Rebuild Lives of Typhoon Survivors (Philippines)

1. Cash or check donations can be deposited to

2. Online donations can be sent through http://www.visayanforum.org/portal/donation.html 

While in major parts of Manila have returned to normal, certain inland areas in Pasig are still flooded due to the critical water level of the Laguna Lake. Likewise certain coastal communities in such as Isla Putting Bato in Manila Bay unprotected. Traditionally flooded slum areas in Paco, Pandacan, and Quezon City remain where floods have already receded, are threatened again by the rising flood water levels due to continuous release of water from major dams in the wake of another super typhoon. During the height of typhoon Ondoy, these areas were hard hit because many residents did not hear about the warning of the release of water from Angat Dam.

After its initial response in Paco/Pandacan, VF plans to conduct additional operations in coordination with partners in Isla Puting Bato and Parola (Manila), Maybunga (Pasig), Bagong Silangan (Quezon City) and Balayan (Batangas).

Targeting more than 2,000 families, VF will conduct:

1. Relief operations to provide basic food provisions include distilled water, rice, noodles, canned goods, milk, biscuits, etc. Clothes and blankets will also be given.

2. Medical mission to respond and prevent garbage-related diseases. Local doctors will be mobilized. Priority medical supplies include antibiotics, paracetamol, anti-diarrhea (loperamide), cough, oral rehydration (pedialite or tablets) and vitamins.

3. Distribute emergency school kits including notebooks, ball pens, crayons, textbook materials, etc.

4. Solicit desktop computers for BBK Pandacan and Paco to replace destroyed computer units in existing community learning training computer centers under the stop trafficking and exploitation through Unlimited Potentials anti trafficking preventive program

5. Provide seed capital for women’s livelihood in coordination with relevant BBK committees. This is important to discourage mothers from desperately seeking new loans from local usurers.

The Visayan Forum Foundation was founded in 1991 by a group of Visayan professionals, who provided relief goods to 5,000 landslide victims in Leyte and eventually sustained rehabilitation programs for around 3,000 displaced upland farmers and fisher folk families. Since then, VFF has addressed the long-term consequences of natural disasters and poverty by embarking on creative partnerships to address trafficking and migration of women and children. VFF is globally recognized for the operation of halfway houses helping more than 34,000 victims of trafficking through the provision of rescue and rehabilitation, medico-legal assistance, alternative skills enhancement and employment opportunities. VFF has also organized community partners to prevent the incidence of trafficking and protect children from child abuse.