Let’s see, I started out this new year with anew part-time job negating my life on weekends. I wanted to give it a shot eventhough many folks did advice that it was foolish to have a 3-11 shift every weekends at this point in my life with everything else that I am trying to accomplish. So bottomline- a new opportunity came up which allows me to feel more confident in immediately leaving this weekend job an move on to a more promising venture.

A big flood down in the southern Islands of Mindanao, Philippines is the starring feature of 2012. Activation and reactivation of the Bayanihan relief and rehabilitation program for the victims of calamities in the Philippines. I really pondered hard about the relationship between a natural disaster and man-made ones.

So if you want to learn the quick specifics, below is a primer on it created by Anak bayan new jersey.

A week ago, another land slide happened right in Compostella Valley. It is amazing how quick and the focus of relocating the local minres in the area where the landslide occured killing hundreds of the residents around the area. The international media was on that spinning the effects of mining to our environment. Meanwhile, this types of catastrophes happen at least every three months in various areas of the archipelago where corporate mining happens— and I don’t hear any quick and sweeping attempts of getting these foreign owned mining corporations from: a. STOP MINING and b. Provision of aid to local residents who were displaced and affected by the physiological negative effects of mining in the human bodies and in the environment.

let me clarify-these local residents were mining the mountains- illegally the government said. BUT I genuinely question, the legality of foreign owned mining corporations in Philippine archipelago as well. It is also not in the hush hush that there is a tighter bond and frienship between these big foreign companies and the governement, from local to the national— best friends forever!

You know, I am not an environmental scientist- but I do have a nursing, public health and international studies in this little pinay belt (If feaudal minds are only enticed by people who have the right speak on such matters). But, truth is, simply being integrated with the masses can give you all the facts and figures we all need on the negative effects of mining to the living and non living environment. Well, below are some thoughts I’d like to share with you again on what’s behind these calamities.

A Primer on the Typhoon Sendong Calamity

prepared by: Anakbayan NJ
What happened during the Typhoon Sendong?

On Friday, December 16 2pm, Typhoon Sendong (Washi) landed in the Philippine area of responsibility. Around 2am of December 17, Typhoon Sendong dropped a month’s worth of rainfall, amounting to 142 milimeters (6 inches), poured over Northern Mindanao, the Southern most island in the Philippines. It caused flash floods, overflowing rivers and massive landslides

What were the effects of Typhoon Sendong?

Sendong left 1,403 dead, 1,089 missing, and an estimated PhP 1-billion damage to property and farmlands. Affected provinces and cities are Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Mt. Diwata in Compostela Valley, and Zamboanga del Norte.
*It should also be noted that though Typhoon Sendong dropped only an average of 5-8inches of rainfall (as compared to Ondoy’s 15-18inches), the death toll under Sendong is almost 3-4 times more than Ondoy.

 
What caused such devastation?

An environmental crisis, caused by unregulated large-scale mining, logging and quarrying, coupled with the Aquino (Noynoy) government’s budget cuts on disaster preparedness and other social services created the conditions for such a calamity.
a. Lack of disaster preparation
The Aquino government vetoed the P 5-B ($ 116.2 M)  disaster preparation plan in the 2011 National Budget, claiming that the money should be spent exclusively on “actual calamities”, and not for “preparation of relocation sites/facilities, and training personnel engaged in direct disaster.”

b. Indiscriminate logging and deforestation
Forests absorb water and keep the land intact during rainy season. Northern Mindanao was a land of lush forests and thriving wildlife. Due to this, it became a hotbed for legal and illegal logging activities of foreign companies. 75% of logging operations in Mindano are legal and has permit from the government. An average of 608 sq.mi of forests are denuded each year. Deforestation such as this leads to fatal flash floods and landslides.

