Flashfloods in Southern Philippines

[raynaputi]

Oh dear...

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/re...-storm-sendong

[Travellor]

Was very sad to see these people looking at there posessions washed away damaged, and even worse for the ones who have lost loved ones.

[grahamw48]

I always get a horrible feeling when they start reading out this kind of report on the radio here, as happened this morning.

Life is tough enough in the Phils without all these natural disasters to cope with.

My heart goes out to all those lovely Filipino people who have suffered loss and pain through this.

[Sim11UK]

Just posting this on behalf of Ladybug....Papa is in Cagayan de Oro. Can't get through on the phone yet?

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de...missing-196294

[Dedworth]

Terrible news, more so at this time of year.

If this had been in a rogue state such as Pakistan or Somalia it would be headline news, the Disasters Emergency Committee would be mobilised, aid flights would be airborne and the donation lines up and running.

[Terpe]

My heart goes out to all those people who are suffering and struggling with this.

We have many extended family members in that area but have not been able to make any contact just yet.

We have family and property in various areas of Philippines that have taken some pretty big hits these past few years.

Need to consider the way's of mother nature when we finally move out that way.

..........If this had been in a rogue state such as Pakistan or Somalia it would be headline news, the Disasters Emergency Committee would be mobilised, aid flights would be airborne and the donation lines up and running.

Funnily enough this was just what I mentioned to my wife.

[Tawi2]

Just watched the report on ITV news,thats some damage hopefully the worst has passed,ITV gave the dead as approx 400?

[Sim11UK]

Luckily we managed to phone through to Papa, late this afternoon. The water missed our house, but was close. She also got to call one of her friends, who is okay too....Didn't look good on the news.

Hope anyone else on here, with family and friends in the areas affected are all okay.

[DeltaRomeo]

Awful news.. a week before Christmas too. I share the sentiments of all comments above and wish all affected the hope, faith and strength to recover.

[alanmf1]

Thoughts are with all those in North Mindanao ..

[Terpe]

The devastation of the Philippines storm in Pictures:-

[Terpe]

Here is a heart wrenching picture that will hurt

Viral photo of father cradling dead child gives face to calamity

A single viral photo has silenced any lingering doubts about the gravity of the disaster that Storm Sendong wrought and gave a heartbreaking face to the hundreds of victims of flash floods in northern Mindanao.

At around 3:30pm —even as unverified damage reports continued to emerge on social media— blogger and Twitter user "Mindanaoan" posted a TwitPic photo of an unidentified man in Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro, weeping as he clutched the muddied body of his drowned daughter to his chest.



"My heart broke when I saw this," Mindanaoan wrote in her caption.

Although the photo was just one of many that she and many others were sharing with the world via social media, its immediacy and poignancy struck a chord among netizens.

Within less than three hours after it was posted, the photo had been viewed over 8,000 times and retweeted many hundreds of times over.

Mindanaoan, who has declined to have her identity revealed to the public, explained to GMA News Online that she posted the photo in an effort to raise public awareness about the floods in the wake of seeming incredulity as to the urgency of the calamity.

"I got (upset) because help came in late. People started calling me 'demanding.' Dapat daw I shouldn't demand too much from the government. That's the reason why I posted the photo, to show the gravity (of the situation)," she said.

Source:-
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...ce-to-calamity

[grahamw48]

Terrible.

We are so lucky in this country.....and populated by so many selfish, ungrateful, ignorant idiots, who need to spend a few weeks in somewhere like the Phils to give themselves a wake-up call.

[Tawi2]

Picture speaks a thousand words,one of those haunting images like Nick Ut's naked vietnamese girl or kevin carters vulture/child pic,very sad.

[andy222]

Who is our embassador there? Peter Lilley?

[Doc Alan]

Who is our embassador there? Peter Lilley?

http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk...ur-ambassador/
This is devastating news and it must be hoped that adequate help is available as soon as possible. My thoughts - and I'm sure those of every member of this forum - are with everyone who has suffered in this disaster.

[andy222]

Ah Stephen Lillie. Thanks doc. For sure our thoughts are with them.

[Terpe]

We finally managed to contact some of our family there in CDO via a friend on FB
All are safe. But............... their house and everything they own has gone.
All they have is what they now stand in.
It's just so very humbling to listen to their stories.
To be very honest I don't know if I could ever be so positive as they sound after all they've been through.
From what they've said to us no-one is really blaming the local authorities for this ,as they said all that could be done has been done.

It's only the media who hype stuff and actually make things worse and now alienating those best placed to help. WHY??

I hope we can help fast enough for both our family and their friends to at least have a Christmas without too many money worries.

Nothing can ever really give them peace this year that's for sure

Charity begins at home.
God bless all there.
Our family have been so lucky. Thanks God
Many have not, God Bless.

We attended a Filipino Christmas party last night, and the total amount given for the storm fund was nearly £350.
That's a huge amount for the number of people at the event.
When they announced it my eyes filled up. I'm not ashamed to say it.

[Englishman2010]

This is terribly sad news, my heart goes out to all those affected. I hope that everyone on the forum with connections to Northern Mindanao finds all of their family and loved ones are safe.

[andy222]

Good work Terpe. I echo what Englishman says.