Still There's More to Follow...

Some Geography: For those who don't (or didn't) know. The Philippines are made up of a multitude of islands, but the three main island regions, are (from the top down) Luzon, Visayas & Mindanao.

When tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) hit on the 26th of August, it cut across the middle and southern regions of Luzon. It confined most of its damage to the Manila Metro Region, an area with approximately 11.5 million people - and impacted the lives of around 4.3 million.

Typhoon Pepeng (Parma) cut across the north and east of Luzon on it's first pass, and then about 3 days later returned as a tropical storm and dumped a further record amount of rain on the north. Approximately 2.3 million have been impacted in these northern regions. But of greater concern is the fact that a great deal of the Philippines rice, corn and other crops come from these regions - and the harvest has been wiped out.

Until today the regions of Visayas and Mindanao have escaped - but today the Government has announced the pre-evacuation of large areas of low lying communities in these regions due to the heavy rain expected with an incoming tropical storm. Once again the concern is flooding and landslides. This strategy saved lives in the north when Pepeng was expected and once again the head of the National Disaster Council says, "it's better to be safe than sorry".

Christianity: Advert or Action

I found my anger, annoyance and frustration levels rising to boiling point this morning (my companions may have noticed). And it had little, if anything, to do with typhoons, flooding, landslides or relief and recovery programmes.

Sitting across from me where 4 people from a church in America, the back of their T-shirts told me that. But on the front of their shirts was a large colourful circular logo. In an outer ring there were a number of religious/spiritual logos: the crescent moon of Islam, the Star of David, the Yin-yan of Tao, Ganesh of the Hindus, about 12 symbols in all. And in the middle of these a large cross, with the words "EVERY Knee WILL Bow" emblazoned across it.

MY opinion: Rather than advertise my faith superiority on a t-shirt and carry my big black, gold leafed, red letter bible under my arm, I'd rather "show them by my love". I seem to recall a famous teacher saying something about this kind of flashy, judgemental Christianity.

Give me a person that is determined to express love through their actions, a person that seeks out ways to smile and share hope, a person that allows their actions to be the advertisement of their Motivator. Now that kind of person I'll work with!

But hey, that's just my opinion.

The Faces of Evacuation

The day started early as we wound our way through the chaotic maze of traffic and pedestrians to the office. We were about to begin negotiations which, if successful, would see us supplying 25,000 people with enough emergency rations for a month. This sounds a lot, until you get an email from the UN team to tell you that this morning the number of people affected by the two typhoons has risen to over 6.4 million, with over 340,000 still in 752 evacuation centres, over 500 dead and who knows how many missing - and a forecast of 5 more typhoons (of who knows what intensity) to hit the country before December 31.

The good news is that the deal looks (is) solid, but now we have to purchase the items, including 250,000kg of rice, pack and deliver 25,000 individual relief packages in the space of two months.

Following these meetings we took a member of the donor organisation on a tour of one of the worst affected areas in Metro Manila which two weeks after the typhoon is still under smelly, dirty, polluted water. It was here that we met the Chair of one of the Pasig Home Owner's Associations and her husband. This older couple has been confined to the second story of their house for the past two weeks and during that time have recieved 2kgs of rice and some sardines. We came today with nothing, but they were so grateful for our visiting them. Despite their hardship we managed to laugh together and enjoy comparing stories. We had all just heard an announcement that the water was going to be pumped out of the area - "but where to", said the couple "the river has overflowed into the village, where are they going to pump the water to?"

After leaving this, just one of the countless villages under water, we headed to what would have to be one of the most distressing places I have been on this deployment. 2,307 people are living in a sports centre in town, this is just one of three evacuation centres in this town with a total of over 4,000 in all three. The smells of 2,307 people, living in a confined space for over 2 weeks, assault your senses even before you get into the building. In this hot, humid, smelly basket-ball stadium cardboard is spread on the courts for beds, children and elderly are sleeping whilst chaos reigns around them. Many are stretched out in the stadium seating, while babies scream and children whinge, Mums and Dads look for ways to pacify and entertain.

The authorities are doing all they can, but there is nowhere for the majority of these people to go home to. They are the 'informal residents' those that erected squats on the sides of floodways and rivers - they have no claim to land, or now belongings: so they wait until suitable arrangements can be made. But even as we were there more people arrived from new flooding.

The Misery Expands

Metro Manila and Rizal (where The Salvation Army's Joyville Home and the Training College are located) experienced the worst flooding in 40 years and today it is estimated that over 300,000 are still crammed into makeshift evacuation centres and at least 636 are now confirmed dead.