c. Mining and quarrying
    Mindanao has a landscape rich in minerals such as gold, silver, copper and various forms of rocks used in industry. This is why the largest foreign mining companies in the country operate on approximately 125,670 hectares (a little bigger than New York City’s total area) of land in this area.The destruction of mountains, plains and other land formations, caused by the extraction of precious minerals, this leads to the elimination of natural waterways such as rivers which then caused the overflowing of rivers that flooded Cagayan de Oro and other affected cities.

d. Land conversion
Land conversion refers to converting vast tracts of arable land to subdivisions and/or pineapple or banana plantations for foreign companies instead of farming land to provide for the needs of the Filipino population. These foreign corporations reap the most profit in disregarding the rights of workers and indigenous people in Mindanao.  For example, an estimated 23,000 hectares (roughly 1.25 times Hudson County’s land area) of upland forests in Bukidnon was cleared out to make way for Del Monte Corporation alone. Rainwater that fell in that area created rapids down to Cagayan de Oro, washing away homes, lives and communities. In addition, displaced peasants and indigenous peoples, victims of corporate land-grabbing, were forced to relocate to disaster- prone areas.

What can we do as youth and students? As Filipinos overseas?

Raising as much funds and other donations are necessary to respond to the urgent needs of our kababayans and course it through people’s relief efforts such as the BAYANIHAN Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation project of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON)which works directly in coordination with local grassroots organizations on the ground, such as BALSA-Mindanao.

We must also continue to deepen our understanding and raise awareness in our communities regarding the environmental situation in the Philippines and the socio-economic factors that create these conditions.  We must come together, organize and take action.

1. Donate to NAFCON’s BAYANIHAN Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Program.
www.nafconusa.org

2. You can contact us if you want to set up a workshop or a discussion at your school regarding the environmental situation and other social issues in the Philippines.
www.anakbayannynj.wordpress.com,  email us at anakbayan.nynj@gmail.com

3. Join Anakbayan and be part of the Filipino youth movement in affecting genuine social change in our communities and in the Philippines.

Dear Kababayan;

Our motherland, the Philippines was struck by a historic typhoon last September 26, 2009 putting over 26 provinces under a state of calamity. The Philippine Almospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (pagasa) released that the historic 85 kph typhoon “Ondoy” surpassed the highest 24-hour rainfall in June 1967 in Metro Manila. The 15th tropical cyclone entered eastern Luzon Island from the Pacific Ocean Saturday afteroon and was expected to leave at 230 km west north Iba, Zambales by Sunday morning towards the South China Sea.

The rain continue to fall and the flash floods are rising over resident’s rooftops  leaving over 280,000 people affected. Filipinos were evacuated but  many are still stranded and the number of casualties are increasing. Migrant families express their concerns and worries towards their families and friends devastated by the calamity.

The National Alliance of Filipino American Youth, SanDiwa is the youth arm of a bigger alliance, NAFCON, the National Alliance of Filipino Concerns with member organizations in over 13 major states in the United States. These two alliances in colloboration with all its member organizations, individuals, allies and related coalitions are currently nationally coordinating relief actions to facilitate support and aid to the victims of the calamity.

We are asking for your kind support in making sure that we provide immediate relief to the victims by donating relief goods, most especially medical supplies, clothes, blankets and other basic necessities to be sent back to the Philippines. The drop off center  in North East will be at the Bayanihan Community center, the national office of NAFCON and SANDIWA at 40-21 69th St. Woodside, New York 11377.

If you would like to participate in NAFCON’s  “typhoon ONDOY”-BAYANihan disaster  relief and rehabilitation program please reach out to us by calling the center at 7185658862,  Anne Beryl at 5169011632 in east coast or Ryan 6265344971in west coast. You can also email us at Sandiwa.national@gmail.com.

Thank you very much for all your support and let us once again relive the spirit of bayanihan and together let us try all our efforts to ensure that our families and friends get the support they direly need from our kababayan right now. Maraming Salamat po!

Sincerely;

Anne Beryl Corotan
National Chairperson
SANDIWA, The National Alliance of Filipino Concerns.

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