BELOW IS THE LETTER OF APPRECIATION FROM THE FILSPORTS' PRESIDENT, MR RANDY NARCISO
THE EVENT'S GUEST OF HONOR, SECOND SECRETARY & CONSUL MELCHOR P. LALUNIO, JR ON BEHALF OF H.E. AMBASSADOR VICTORIANO M LECAROS OF THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY. SEATED NEXT IS THE JOFA'S PRESIDENT, MR RICK LIMSON AND WIFE, MRS AIDA NARCISO (THE BETTERHALF OF FILSPORTS' PRESIDENT), MR. ROGER PALAYAD (VP & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR) AND MR. FELIX GASANG (MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS). STANDING AT THE BACK OF THE JOFA'S PRESIDENT IS MR. BISOY PANOPIO, FILSPORTS' TECHNICAL DIRECTOR.
PANDANGO SA ILAW....INTERMISSION NUMBER FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY.
BADMINTON AWARDEES, RHEA PATAWARAN, MA. THERESA LIMSON AND QUEENIE CRESCINI AS AWARDED BY THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR AND FILSPORTS' VP MR ROGER PALAYAD.
VOLLEYBALL TEAM AWARDEE WITH MR ROGER PALAYAD
ANOTHER INTERMISSION NUMBER FROM THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY (PASKO NA NAMAN...TAYO'Y MAGBIGAYAN)
PHILIPPINES' "STRAIGHT WISE" BAND
ON THEIR QUEST TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE "GOLFERS' TERRACE LOUNGE OF
SERI ALAM, MASAI, JOHOR
STARTING ON 17TH NOVEMBER 2009 (TUESDAY) FROM 8:00PM TO 1:00AM DURING WEEKDAYS AND 8:00PM TO 2:00AM DURING WEEKENDS. FOR RESERVATION, PLEASE CALL 019-7506789.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) manages the National Relief Operations Center (NROC) which is the facility for processing and storage of relief goods that are purchased by the Department or donated to us by generous individuals both here and abroad. The relief goods are released to our Regional Offices or directly to evacuation centers or to the local government units as they are needed and requested by these entities. They are delivered in trucks, many of which were lent to us by private companies or by military vehicles. Some of the goods are shipped by air from nearby Villamor Airbase.
Statement of Dr. Esperanza Cabral on the issue of relief goods in the DSWD Warehouse
When typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng hit the country, we received and are continuing to receive donations. Our warehouses are indeed full, inspite of the fact that we have distributed 500,000 food packs and 200,000 clothing packs as well as thousands of sacks of rice, blankets, beddings, and items of personal hygiene in the past almost 4 weeks. That is the reason why when asked if we still have enough goods, my constant reply is yes, so far we do, thanks to the many kind-hearted individuals and organizations as well as countries who responded and are still responding to the plight of the typhoon victims.
There are no rotting relief goods in our warehouses as we do not keep perishables there and the relief goods that are there, save for the donated old clothes are quite new since they have been either recently purchased by us or have been just donated.
Our goods are repacked by volunteers who are there because they want to help. But they are volunteers and report when they have time to help us. Sometimes there are two hundred of them and sometimes there are only a dozen. However many or few they are, we appreciate their presence and their assistance. Weekdays are usually quiet but on Saturdays and Sundays, the students, along with others who work Monday to Friday, including our own employees, are there.
Our staff at the warehouse work round the clock even now, making sure that the requests for relief goods are met in a timely manner. They work hard, they work quietly and they work humbly and I feel bad that they have been subjected to public vilification that they do not deserve.
I do not recall having talked to an Editor of Philippine News. I do remember my secretary telling me that someone was on the phone asking why there were no volunteers working at the warehouse. My reply was we do not own the time of the volunteers.
I wish that I could have prevented the deaths from typhoons but in fact, they have nothing to do with the relief goods that we are in charge of. Most of the deaths were from drowning or injuries sustained during the typhoon. Some died of illnesses. We are not in charge of rescue nor are we in charge of health and to the best of my knowledge, none of the deaths was due to absence of or delay in the delivery of relief goods.
We would like to assure all of you that the relief goods will reach the intended beneficiaries as they become necessary and will be used only to assist them. However, the relief goods don’t all go out at the same time and an empty warehouse is not proof that the goods were used properly just as a full warehouse is not evidence that the goods are being hoarded. If you visit our website www.dswd.gov.ph you will find updates on our activities related to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. It includes an updated list of donations received and goods released from the DSWD warehouse.
There are many aspects of disaster response. They include recovery and rehabilitation and in both instances, goods and other resources are still needed. In the initial reaction to a calamity, people will want to help and as we saw recently, they came in droves, offering their time, their talent and their resources. We want them to know how much we appreciate them for what they have done and what they are still doing. But further down the road, when the initial flush of generosity gives way to donor fatigue, there will remain only a few hardy NGOs and volunteers and the workers of the DSWD and other government agencies to continue the job of helping the disaster victims back on their feet. Judicious use of resources at the outset is imperative lest we face the situation of even greater want after a period of relative plenty. We at the DSWD wish to assure you that your trust in us is not misplaced. Thank you
THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR THE PHILIPPINES IF FOUND TO BE TRUE
(HOPING THAT GOODS WILL NOT END-UP IN THE DEPARTMENT STORES, GROCERY STORES OR SARI-SARI STORES)
This is the response from the Philippine News columnist to DSWD, who denied the allegations that they are stockpiling relief goods:
My name is Beting Dolor and I am a columnist and contributing editor for US-based Philippine News. I have been... with this paper since 2002.