But as if that wasn't enough since last Friday and the return of Typhoon Pepeng (Parma) the regions to the North of Manila, (including Pangasinan and Luzon) have been decimated again by record rains which have resulted in breaching of dams - and together are resulting in landslides and flooding that have to date killed at least 299 with the number of missing "impossible to measure" and an estimated 42,123 people in evacuation centres in one region alone.

Over 4.5 million people have now been impacted by the two Typhoons - and Typhoon season is not over. As we handed out relief packages in one of the worst hit areas last week one young woman, with a baby in her arms asked, "don't you feel sorry for us? And we have heard that another typhoon is coming beginning December!"

The current flooding is not anticiplated to recede in some areas for 5 months, already many of the people most affected live precarious existences, some choose to live in a shanty town on the edge of a floodway or in an 'illegal squat on the shores of flood prone lakes, in an effort to eke out a living for themselves and family. They knew the risks - but what choices did they have? But before they begin to contemplate relaxing and rebuilding their lives, they hear - there's more to come.

The rest of the world moves on - the news cycle has moved beyond the Philippines to the latest disaster or movie star, but as it does the water levels in the dams continue to rise beyond their tipping point, Pepeng continues to hang around teasing an already traumatised people and the rains continue to fall. The misery continues, and if possbile increases for the Philippines and her people.

Santa Rosa, Laguna

Today started early after a long night of calls and texts reporting that the cities to the North of Manila were under water, some for the second time. Dam walls have collapsed, rivers have overflowed and many villages, (including Salvation Army Corps, and our School), are up to 8 feet underwater - as the rains continue to fall. And there is absolutely nothing we can do to help yet as access is impossible.

With this news as a backdrop we waited patiently for our truck to arrive so that we could load 1,000 food packages for our latest delivery - this time to the South of Manila into Santa Rosa, Laguna. Almost two weeks ago, this community, like many others were 6 feet underwater when a local school teacher called her friend, a Salvation Army Officer and asked if there was some help that could be given. The call was the catalyst for todays adventure.

Manila Central Corps (church) was piled high with the sacks, (12kg of rice, 5 cakes of noodles, and about 1kg of assorted canned fish and meat). Teachers from the barangay school, councillors from the Santa Rosa Council and Salvo staff and officers formed a human chain as they loaded the thousand sacks onto a truck supplied by the Santa Rosa Mayor. And, as the sky turned a threatening shade of black we headed off in convoy, headed for the little barangay (village) by the lagoon that two weeks after the rain was still 5 feet under water in area.

Unfortunately, as can happen, not all worked according to plan. We arrived in Santa Rosa City where we were joined by an armed police escort, they were concerned that as this was the first supplies that would go into the area that there could be some issues with crowd control. And then we discovered that our entrance to the village was a the narrow main road that wound its way through the villages of the city, with a spiders web of electrical cables that hung so low that the truck could not pass without coming into contact with them.

As the first contact threw up some sparks and caused a surge through the electricals of the truck, the driver stopped to consider his options. Solution: put one of your truck crew up on the roof, behind wind spoiler for protection, with a stick to push up, or aside the live cables. It took about one hour of moving electricals, dodging jeepneys, motor and peddle cabs, and at times driving through 3 foot deep water all at the same time to travel the 4km into the village but we made it.

As we cleared the last bridge and waded through the last few hundred meters of water we were met by a sea of people, all waiting to great and thank the Salvos for coming. We had food for 1,000: there were at least 3 times that amount waiting for us.

As the rains continue the needs of this tragedy are growing. At this time it is anticipated that waters will not recede in some areas for up to 3 months. The people are amazingly resilient, but behind the smiles and the 'thank you' lies a fear - for some a growing fear of water, and for others a very real fear that the typhoon season is not over!

The Salvos & The Typhoons

Since September 26 when Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) swept across the Philippines and impacted the lives of over 4M people, The Salvos have been working tirelessly. In Salvo terms, Ondoy restricted her damage to just the one Division, the Central Philippines Division, or National Capital Region (NCR) As a result the Divisional Headquarters in Quezon City has been transformed into an Aid Centre with the usual sights: sacks of rice, cans of sardines, boxes of noodles, piles of blankets and mats and bottles of medicines. The staff of the three centres located on this property (Quezon City Corps #2, Bethany Centre and DHQ) have been packing and sorting for almost two weeks now.

