Info portal for typhoon Yolanda aftermath created

By Venus L. Garcia

BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 11 (PIA) – The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) has created a special web portal, piacaragayolandaph.blogspot.com, for news and photos and other relevant articles of the aftermath of the super typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan).

This is another portal following the previously assigned page, which is found in www.piacaraga.com, for forecast tracks before the landfall of typhoon Haiyan.

Several links like how interested people can help victims of typhoon Yolanda are provided in this webpage. Related reports and updates from the official gazette of the Philippine government and other major news center websites can also be viewed from the said one stop shop web portal in just a click away. It also has a particular Person Finder section usable by anyone.

“Creating such will serve as a one stop information source for Yolanda aftermath where people and netizens can easily access and obtain information that they need,” said PIA Caraga regional director and Northeastern Mindanao Information Cluster Head Abner Caga.

Caga said that by taking this initiative everyone will be more aware of the outcome of the devastating typhoon that hit our country. “This is our way also to help reach the respective friends and relatives of those who are greatly affected by the catastrophe by making available of any data through the web portal created by PIA Caraga,” Caga said.

“We purposely maximize the manner by which we can provide the public with facts and reliable information in a more convenient way,” Caga added. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)

Tagle calls for solidarity amid various ‘calamities’

MANILA—The top churchman of the Manila Archdiocese on Saturday called on Filipinos to express solidarity amid the different forms of “calamities” plaguing the country. 

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle lauded the Filipino faithful for their unwavering faith and unity as they strive to rise up from the ruins caused by the recent storms and earthquakes that ravaged the country. 

“In front of a church that was destroyed, there is a mass and the people are singing. (This shows that their) faith is not destroyed. The building may collapse, but the faith is strong,” Tagle said, referring to the centuries-old Loon Church that was destroyed brought by the 7.2 magnitude temblor that struck Bohol last Oct. 15. 

Apart from the Loon Church, historical churches in the towns of Baclayon, Loboc, Dauis, Dimiao, Loay and Maribojoc—all considered national cultural treasures and historical landmarks—were also destroyed. 

“Those people of Bohol who lost the church, crying, yet saying ‘Our father’, ‘I believe in God’, these are the angels that we should listen to. These are the angels who tell us about Jesus and about the activity that comes to the human spirit because of faith,” Tagle said. 

Recently, Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) battered Central Philippines, leaving more than a hundred people dead and many others injured. Yolanda was said to be the “most powerful” storm that hit the country in 2013. 

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the number of casualties from Super Typhoon Yolanda rose to 151 on Sunday morning. The death toll is expected to rise as more reports from affected areas reach the authorities. 

“(Such) images of massive destruction in Tacloban, I can’t imagine 10 to 15 feet (of water) surge, reaching the second storey of a building, yet you hear people say: ‘Let us help one another. What can we do for our brothers and sisters in Tacloban? What hotlines can we call to send help?’ These are messages of faith that we should listen to,” Tagle noted. 

The prelate also called on the faithful to express solidarity in the midst not only of the natural calamities that ripped the country, but also of the political corruption hounding the Philippine government.  

“The transmission of faith, (we must) bridge it with solidarity, oneness, communion with the lowly and the hungry, especially now in our times, the suffering victims of different calamities, not just the natural calamities, but the daily calamity of corruption, power struggle, and cheating,” Tagle said. 

He urged the faithful to manifest the same kind of faith even if they are being plagued by harsh challenges and uncertainties along the way. 

“What a mystery—those who have reasons not to believe or to get angry with God, they are the ones proclaiming the joy of clinging to Jesus…A lot of things may get destroyed, but nothing can destroy their faith. We should listen to them,” he added. (Jennifer Orillaza, CBCPNews)

Typhoon Haiyan Relief - Free Calls Also to Non-Viber Numbers

In light of the current situation in the Philippines, we are opening a temporary service, allowing Filipino users to call regular (non Viber) numbers outside of the Philippines for free. Please note that this is not a final product, so not all countries are supported and quality may vary. You may have to restart your phone for this to work.

To call someone using this service, go to any contact in Viber and tap any of the numbers listed next to “Viber Out”.

Call your family now. Let them know you are ok!

The following is a list of supported destinations

Landline and Mobile (all numbers):

USA & Canada              UK                       China
Hong Kong                    India                     Indonesia
Korea                            Malaysia               Singapore
Thailand

Landline Only (no mobile phones):

Argentina          Australia               Brazil                         Croatia
Cyprus             Denmark               France                       Germany
Greece             Hungary                Ireland                        Israel
Italy                 Lithuania                Luxembourg               Malta
Mexico            Netherlands           New Zealand              Norway
Peru                 Poland                   Portugal                      Romania
Russia              Spain                     Sweden
Switzerland      Venezuela

If you have questions or feedback, feel free to visit http://helpme.viber.com/.

Philippines: Terrible destruction complicating relief efforts after typhoon

Geneva / Manila (ICRC) – In a matter of hours on 8 November, Typhoon Haiyan – one of the strongest storms ever recorded – completely devastated parts of eastern Visayas in the central Philippines. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is closely coordinating its relief efforts with the Philippine Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and a number of National Societies of other countries.

The ICRC has an office and staff on the ground in Tacloban city and will be focusing its emergency response in Samar province, where it has been operational for many years in the context of the armed conflict in the southern Philippines.

“This area has been totally ravaged”, said Sebastien Sujobert, head of the ICRC office in Tacloban. “Many lives were lost, a huge number of people are missing, and basic services such as drinking water and electricity have been cut off.” There was also, he said, extensive damage to other infrastructure, and communication was difficult for those working to aid the stricken population. Both the Philippine Red Cross and the ICRC offices in Tacloban had been damaged, forcing staff to relocate temporarily. “To make matters worse, the security situation is tense. People here need every type of aid.”

On 6 November, with the storm already bearing down on the area, ICRC Manila dispatched 11 trucks to Tacloban loaded with food and other essential relief supplies such as hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, jerrycans, tarpaulins, water bladders and water-treatment units, emergency latrines and medical supplies. However, the trucks were held up for a few days in Surigao city as all sea traffic came to a halt. These supplies have yet to reach Tacloban.

“There’s an urgent need to speed up the humanitarian response,” said Graziella Leite Piccolo, deputy head of the ICRC delegation in Manila. The organization was therefore sending additional staff by air from Manila and Davao to support personnel already on the scene. The priority, she said, was to survey the needs, and this would be done together with the Philippine Red Cross.
The trucks are expected in Tacloban tomorrow, Monday. That will enable the distribution of emergency relief to start. The ICRC is determined to reach the affected population as soon as possible. (International Committee of the Red Cross)