I was the one who called DSWD four times to try and get their side. I was told that Sec. Cabral was 1) at a meeting, 2) interviewing applicants, 3) in the comfort room, and 4) about to leave for Pampanga.
It was her office secretary who relayed to me her message that there are not enough volunteers.
I wrote my piece for Philippine News because I was disturbed by the relative inaction of the department. The Philippines is under a state of calamity. As such, action is needed now, not tomorrow.
The hundreds of thousands of displaced Filipinos need all the help they can get. They cannot wait.
In times like these, I expect the DSWD to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The DSWD says there are not enough volunteers. I disagree. There are tens of thousands of Filipinos willing to help. The DSWD should have gone to the schools to ask for volunteers. There are countless employees in the private sector willing to help. The DSWD could have asked the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police to help.
I expect the department to take a more pro-active rather than a reactive stance. I expect the secretary to DEMAND that everyone help out. Lest we forget, human lives are at stake.
The victims are dying by the score everyday. It’s in the news.
As for the rotting of the goods, we all know that it is not only food that can rot. So, too, can clothes, canned goods, biscuits, blankets and everything else that can be found in the DSWD warehouses.
Time is of the essence. The food that the DSWD hands out today will be forgotten tomorrow. Believe it or not, the victims still need to eat every day. Three square meals, if possible.
Finally, the hoarding of the relief goods for future calamities does not make sense. We have just undergone the worst calamity in 40 years. Does the DSWD plan to keep those goods for the next four decades?
Distribute them now, not tomorrow, not next week, not next month.
Agreed, Madame Cabral?Read More
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LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND!
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Major dams to release water for buffer storage
MANILA - Weather bureau PAGASA on Thursday said typhoon Pepeng (international codename Parma) is forecast to bring more rains and very strong winds in Northern Luzon including Metro Manila once it makes landfall Saturday afternoon.
"There is a big possibility that it will become a supertyphoon. This is a very strong storm, packing winds of 175 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 210 kph. Most likely it will make landfall in the afternoon of Saturday. That is when it is most critical," Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA director for operations, said in a press briefing.
Cruz said Pepeng is much stronger than last Saturday's tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana), which brought record amounts of rainfall and triggered the worst flooding in Metro Manila in 40 years.
"In terms of wind intensity, Ondoy was only half of the strength of Pepeng. When it made landfall, Ondoy only had winds of 85 kph while Pepeng is 175 kph. However, we cannot really compare the two because it was the rain that was really destructive about Ondoy," he said.
He added: "Our major concern with Pepeng is the disastrous winds - 175 kph to 210 kph. We expect typhoon Pepeng to intensify further as it moves towards northern Luzon."
He said the weather bureau will give a forecast on the typhoon's estimated rainfall intensity before it makes landfall.
As of 10 a.m., the new typhoon was sighted 520 km east of Borongan, Eastern Samar and is moving 24 kilometers per hour in the general direction of Northern Luzon and the Taiwan area.
Cruz said the typhoon is forecast to make landfall over Aurora-Isabela by Saturday morning. It said the typhoon will bring occasional rains over the eastern section of Luzon and Visayas and more frequent rains in Samar and Bicol Thursday afternoon.
Storm Signal no.1 remains hoisted in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Catanduanes, he added.
Similar to 'Reming'
Cruz also likened typhoon Pepeng to super-typhoon Reming (international codename Durian), which killed at least 734 people in the country in 2006.
"This could be like Reming. We are not just talking here about Metro Manila. We are talking of the entire Luzon area where there is probability of devastation in terms of flooding...and wind," he said.
Dr. Susan Espinueva, assistant weather services chief of the Hydro Metrological Division of PAGASA, said major dams in Northern Luzon will be releasing water today until Friday before Pepeng hits.
"All major dams in Northen Luzon wll be releasing water to lower the water level so that when the storm hits, there will be a buffer of storage capacity in our dams and the spillover will not be as severe,' she said.
The government has started preparing more evacuation centers as it anticipates more people to be displaced by the new storm.
Disaster officials fear more rains spawned by the typhoon could trigger another massive flood as streets and drainage systems remain clogged from the tons of debris left by the previous deluge caused by tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana).
As of 6 a.m., the National Disaster Coordinating Council said more than half a million families of 2.50 million individuals have been affected by Ondoy in 11 regions, including Metro Manila and the Calabarzon area in southern Luzon.
It said that a total of 686,699 people are now staying in 726 evacuation centers. It said Ondoy’s death toll has reached 277 and 42 were still missing.
The storm, which also devastated Vietnam and Cambodia, damaged crops and infrastructure worth at least P4.80 billion.
