For those who know any filipinas (not just maids)

my husband's company had a collection and gave us a list of items - the shipment goes off tomorrow I think... He said there was a lot of stuff collected..

Have a look at shelterbox. I , think it's shelterbox. com, but a google will bring it up. You can choose if your donation goes to the Philippines or Syria and it tells you why they send the boxes they do ( what's needed etc) and how much goes on admin. I feel it addresses all the points made in this discussion.

My Hubby's company has had a collection and achieved quite alot of money for the fund. I do hope all the people get all the help and get them back on their feet, must be so awful for everyone living in the Philippines. I am all for giving to charity, I do worry that some agencies are corrupt, I so remember giving a cash amount to a particular charity for the tsumami, and afew months later, they said they was not using all the fund, but saving it for another disaster in future..... I gave for that disaster, its not their choice to pick and choose, and even thou I know there are honest people out there.... I do have my reservations, especially with cash payments. Nevertheless, I hope and pray that supplies are sent asap, and help relieve the people of their terrible misery... very sad.... Know how you feel,I also gave to the tsunami funds for Japan and was so mad when I read that some of the funds had been allocated to the area of 'Whale Research'.I was so mad ( this goes against every fibre of my being and can honestly say it has tainted my view when donating. A friend did a bit of research years back ,in North America ,about just how much gets to the charities once the 'administrative' cost have been deducted.......the Salvation Army came out on top ,almost 90% got to the recipient. Not saying this is the case here but it pays to be cautious and know who you are supporting.I have made a donation and can only hope it lands up where it is supposed to. edited by Nomad on 16/11/2013 <em>edited by Nomad on 16/11/2013</em>

My Hubby's company has had a collection and achieved quite alot of money for the fund. I do hope all the people get all the help and get them back on their feet, must be so awful for everyone living in the Philippines. I am all for giving to charity, I do worry that some agencies are corrupt, I so remember giving a cash amount to a particular charity for the tsumami, and afew months later, they said they was not using all the fund, but saving it for another disaster in future..... I gave for that disaster, its not their choice to pick and choose, and even thou I know there are honest people out there.... I do have my reservations, especially with cash payments. Nevertheless, I hope and pray that supplies are sent asap, and help relieve the people of their terrible misery... very sad....

Thanks for that, mum2girls. I seriously admire people who want to get things 'off the ground' and want to make a personal contribution to crises of this nature, but following the advice of those who have been managing these types of events for DECADES is often the best way to go. We have given money. The last time we gave 'goods' was for the Gaza crisis a few years back when we were satisfied that said goods were being handled by the appropriate registered charities; we knew that our duvets and saline tablets and what-have-you were getting right to the source of the problem. :)

Thank you for sharing LadyBee, that is an excellent article, it is also a message I have heard several times before.

for those who wants to help and for additional information. A friend of mine informed me that the Filipino Community in Dubai will be hosting a brunch for a cause tomorrow. friday 10 am i think its 50 aed per person . Proceed will go to those affected by the storm they will be also accepting any donations people are willing to donate. The brunch will be held at the Philippine Consulate Dubai near Al Qusais police Station. Beirut st.

I don't want to take [i'>anything[/i'> away from the absolutely heartfelt and genuine impulse to help, but there are good and bad ways in which one can do so. Thanks, mumto2. :) Disclaimer: DH worked for Save The Children for a decade, so I'm coming from a place which has a little bit of background. ;)

This is a MUST-READ article for anyone who thinks that getting home-grown initiatives off the ground is a 'great idea'. It's not. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2013/11/how_to_help_typhoon_haiyan_survivors_in_the_philippines_the_only_donation.html Excellent article. Thank you for sharing.

Got it. Cheers. :)

This is a MUST-READ article for anyone who thinks that getting home-grown initiatives off the ground is a 'great idea'. It's not. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2013/11/how_to_help_typhoon_haiyan_survivors_in_the_philippines_the_only_donation.html

While collecting things is very sweet, more benefit will come from donating money to reputable agencies eg Save The Children, International Red Cross, MSF etc. It costs a LOT of money to send food/goods overseas and since comms and roads etc are out and will be for some time, the chance of the goods getting to their destination in a timely manner without spoiling, if at all, is slim to none. Not wanting to put a dampener on things, but if you want to help NOW, think money not produce. I agree and please be careful when choosing an agency to donate through. I would highly recommend that you avoid using any Philippines based agencies as they are as corrupt as the government and the chances or your money reaching the victims is nil to nothing. Pick an agency from the above Your best bet for donating back to the community is to give money to a filipina here that you know. Its an idea that has gained a lot of ground amongst aid agencies in recent years - that basic cash transfers help communities in need faster than any other assistance. They will send it back and their family will use it as needed, buying things in the community, which helps get the economy back on its feet. Agree. I would choose to go this route as well.

