SCM Philippines working in relief effort
1 October 2009
SCM Philippines is spear-heading a relief drive by young people. The Filipino people are attempting to recover after 33.4 cm (12 inches) of rain fell in just 16 hours on Saturday September 26. The rains, caused by tropical storm Ketsana (Typhoon Ondoy) have killed over 250 people and displaced at least 500,000. SCM Philippines is mobilizing young people and senior friends in response to the devastation of the storm. WSCF has already granted SCM Philippines an emergency Ecumenical Assistance Program (EAP) grant of US $3,000. SCM Philippines is seeking further donations for their emergency response work.
To donate to SCM Philippines please make a donation to the WSCF Inter-Regional Office. Please note SCM Philippines in the comments section, but in solidarity with SCM Philippines all unmarked donations during the next two weeks will go directly to SCM Philippines. Receipts will be issued by the Geneva office, but all money will be sent directly to SCM Philippines.
Bank : Banque Cantonale de Genève
Address : Quai de l’ile 17, Case Postale 2251
CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Account Name: WSCF
Account number: LO790.08.11
Swift code: BCGECHGGXXX
SCM Philippines is currently coordinating a relief effort. Their next project is planned for Sunday October 4, when they will distribute basic goods to about 1,300 families that are not staying in evacuation centers. The EAP grant, which they have already received, is helping them fund their programmes.
The first response of SCM Philippines was to set up a hotline for people in the Philippines. This hotline gave them information about people still stranded and allowed to begin their relief effort. According to SCM Philippines office: “SCM Philippines is also involved in the rescue and relief operation. The staff members of SCMP are safe, but their relatives are affected.”
SCM Philippines is also asking for prayers during this time. They say “Let us uphold the suffering people in our prayers and what every way we can help them.” SCM Philippines has received solidarity messages from throughout the Federation. WSCF’s Advocacy and Solidarity Committee is holding a special meeting to issue a statement about the flooding there. SCM Philippines is asking especially for prayer as they brace for another storm that will probably hit in the next two days.
Ms. Necta Montes Rocas, the Asia-Pacific Regional Secretary, is in Manila, preparing for a SELF (School for Ecumenical Leadership Formation) training program that was due to start October 4th. The program will now be delayed for one week, until after the next two typhoons have passed the Philippine islands. She says, “We need to redo everything that we have prepared for SELF, but we do not want to take the risk on people’s lives.”
The WSCF General Secretary, Rev. Michael Wallace, asks the whole Federation to pray for the people in the Philippines as they are trying to recover from this tragedy, especially remembering students, the SELF organizers and participants and SCM Philippines.
*Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) statement on the string of calamities that struck the country
*
October 11, 2009
Initial Statement
We thank you for all the prayers, thoughts and support poured in to mitigate
the distressing effects of Typhoon Ketsana on September 26 which submerged most parts
of Manila and nearby provinces.
In a country like Philippines facing 20 Typhoons every year, there is so much to say in the light of the
aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana on how our society and government are organized to face and alleviate
human and natural suffering.The majority of the people in the affected areas are left on their own to
save their lives as rampaging waters swallowed their homes, roads and farmlands.
Following the typhoon Ketsana, two more super-typhoons lashed most part of Northern Philippines
which claimed lives when continued flooding inundated many provinces as 5 major dams released
water this Thursday, including San Roque Dam, biggest dam in Asia-now turned killer dam, spilling volumes
of water that turned towns and cities into virtual ocean!
SCMP together with other youth groups had set up TULONG KABATAAN, a youth-led relief
campaign drive and we take this opportunity to thank all those who had helped.
But we also ask you to include urgent call to those responsible, after the Arroyo government appealed for
international aid after Typhoon Ketsana there isn’t a plan to deal with the aftermath, and an
outright failure in preparations for super Typhoon Parma (Pepeng) that hit on October 3,
which killed around 320 people and buried entire communities in mudslides and water.
According to the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), as many as 121 may have died in landslides in Benguet ,
54 in Baguio City with 5 still missing and 23 in Mountain Province with 32 still missing.
The CPA says a total of 18 landslides were documented, 11 in Baguio City, 6 in Benguet and
1 in Mountain Province.Among the communities affected by landslides are the Mankayan and Itogon
municipalities in Benguet which are all mining areas.
CPA and many peoples organizations had long opposed the mining operations in the Cordillera mountain ranges
and the construction of ODA-funded San Roque Dam and forewarned of its harmful environmental hazards and disasters
The Philippine government had always been found caught in awe and ill-prepared in facing the calamities, and
continuously presides over the plunder and exploitation of our natural environs to corporate and multi-national
mining firms and clear-cut logging in the Cordillera region and construction of ODA-initiated giant dams such as
San Roque Dam. Corporate and multinational mining companies, giant dams and logging create more devastation
and put at risk the lives of entire community when a typhoon occurs.
We call for justice to the victims!
We call for investigations on the operations of the mining corporations
and the causes of flooding and landslides!
You can also watch the Tulong Kabataan Video during the October 6 Relief Mission in Manila for the victims of
Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) here:
http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/tulong-kabataan-video/
