Let's All Help The Victims Of Sendong, We Can Do A Lot

It was Friday, December 16, 2011 when I woke up early to prepare to meet friends. I thought it was just an ordinary drizzling day. Since I promised to meet them, I fought the tempting desire of going back to sleep.

I was all geared up with my jacket and umbrella when I checked my social networking sites for the latest news. That's the time that I was able to find out that my location, Davao City, is under signal no. 2 of a coming storm named Sendong. We rarely experience such horrible and devastating calamities (praise to the Lord for that!) but it doesn't mean we're exempted.

We hopped from one place to another until we stayed in one of the shopping malls to eat lunch. My battery drained so fast that I wasn't able to check on the latest weather update.

When I arrived home, I was so shocked that the storm already caused a lot of damage to the neighboring cities, Cagayan De Oro and Iligan. When I checked Facebook, a lot were already sharing horrible pictures of the victims and their devastated places.

Through social media, a lot of private groups and NGO's (non-goverment organizations) immediately organized relief goods operations to help out. The secretary of DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) Dinky Soliman (@dinkysunflower) has been tweeting useful information and has been asking everyone to help.

Philippine Red Cross came up with a unique way of accepting donations by using mobile phone load credits. 

For Globe subscribers:

via SMS, c/o Red Cross – text RED and send to 2899 – valid donation amounts are P5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 (For ex, RED 10). Transaction is free.

via GCASH, text DONATE and send to 2882

For Smart subscribers:

via SMS, c/o Red Cross – text RED and send to 4143 – valid donation amounts are P10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500, 1000 (For ex, RED 10).

LBC, one of the nation's private courier services is also offering free delivery of donations of any kind in all its branches nationwide.

Major TV networks, GMA, ABS-CBN and TV5 also had their own campaigns. Some families of the nearby cities collected, packed and delivered their own relief goods for the victims. 


One of the local Halal Food establishments in Davao City, Zabadani Cafe is also having their own #helpcdo and #helpiligan campaign. Just visit their official Facebook group for more information.

The help is flowing overwhelmingly. Just choose any of these numerous ways to extend your helping hand. We can't just feel sorry for what happened, we should do something. Social media is around for the needed information. 

More than these relief goods, the victims badly need our prayers during this very dark time. -niceurdaneta-