In that time The Salvos have distributed:

• almost 12,000 food hampers
• to over 50,000 people
• in 8 NCR Cities
• in 22 Barangay (villages)
• at a cost of over USD 80,000

Despite this, and of course the thousands of deliveries made by other Aid Agencies, there are still people that cannot be reached because the flood waters are still too high. There are people who today are being evacuated from their homes becuase the ground is sinking and their houses with it.

In the North, Typhoon Parma (Pepeng, as it's known locally) after crossing the country once did a U turn and is now hovering as a tropical depression. In the process it has devastated these farming communities and their crops, crops of corn that are a very significant percentage of this countries food supply.

In these next days The Salvos will escalate the distribution of food, (basic) medicines, blankets and mats, five-fold. As an Aid deliverer we have an advantage: having been in the country for many years we have people that know the areas and the people, they know who to speak to and where to go - and we are trusted.

Salvos of the world - you should be proud of what The Salvation Army in the Philippines is doing. Despite hardship and loss for many of them personally they are putting out their hands to others - and in the process they are transforming lives and reforming societies.

This is what Christianity should look like. Meeting the needs of others, without discrimination and without the expectation [albeit a hidden agenda] that the other will convert to my religion.

Philippines: Typhoon Ondoy

Today was one of those bizarre days that are experienced in emergency service response work.

Our morning started out early as we wove our way through the morning peak hour chaos heading for Quezon City and The Salvation Army's Divisional Office. It is from this office that the bulk of the response to typhoon Ondoy has been organised and it was here that we found the volunteers and officers, once again, after 9 days straight, packing food and loading a truck for delivery to a nearby evacuation camp. At the moment, because of the immediacy of the response the pack includes 5kg of rice, 5 cans of sardines and 5 packets of noodles. Hopefully in the next few days this will be expanded with the addition of a sleeping mat, blanket, water and a pillow.

From there we wove our way back toward the Central Business District, to Makati City, and the highly secure, plush 30th floor offices of the UNDP representative to the Philippines. Here, sitting in a climate controlled board room around a beautifully carved wooden table with amazing views of the Fort district we met with a number of key UN Agency officials and discussed the response activities of the Salvos and the role that we can play in future activities. We spoke about 3.5 Million people that are displaced, homeless and hungry - many still living in submerged neighbourhoods - refusing to leave home. We discussed the role of the international community, and faith based organisations like ours in complex humanitarian emergencies. It was all very civilised, academic and comfortable!

Two hours later, we were ushered through the guarded road barriers, past a canvas sign that proclaimed "Danger: Flood Area" and directed to park just as the water began to lap up against the wheels of the car. We had arrived in central Pasig. At the end of the palm tree framed road was the impressive facade of the Pasig City Offices - the only problem is that the road was not there.

There were hundreds of people were on their way to the market, or to their homes which were beyond the City Offices in anywhere between waist and chest high water. Enterprising young men had built floating 'craft' of all shapes and sizes and were charging to take residents into the market and their homes. There were impressive craft with cane lounge chairs, canoes, and cupboards - but the award for the most would have to go to the bath tub.

We walked as far as we could before we negotiated with a man to take us for a boat down Main Street, past the market and into the housing. People were smiling and laughing, calling out and asking, "Hey, Joe, what do you think of Pasig?" Our boat pusher, commented that 9 days ago people were frightened but today he said, "we smile, we joke, we laugh, what else can we do?"

Here, surrounded as far as I can see by 4' deep water children dive, swim and play, parents cook and clean, the market and some shops continue to do business, the garbage man tries to collect the floating garbage and the local barber cuts hair on the verandah of his shop. But amongst the smiles and laughter, I see eyes that are still frightened and confused, I see people that are worried. It's 9 days: the water remains and it's getting dirtier and smellier. Food comes, but only when a truck can get through, and even then not everyone receives a ticket to get it. It's only a matter of time before the sickness starts and everyone knows it.

Taiwan: Last Day

Tomorrow morning I fly out of Taiwan and head for Manila were I will assist with the relief and recovery work being carried out by The Salvation Army in the Philippines.

At least 140 people have died, officials report, and more than 270,000 were left stranded in flooding after Typhoon Ondoy (localy known as Ketsana) battered The Philippines. The capital city, Manila, and surrounding areas experienced wind speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour and the heaviest rainfall on record.

The major Tumana and Marikina Rivers – which flow through densely populated areas in the northern and eastern parts of the city – burst their banks, triggering a rush of water that quickly submerged entire houses. Other parts of the country have also been badly affected.

The Salvation Army has been tireless in its attempts to assist in the emergency response. In Rizal, for example, a landslide and flash flooding killed 35 people and many were stranded on rooftops more than a day after the storm.

