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