The project is managed by Singaporean humanitarian NGO Mercy Relief with the support of Singapore’s leading media company MediaCorp, and implemented by the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center together with its network of regional centers.

Forty three of the deaths were from Southern Tagalog, followed by Central Luzon with 15 and Bicol region with 18. Seventy-two people remain missing, mostly from Bicol.

Basyang hit the country last July 13, pounding the main island of Luzon with maximum gusts of 120 kilometres (74 miles) an hour.

At least 48,640 families or 241,651 persons were reported to have been affected by Basyang from 709 baranggays, 5 cities and 47 municipalities in 12 provinces.

The typhoon caught the capital by surprise after the state weather service PAGASA warned that only provinces north of Metro Manila will be hit.

The estimated cost of damage to infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and schools in Regions 3, 4-A, 4-B, 5 and Metro Manila were placed by the government at PhP 74.91 M.

Appeal for support

As of this writing, 465 families or 2,365 persons remain inside evacuation centers, the NDCC said. These families need food and non-food items such as: rice, canned goods, water, hygiene kits, clothes, bedding and shelter kits.

For your donations, please call 929-9820 / 929-9822 or drop by CDRC’s office at 72-A Times St., West Triangle Homes, Quezon City.

Sources:

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 07/15/2010

The Philippine Star, 07/20/2010

National Disaster Coordinating Council Situation Report No. 18, 07/20/2010

At least 26 people were confirmed dead, and 44 others remain missing after the typhoon hit the country late Tuesday, pounding the main island of Luzon with maximum gusts of 120 kilometres (74 miles) an hour.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported that 30,260 families or 151,351 persons were affected by ‘Basyang’ in 408 barangays of 7 cities and 62 municipalities in 12 provinces.

Electricity was down throughout Luzon, including the capital Manila, with more than 90 percent of Manila’s 12 million residents without electricity Wednesday afternoon. The national energy transmission company warned that the power outage in some areas of Manila and neighbouring regions may last for up to four days.

The capital’s railway system was also down due to the power outage, while the government closed down elementary and high schools.

Basyang was the first strong typhoon of the season, and its strength took many people in Metro Manila by surprise after the state weather service, PAGASA, said the typhoon would only strike provinces to the north of Luzon.

The estimated cost of damage to infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and schools in Regions 4-A, 5 and Metro Manila were placed by the government at PhP 23.696 M.

Appeal for support

As of this writing, 1,526 families or 7,545 persons remain inside 37 evacuation centers, the NDCC said. These families need food and non-food items such as: rice, canned goods, water, hygiene kits, clothes, bedding and shelter kits.

For your donations, please call 929-9820 / 929-9822 or drop by CDRC’s office at 72-A Times St., West Triangle Homes, Quezon City.

Sources:

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 07/15/2010

National Disaster Coordinating Council Situation Report No. 9, 07/15/2010

Signal level 3 (high alert) is in place for Aurora, Northern Quezon, Polillo Island and Camarines Norte. Alert level 2 has been signaled for Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Southern Quezon, Marinduque, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.  Metro Manila, Albay, Batangas, Cavite, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Ifugao, La Union, Benguet, Mt. Province, Illocos Sur, Kalinga, and Cagayan are on Alert Level 1. All residents in all alert levels are advised to take precautionary measures against flashfloods and landslides, while residents in zones with levels 3 and 2 are warned against high waves generated by the typhoon.

Information sourced from:

PAGASA at http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/ last updated at 5:00 pm July 13th, 2010.

June 20th: 20,000 residents in Sultan Kudarat are forced to evacuate to higher grounds due to heavy rains and flooding on June 20 Sunday, according to National Disaster Coordinating Council.

This is the third of a series of mass evacuations which started May. Evacuees came from the 10 low-lying villages namely: Bulalo, Salimbao, Calsada, Katuli, Gang, Macaquiling, Limbo, Senditan, Banubo and Mulaog.

Losses in infrastructure and properties amounted to P20 Million.

Background:

On the 26th of May, flash floods ravaged through the 10 villages of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura, in Northern Maguindanao. The heavy rains lasted from Wednesday until Saturday, flooding the low-lying areas. A total of 55,758 individuals/13,792 families have been reported as being affected. On the 28 May, affected families were evacuated to Dawa Center, Simuay for safety. Fortunately, by the morning of the 29th, the floods had subsided enough to allow the evacuees to return to their homes.  A damages and needs assessment was conducted in the affected areas by the MDCC Sultan Kudarat Team. 15 homes and 40 hectares of agricultural crops were completely destroyed.

Information sourced from:

Dromic Update as of July 2: http://disaster.dswd.gov.ph/viewdata.asp?opendata=may&id=1544

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20100620-276659/Floods-displace-20000

National Disaster Coordinating Council Incident Report, updated as of July 8th, 2010 @ 8:00pm

Photo taken from The Mindanao Examiner. http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20100601064653

With the observation of Disaster Preparedness Month this July, and with the rainy season and La Nina expected until November, CDRC is challenging President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to beef up government’s disaster-preparedness and response systems this early.

“Let’s not wait for the next disaster to hit the Philippines before we reinforce our systems,” CDRC’s Executive Director, Lourdes Louella Escandor said during a gathering on Disaster Risk Reduction in Antipolo City, attended by its network partners all over the country. She emphasized that early preparation is the best solution to natural calamities.

Last year, the Philippines topped the list of countries most frequently hit by natural disasters, as revealed by the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) being maintained by the Belgium-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED).

CRED also ranked the Philippines 2nd to China in the top ten list of countries most affected by natural disasters in 2009 with 13.6 million people affected. Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, two of the most devastating typhoons in the country’s history, happened late last year.

Escandor also urged the new administration to fully implement the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (RA 10121) which was signed into law by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last May 27 before she stepped down from office.