The Salvation Army is providing shelter for more than 30 families, and preparations are being made to transport supplies from Manila as all the shops have been swept away.The task seems overwhelming but Salvation Army teams are being mobilised to provide an initial response of supplying food, drinking water, blankets and medicines.

Lieut-Colonel Ron Clinch, The Salvation Army's Chief Secretary of The Philippines Territory, reports: "This is only the initial response. Many people have lost everything, even household items and clothing. Supporting families in re-establishing their lives will be the next stage, including the need to help with funeral expenses."

Maolin - Mountain Magic

Maolin was one of the places on the "must see" list of Taiwan. Known for it's scenery: mountain ranges covered in green forest that reach for the sky, hugged a wide river that meandered through the valley. Aboriginal villages appear out of nowhere with their art and craft stalls, and statues that tell the story of their journey.

At the end of the road, deep in the mountains, and almost at their foot is the little village of Duona - famous for its Hot Springs - or it used to be! Today the springs are buried beneath what looks like half a mountain. And yet miraculously, no one died in this place, the village still stands and the school still stands proudly, even today, at the top of the village.

On the days following the typhoon over 2.5 meters of rain fell in two days in this area. Roads that hugged the mountains just disappeared revealing what looks like a mountain of solid rock. Bridges that closed the gaps over the rivers were swept away, roads (like the one above) just finish in mid air.

It's hard to describe the scene, and photos just don't do it justice. At one stage we drove on a new 'road' alongside where the old was, its obvious remnants 2 meters above our head. Huge concrete support structures have been swept into the valley hundreds of feet below, and houses that were in the way ended up half buried in the mud and silt that settled in the river beds.

On the way in we asked for directions - a man who we think was serious told us just to follow the yellow line down the middle of the road. We did, and normally it would have ended in Duona. But now it's the road that ends in mid air (just as well we didn't follow it).

Almost two months after the event the villages themselves have been cleaned up and people are back to normal. But so much has been lost - for the people of Maolin and Duona their livelihood was tourism - there are few tourists heading this way at the moment. Life has a long way to go before normal can describe it here.

School Projects

The Salvation Army in Taiwan has had the privilege of supplying a number of schools with essential equipment to replace damaged or destroyed materials. Included in the shopping list has been over 2,500 books, 1,000 uniforms, 1,500 sports uniforms, 2,000 pairs of shoes, 1,500 school bags, a mountain of stationary and a few commercial grade water filters.

As well as the practical stuff, which also included feeding and cleaning up in the early days, the team has conducted interviews with hundreds of victims of the typhoon and established new partnerships and bridges with government and other community organisations.

Yesterday, I was welcomed into one of the schools in Tainan like a rock star. It was very embarassing actually. 250 grade 6 and 7 kids standing and clapping as I entered a school assembly. (That never happened at my school.) I gave them some of the gifts and then I had to speak. They were told to listen carefully to some one that would "speak the English more proper than your English teacher". Talk about presssure!

This work can be taxing, it has major frustrations and complications, but the privilege of being part of a persons life when they need it the most is so amazingly humbling. To be able to share what I have with those that have lost everything reminds me of what it really means to try and be like Jesus. I have the privilege of doing what I can to rebuild and transform a life, not just physically but spiritually, (and not with the Bible and 4 spiritual laws under my arm either).

So tomorrow I'll tell you about my journey into Maolin and Duona - two villages in the mountains that were devastated by the landlsides and rain. Until then...

Do Not Beat

Located at convenient intervals along the super highways of Taiwan are great Convenience Stops. These vary in size but always contain a good, clean set of toilets, (a must on any long trip) and a 'Food Court' that boasts flavours (and smells) from all over the world.

Usually they also contain a 7 Eleven store with a full compliment of Slurpee flavours including some varieties that Australian connoisseurs would find interesting - and of course the usual Coke flavour. Regardless of the flavour these sugar water frozen delicacies attract children of all cultures - and hype them up. In a confined space one could be forgiven for wondering if the sign (above) doesn't have the sentiment right after all!

Of Mice & Rice

Have you ever sat in a little road side restaurant listening to the sounds of frying, smelling the amazing aromas of fried food and spice, eating beef fried rice, with ‘green things’ on the side only to look down and see a cute little brown mouse eating some of the food that’s been dropped next to you?

It’s about that time that you begin to wonder why the beef you’re eating is in such dainty little pieces! Is it really just to test my chopstick skills – or is there perhaps another reason that just ran out the door with its latest trophy between its protruding teeth?

It was beautiful fried rice too!