild their houses nearby and salvage what little remains.
We arrived on Thurs night and headed to Payatas.
On Friday, we assisted in the sorting out of the items. Families affected would be given 1 bag of rice with 3 cans of sardines and a bag of clothes. In the evening, the teachers in Payatas informed the victims that the aid could be collected at Paaralang Pantao. First to arrive was Baby Jane with her mum and brother, a familiar face indeed. We went on to distribute the food and clothes as Teen gave medical consultation.
Saturday’s upon us and everyone is preparing for Typhoon Pepeng (Parma) while we head to Erap to distribute the aid. Here, more families are affected and more need medical attention.
In the afternoon, we head out to assess the damage done. The once peaceful creek has now become a raging monsoon drain. And homes can be seen floating across the river. People can be seen crossing the river, wading through the currents. On another side, a house is seen partially on land, and the rest in the creek. Further up, in the home of teacher Maycool, we see more damage. Their 7 pigs & 5 goats were swept away as water levels rose and their home knee deep in mud.
Aid is slow to reach such areas and plans to rebuild washed-away homes is wishful thinking if left sorely to the government. Our presence is only a small contribution but my hope is that the family will be sustained through the unimaginably difficult period. We will now work to provide medication for the families.

Daryl Spykerman

Video of Ondoy hitting Erap City on 26th September

A sharing from Nadine Tolibas, friend volunteer (Paaralang Pantao)

more updates from Manila...

At 4pm, the rains started pouring here in our place. Papa just arrived. He said floods are already knee deep in Fairview. I need to rush to buy groceries. People seem to be in the worry mode. Bread is almost out stock in SM Fairview Mall.


I received a text message from Nadine Tolibas, she’s one of volunteers who went to Erap today. She shared that she had seen many houses washed out by the floods. She mentioned the need for the people to transfer to higher grounds before the new Typhoon Pepeng comes. She shared that her worries, what if they don’t evacuate.

Many people are very much concerned now and wish to donate. Tomorrow Nadine’s friend Julius and their family will be sending donations and relief goods as well. Many of our neighbors are calling; they’ll bring in some clothes for Payatas and Erap as well.

8:30 pm. Just now I receive a text message from Sherlyn, they spent the day packing relief items and visited the Fire House. They were doing good packing more relief items until 8:00pm, until electricity was cut out. She is also asking updates about typhoon Pepeng. I told her typhoon hits Bicol Region now, Metro Manila is in Signal No. 1

Yes, everything happens for a reason, with no electricity in Payatas I just wish my friends do find a cozy spot to rest now. For surely, tomorrow will be a full day.

As for your friend here, I am still in “house arrest” as per doctor’s advice. I have allergies and nursing an infected wound on my feet. The reason might be: rest and relax… God is in control.

Today is the feast of our Holy Guardian Angels too. I’ve been witnessing so many angels and hearing so much news from here and out there in Singapore! 

Take care everyone and please hold on to our mutual prayers that this typhoon wouldn’t hit our country and may the people who are suffering now, in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Samoa receive all the graces that they need.

Updates from manila

Daryl and Sherlyn arrived at Paaralang Pantao, Payatas together with all of the 14 boxes at 11pm last night. Also at the school were 15 sacks of 50kg of rice. They spent the next morning packing the rice, plates, clothes, blankets and towels which was planned to be distributed to the families in Isang Dakot at lower Payatas, where they still have not recieved aid,  in the afternoon. However, they were unable to do so because of the rain. 1 death has been confirmed there. They are expecting boxes of canned sardines to arrive from a factory. Getting portable water is still a problem. The plan for Saturday is to go to Erap to give aid to the families there. North Luzon was on signal 4 alert and Payatas on signal 2 alert in the afternoon. They are expecting super typhoon Pepeng to hit metro manila at 9pm. Everyone has to be home to prepare and power will be shut off in places prone to flooding. Arroyo held a national disaster council meeting in Cainta. A state of calamity has been declared allowing the local government to access their local calamity funds. Across the nation prices of food and other stuff will be controlled. The confirmed death toll in the afternoon was 280 according to DSWD. The government will sponser the burial of the dead. Other problems that have arised from this natural disaster are firstly the shortage of portable toilets at the evacuation centres and secondly health problems mainly respirtory infections and diarrhea.

Manila! Manila!

We have landed! at 825pm. SQ was ahead of time!!!
We cleared Customs... The officers there were great! 2 people 14 boxes 288kg! Yeah...
the aid is now on the way to Payatas
We're eating at Macs now.. waiting for super typhoon.