ONDOY'S AFTERMATH OF DESTRUCTION
Ms. Melissa Olson, in cooperation with Ms. Juliana Chin is hosting a fundraising campaign for the victims of Philippine Typhoon Ondoy on Saturday, 3rd October 2009 and Sunday, 11th October 2009 at the Coffeetrap-Permas Jaya. The fundraising campaign will include Pool Tournaments which will start at 7pm & 6pm respectively. The campaign will also include raffle draws of some bottles of booze. The cost of competition is RM100 per person. Part of the proceeds of the campaign will go to the victims of the Typhoon Ondoy. Enjoy while helping others who needed it most. A ringgit from your heart will go a very long...long way.
Melissa Olson September 28 at 11:50am
Hey Juliana,
i was wondering if you would be interested in hosting a fundraiser for you staff who have been affected by the typhoon? I have seen all the news and really feel terrible for their families. The proceeds could be split up between your workers who have had family affected by this. I will try to organise all the people to come if you would be interested in hosting it and donating proceeds to it.
Let me know. Thanks
Juliana
HEY MELISA
I AM ALL FOR IT
RICK .. CAN YOU HELP ?
THE ACTS OF GOD THAT NOBODY COULD STOP. HELP THOSE WHO ARE IN NEEDS...THE ONLY THING HUMAN BEINGS COULD DO DURING THIS SIMILAR CALAMITIES. SHARE YOUR RESOURCES HOW SMALL IT MAY BE. WE ARE BEING PUT TO TEST AGAIN ON THE MEANING OF GREEDINESS AND SELF-INTERESTS. A RINGGIT FROM YOUR HEART WILL GO A LONG WAY.
THROUGH THE KIND INDULGENCE OF MS. JULIANA CHIN OF COFFEETRAP-PERMAS JAYA, JOFA & FRIENDS WILL ORGANIZE A FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN (RINGGIT MULA SA PUSO) ON THE DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER AT THE COFFEETRAP-PERMAS JAYA. PART OF THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE VICTIMS OF THE RECENT TYPHOON IN THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN KUALA LUMPUR.
CONTENTMENT
Have you ever,at any one time, had the feeling that life is bad,real
bad, and you wish you were in another situation? You find life
make things difficult for you, work sucks,life sucks,everything seems
to go wrong....
Read the following story...it may change your views about
life:
After a conversation with one of my friends, he told me despite
taking 2 jobs, he brings back barely above 1K per month,
he is happy as he is. I wonder how he can be as happy
as he is considering he has to skimp his life with the
low pay to support a pair of old parents, in-laws, a wife,2 daughters
and the many bills of a household. He explained that it was
through one incident that he saw in India that happened a few
years ago when he was really feeling low and touring India after
a major setback.He said that right in front of his very eyes
he saw an Indian mother chop off her child's right hand
with a chopper. The helplessness in the mother's eyes, the
scream of pain from the innocent 4-year-old child haunted
him until today. You may ask why did the mother do so;
had the child been naughty, had the child's
hand been infected?? No, it was done for two simple words---TO BEG!
The desperate mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped
so that the child could go out to the streets to beg. Taken aback by
the scene, he dropped a piece of bread he was eating half-way.
And almost instantly, a flock 5 or 6 children swamped towards this
small piece of bread which was covered with sand, robbing bits from one another.
The natural reaction of hunger. Stricken by the happenings,
he instructed his guide to drive him to the nearest bakery.
He arrived at two bakeries and bought every single
loaf of bread he found in the bakeries.
The owner was dumbfounded but willingly sold everything.
He spent less than $100 to obtain about 400 loaves of
bread (this is less than $0.25 per loaf) and spent another $100 to
get daily necessities.Off he went in the truck full of bread
into the streets. As he distributed the bread and
necessities to the children(mostly handicapped)and a few adults,he
received cheers and bows from these unfortunate.
For the first time in his
life he wondered how people can give up their dignity for
a loaf of bread which cost less than $0.25. He began to
tell himself how fortunate he is. How fortunate he is to
be able to have a complete body, have a job!,have a family,have the
chance to complain what food is nice and what isn't nice,
have the chance to be clothed, have
the many things that these people in front of him are
deprived of...
Now I begin to think and feel it, too! Was my life really that
bad? Perhaps... no,
I should not feel bad at all... What about you?
Maybe the next time you think you are,
think about the child who lost one hand to beg on the streets.
"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you
want,it is the realization of how much you already have."
When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times
we look so long at the
closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.
It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it,
but it's also true
that! we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of
everything; they just make
the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest
future will always be based on a forgotten past,you
can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and
heartaches.
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what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask
your forgiveness and to seek your direction and
guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those
who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we
have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed
our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it
the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it
welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it
choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it
justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our
children and called it building self esteem..
We have abused power and called it
politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions
and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and
pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values
of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts
today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.
Amen!
The response was immediate. A number of
legislators walked out during the prayer in
protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian
Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than
5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls
responding negatively.. The church is now receiving
international requests for copies of this prayer
from India , Africa and Korea .
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep
over our nation and wholeheartedly become our
desire so that we again can be called 'one nation
under God.'
“The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human
being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart.
His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own
thoughts and finds no other inspiration.”
