Fil-Am Communities Mobilize to Help Ondoy Victims

Disaster always brings out the best in people. Ondoy devastated the Philippines, and huge numbers of Filipinos, both in the country and world-wide, have responded.  In the U.S., October was meant to be a time of looking back at Filipino-American history and learning from it. Because of Ondoy, it has become a time of showing the Filipino’s bayanihan spirit.

Bayanihan is the Filipino way of coming together as a community to help those in need. We are seeing this in action from coast to coast, and even online:

Benefit for Victims of Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy)
San Francisco, CA
Friday, October 9, 2009
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Lot 46, 46 Geary Avenue, San Francisco, California (map)
** TICKETS for $20 can be bought in advance here. Must be at least 21 years old to attend. Proceeds will go to the ABS-CBN Foundation, for the flood victims.

H-Town Adobo Hoedown
Houston, TX
Sunday, October 18, 2009
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Caroline Collective, 4820 Carolina St., Houston, TX 77004 (map)
** Donations in cash and clothing will be collected for the American Red Cross for  Philippines Typhoon Ketsana Relief Effort. There will be speakers, an adobo cook-off, raffle prizes, and live entertainment at the event.

Relief efforts in Chicago, Illinois
1. Operation GK: Walang Iwanan
- Series of collections for canned goods, clothes and basic necessities.
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Little Quiapo Restaurant, 6259 N. McCormick Ave., Chicago (map)

2. National Federation of Filipino American Associations
- Fund-raising drive
Friday Oct. 9, 2009
6 p.m.
FilAm Delight Restaurant, 5750 N. California Ave., Chicago (map)

Many more communities, including online ones, are doing their part in bringing some measure of relief and aid to the families affected by Ondoy. For those who would like to donate directly to the relief efforts, here are some organizations to consider:

• Ayala Foundation USA (donate online at their website)
• Tanging Yaman Foundation, Inc.; Bank transfer through Metrobank SA (USD) 448-2-448000265-3)
• Global Coalition for Humanitarian Efforts-Philippines (online at their website)
• Philippine National Red Cross (online; they have a Paypal account!)