Please pray it doesn't come.
Tomorrow morning we head for Payatas. We will spend the day packing and getting ready for distribution.
Dr Tin and friends in MEC will meet in Payatas and start distributing aid to those in Isang Dakot.
It's in the valley between the real mountain and the dumpsite mountain.

Saturday we go to Erap. When we have time we'll post details of those students who have lost their homes and those whose homes have been damaged.

Gerry, the plates are a great idea!!!

God bless.

48 Hours and Counting

48hours ago, my friend asked us to pray. But we thought we could pray and do more. So the clock started ticking. Wednesday morning the plan fell in place. An impossible plan.. but oh well just give it a shot.


Wednesday morning , ICA started processing my new passport.

11am we’re booked on SQ 916.

1230pm, the details of what was happening in Erap City reached us. Isang Dakot still no news but we that it had been by by Ondoy and at least one kid had died.

3pm, we got the list of things needed for relief from Jay and sent out an appeal for aid, cash and kind to all out contacts. We don’t know what to expect. Maybe 40kg? Maybe more? Someone in SQ is able to give us another 10kg more. We have 60kg of baggage allowance.

5pm Our phones start ringing non-stop and msgs flood our Inboxes.

530pm my dad dropped off new large boxes for the collection at CAYC.

By 6pm we had gotten in touch with people like Jeremy, Herman, Tim to help with the collection and packing. Herman helped us to rent a van. Daryl’s dad would drive it so we could go round and pick up donation too.

7pm Catholic Nurses Guild inform us they are trying to get meds. Catholic doctors are ready to give Panadol which is great because the people there are getting fevers, coughs and colds.

8pm onwards Donations started rolling in to the Archdiocesan Catholic Youth Centre at Lorong Low Koon. Youth Ministry Office kindly gave us the space for the donations to be dropped off.

Friday

830am the rental van is picked up. Daryl’s dad knows the boss. We get a discount.

930am We’re picking up things from Yishun, Katong Convent, clinics, Sengkang. And my new passport too!

1230pm We reach CAYC. Herman has packed 10boxes weighing an average of 15kg each. The donations that have come in overnight were startling. We still have boxes being dropped off at the airport for us. There is more stuff that have not been packed. No time. No space.

The Van leaves. The Van gets lost. The van is carrying the 10 boxes of cargo and the 2 passengers for the flight. My 2nd favourite mantra, Everything happens for a reason... In times like this... just believe. Plus lots of people praying for us.

130pm We arrive at T2. The counter just closed. We can’t check in. We miss our flight.... Stick to the mantra – Everything happens for a reason.

2pm We manage to change our tickets. We’ll take the next flight out. SQ 918 at 505pm. There’s a BIG PROBLEM... we have too many boxes! We managed to push our allowance to 90kg. We can only take 4 boxes.

205pm Lord we’re tired. Never mind the 14boxes (yes 4 more were added at the airport). We have clothes, blankets, footwear, 100plates, about 10 000 slabs of Panadol and 100 lightsticks. But the people who had joined us at the airport were more determined than me. And I have to mention their names here: Gerry Teo, Paul Goh, Colin Seet, Jeremy Nonis and Edward G (who happened to be in the airport) These people were not taking ‘no’ for an answer. They wanted as many things to get to the 130-150 displaced families.

We start calling people. Who can help? A SATS girl appears. A St Anthony’s youth. I have to mention her name! What an angel! Jasmine. She helps us. She’s as steely as the rest. The duty manager comes down. He sees our deed of donation.

230pm We’re checked in, all 288kg of us.

48hours after the appeal to pray...

245pm Me: “Jay we have 288kg of aid coming in at 8pm. Are you ready for it?”

Jay: “Ok we can arrange that. I’ll change the van to a truck.”

What's acts29 plans after Ondoy

In order of Priority:  Almost 150 families require aid and shelter.

1) Get to Isang Dakot and survey damage. Then Erap City. These are 2 places where students from Paaralang Pantao live. In acts29 we're commited to Simplicity, Solidarity and Mission. So yes, we will walk in solidarity with those affected and give the support needed.

2) Get food rations and water supply and distribute (together with the other things we have brought).
Tita and the teachers who know the residents best will decide who gets what. We are bringing clothes, towels, blankets, footwear, Dettol. Generous doctors here are giving us almost 16, 000 tablets of Panadol to help those with fevers. (as requested by the school).

3) Get 1st aid supplies in Manila and treat all those with wounds. We are so blessed to have Dr Christine Carbon (Tin) join us there and she'll see to those in need of medical attention.Tin is also one of two doctors there who have been driving the previous medical missions (e.g TB testing).

4) Find immediate temporary shelter for those who are still on the streets.