Under this law, the National Disaster Coordinating Council shall be replaced with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

A Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office shall also be established in every province, city and municipality, and a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee in every barangay which shall be responsible for setting the direction, development, implementation and coordination of disaster risk management programs within their territorial jurisdiction.

Also under the new law, the Calamity Fund, renamed as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRM Fund), can now be used for disaster risk reduction or mitigation, prevention and preparedness activities. Before this law was passed, the Calamity Fund can only be tapped during emergencies.

Escandor said the challenge to the new administration is to ensure that this law is fully implemented down to the baranggay level.

She added that CDRC, together with its Regional Centers all over the Philippines, have pledged to continue its mission to prepare and equip ordinary people in the communities with knowledge and skills on what to do before, during and after calamities.

She said that it is within CDRC’s core program, which is being funded by one of the biggest welfare institutions in Germany, Diakonisches Werk, to strengthen the capacity of the communities in dealing with disasters.

Since 1996, ABKD has served as a venue for children to show their creativity and artistic talents, as well as express their views and concerns on disaster-related issues.

This year, CDRC is once again inviting children 7 to 12 years old to participate in the contest.

ABKD is divided into two categories. Category A is open to children ages 7 to 9, where they are expected to express their ideas on disaster preparedness on any of the following subjects: typhoons or floods, volcanic eruption or lahar, earthquake, fire, landslide or trash slide, and damage to the environment brought about by mining, logging and other development projects.

Category B is for children ages 10 to 12. Artworks under this category should focus on any of the following subjects: drought, red tide or fish kill, infestation, outbreak of diseases or epidemic, militarization or armed conflict, and climate change.

Artworks (in any medium) should bear drawn on a ¼  illustration board, and must bear a title and a caption, and submitted together with the contestant’s name, age, address, telephone number, school’s name, grade level, and other important information.

Entries must be submitted to CDRC not later than September 8, 2010. For other information, please check ABKD posters in schools and/or any of the DepEd Regional and Division offices, or call 929-9820 / 22.

For details, download: ABKD Contest Mechanics

This is the third of a series of mass evacuations which started May. Evacuees came from the 10 low-lying villages namely: Bulalo, Salimbao, Calsada, Katuli, Gang, Macaquiling, Limbo, Senditan, Banubo and Mulaog.

Losses in infrastructure and properties amounted to P20 Million.

Background:

On the 26th of May, flash floods ravaged through the 10 villages of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura, in Northern Maguindanao. The heavy rains lasted from Wednesday until Saturday, flooding the low-lying areas. A total of 47, 552 individuals/9388 families have been reported as being affected. On the 28 May, affected families were evacuated to Dawa Center, Simuay for safety. Fortunately, by the morning of the 29th, the floods had subsided enough to allow the evacuees to return to their homes.  A damages and needs assessment was conducted in the affected areas by the MDCC Sultan Kudarat Team. 15 homes and 40 hectares of agricultural crops were completely destroyed.

Information sourced from:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20100620-276659/Floods-displace-20000

National Disaster Coordinating Council Incident Report, updated as of May 29th, 2010 @ 8:00pm

Photo taken from The Mindanao Examiner. http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20100601064653

Realizing these catastrophe, Filipino-Australians in Qantas and Airports went into full gear mobilization  to assist the flood victims.

One of the fund raising activities was holding a raffle. The Qantas Fil-Oz found an ally in Matt Goebel the Operations Manager, Ramp, Baggage and Fleet Presentation in Sydney International Terminal.

He immediately approved the First major prize of round trip airfare for two, plus accommodation in Cairns. The Fund Raising Committee composed of Terry Paranthoine, Marie Greenwood, Betty Read and Bernie Mallary approached Peter Dickson for the other minor prizes.

A total of A$2,025.00 was raised and was sent to Citizens’ Disaster Response Centre, a United Nations fully accredited Relief Agency.

Migrante International, the biggest organization of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) implemented the distribution of the relief goods consisting of rice and canned goods to hundreds of stricken families.

Migrante International Chairperson Garry Martinez, representing 136 organizations in 23 countries all over the world and fighting for the rights and welfare of OFWs and their families who was in Sydney for the Founding Assembly of Migrante Australia took time to express the gratitude of the Filipino flood victims for the invaluable assistance they received through the auspices of Qantas.

In Garry’s words, the flood victims were heartened to learn the assistance came from Qantas as this is the first time they received assistance directly. The Philippine government receives all foreign assistance.

Contributed by: Fil-Oz Qantas & Airports

As of April 2010, 4,000 dengue cases, 50 percent higher compared to last year, have already been reported, according to Dr. Eric Tayag of the National Epidemiology Center.

In Cavite, the number of dengue cases increased in June.

DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER is an acute infectious disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti, a day-biting mosquito which breeds in stagnant water.

Surroundings should be kept free from stagnant water, Tayag said.

According to DOH health advisory, signs and symptoms of dengue include: sudden onset of high fever which may last 2-7 days, joint and muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, weakness, skin rashes (tiny red spots), nose bleeding, abdominal pain, vomiting of coffee-colored matter and dark colored stools.

If detected early, dengue can be cured easily. Still, prevention and control is better than cure. DOH has the following tips:

• Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

• Replace water in flower vases once a week.

• Clean all water containers once a week.

• Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.

• Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding places of mosquitoes.

• Old tires used as roof support should be punctured or cut to avoid accumulation of water.

• Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.

For more information, visit http://www.doh.gov.ph/

Information retrieved from:

Department of Health. http://portal.doh.gov.ph/healthadvisories/dengue. June 17, 2010

GMA News. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/191279/doh-warns-vs-dengue-flu-as-rainy-season-nears. May 19, 2010