5) Interview the families affected both in Isang Dakot and Erap City and assess their immediate needs.

5) Go out to other parts of Montalban and see what help is needed.

Long term Plan (not finalised yet)
1) construction of houses for the displaced on safer grounds
2) livelihood project

Over in Singapore after Ondoy

Since we began our appeal for aid yesterday, my phone has been ringing off the hook the whole day. Everyone's asking lots of questions and want to know more.

So here's what happened before the appeal. The papers have been publishing over the weekend about Typhoon Kestana. We got reports about how bad things were in Manila. But we didn't hear anything from May, Jay and everyone else. So you know how sometimes the news reports focus on just one little area but the whole of Luzon continues on in oblivion. By Monday we started to see pics of familiar places flooded, familiar names. We tried to contact May. Couldnt reach her. So we thought it wasn't that bad since they weren't calling us. Then we heard \Rizal province had been affected and a small alarm went off. Then by Monday night there was a mention of Montalban and by then alarm bells were ringing loud and clear. By Tuesday morning we were on the net and news was coming out about Montalban and very familiar names. San Jose, Sub Urban... then Erap City! My hair stood on end. http://paradoxicleyline.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/montalban-under-state-of-calamity/
Desperately called Mayb. By this time, she too was trying to contact me.

May was on MSN. So was Jay. May, our dear coordinator, is stuck at home. She can't walk for the past week due to an infected wound from an accident. Being at home the whole weekend, she too was unaware of the damage outside her home... as you would have read from her posts. By Tuesday afternoon, finally there was word from Erap City. Ate Baby had come out to Payatas to see Tita to get help for teachers  who had lost their homes. She wasn't able to say much. Communication network in Payatas not that great either. But what we knew was Erap City was hit, homes have been destroyed. There's no electricity and no water.
but it was not submerged.Also no aid was coming into those areas affected.

Still very sketchy. May now had a new job description for the rest of the coming days. Stay home, by the phone and on the net and update everyone, connect everyone (Jay, me, Daryl, the rest of acts29, Ate Baby, etc) and pass info on.. Great plan right?

I thought of perhaps of going during the weekend or the following week. But then Jay came online and asked me to pray for the teachers and students who lost their homes. Jay would not say something like that unless he really needed us to pray! So that's when I decided... I will go to Manila asap and ask whoever in the exco could go. Then Jay tells me he plans to check out the situation in Erap on Wed morning... that means Jay doesnt go to work on Wed?? which is like the whole day already gone cos he would stop by Payatas, pick up Tita and then go to Erap and so on.

So I told Jay we would come on Thursday afternoon. and he said he would pick us up and take the day off too. Take Thursday off too? Woh. Now I'm not just hearing things and seeing things from the media.

So bit by bit May gets news and things start to look bad. teachers only have roofs. houses washed away. only mud left. people living on the streets. no electicity still. no drinking water. By tuesday evening, we had started asking around for things like blankets, clothes, etc as requested by Jay

By Tuesday night, we were ready to book our airtickets. Daryl could go. Debbie not sure.. too much work but would try and me, yes. thanks to iggy.. life saver.. who is free enough these coming 4 days to take over all my classes. At 10pm, I was suddenly reminded of my passport. Only had 5 months validity. Oh no! what do I do? I started calling people. Asking them if they had tried renewing in a day. Everyone laughed.. yes Daryl too.. I remember his words, "Who do you think you are?"... no one's going to give you a new passport in 24hours. I went to bed sad. But one of my favourite t-shirts says, "Look who's behind me all the way."... Jesus.. ok just trust in Him.

Today (Wed morning) 830am I am at ICA. This time i'ts my turn to ask Jay to pray for me. The outcome? They are giving me a new passport! I collect it at 10am tomorrow and I can make it in time to catch the afternoon flight. The people at ICA are really great for being so kind and understanding. T

1230pm! finally Jay calls. He's checked Erap out. He's got pics too. There are places in Erap where the mud is as high going from the waist to the neck. The whole isle on the creek is gone. About 50 families have nothing left but mud in place of houses. People are reusing water and taking water from the creek. there some volunteers giving out aid but not much. Seems to be that all our students (150 of them) can be accounted for.
Sadly in Payastas Lower dumpsite has been hit too. the place is Isang Dakot. We had youths who had homestay there. Jay was not able to get there. Not much word from there. Other than 30 families live there and their homes are destroyed.

This is the way to Isang Dakot (in the background)

We pray for the safety of everyone. We will be on our way tomorrow afternoon and arrive in Manila by 545pm. I trust Singapore Airlines to get me there before the sunsets.

Erap City's Creek After Ondoy