Your best bet for donating back to the community is to give money to a filipina here that you know. Its an idea that has gained a lot of ground amongst aid agencies in recent years - that basic cash transfers help communities in need faster than any other assistance. They will send it back and their family will use it as needed, buying things in the community, which helps get the economy back on its feet. Fully agree this is the way to go. Unfortunately donations via any philippine (government) agency will unlikely reach those in need. The same goes for for donating via Red Cross and the likes. Small scale direct help may not save the region, it will certainly help a few of the most desperate cases.

Information from Philippine Consulate. Dubai website http://www.pcgdubai.net/2013/10/general-information-re-fund-raising-activities-to-address-calamities-crisis/ In connection with any fund-raising activity to address a calamity/crisis, it is best to contact the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or call +632912 0441/5947 or send an email [email protected]. Relative to any crisis, donors need to specify what the donation is intended for ( e.g. For Typhoon A, for Crisis B) Moreover, monetary donations may best be channeled through the NDRRMC, the government agency tasked to coordinate with local governments. NDRRMC’s account number is 0435-021927-130, Account Name: NDRRMC Donated Funds, Swift Code: DBPHPMM Account #36002016. Address: Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). Camp Aguinaldo Branch, PVAO Compound, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Philippines 1110. Contact Person: Ms. Rufina A. Pascual, Collecting Office NDRRMC, Office of Civil Defense, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Contact Nos. (632-421-1920, 911-5061 up to 65 local 116). Email: [email protected]. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also accepts donations through its Land Bank of the Philippines, Batasan, Quezon City Branch Account# 3124-0055-81. Address: Land Bank of the Philippines, batasan, Quezon City Philippines. Contact Person: Ms. Fe Catalina Ea, Cash division. Contact Nos. (632-931-8101 local 226). For additional information, visit Guidelines for Foreign Donations. For NGOs, you may wish to send your donations to Philippine Red Cross, GMA Kapuso Foundation and ABS-CBN Foundation. filipino community i heard will have activity for benefit of those affected on PCG dubai this coming friday..... http://www.emirates247.com/news/consulate-in-dubai-invites-you-to-help-click-here-2013-11-10-1.527564 Mataliyn Baguno, president of FilCom, a community organizstion based in Dubai and the Northern Emirates says the all those interested to contribute are welcome to attend the Friday event. “We have priced the entry at Dh50 each

What I'd really like to see is a campaign to "encourage" the supermarkets here who benefit hugely from the small change they don't give back to customers, into donating all these profits to such worthy causes.

While collecting things is very sweet, more benefit will come from donating money to reputable agencies eg Save The Children, International Red Cross, MSF etc. It costs a LOT of money to send food/goods overseas and since comms and roads etc are out and will be for some time, the chance of the goods getting to their destination in a timely manner without spoiling, if at all, is slim to none. Not wanting to put a dampener on things, but if you want to help NOW, think money not produce. I agree and please be careful when choosing an agency to donate through. I would highly recommend that you avoid using any Philippines based agencies as they are as corrupt as the government and the chances or your money reaching the victims is nil to nothing. Pick an agency from the above

please check this link http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/43300-reliefph-victims-typhoon-yolanda-help In behalf of all the Filipinos around the world, our warmest gratitude! Maraming Salamat po! Thanks - that is very useful as it provides links to NGO's who have already set up appeals for this. I usually donate to the DEC but they, apparently, are still trying to decide whether to set up an appeal. Thanks also to those who provided information on local initiatives. <em>edited by Genie on 11/11/2013</em>

please check this link http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/43300-reliefph-victims-typhoon-yolanda-help In behalf of all the Filipinos around the world, our warmest gratitude! Maraming Salamat po!

While collecting things is very sweet, more benefit will come from donating money to reputable agencies eg Save The Children, International Red Cross, MSF etc. It costs a LOT of money to send food/goods overseas and since comms and roads etc are out and will be for some time, the chance of the goods getting to their destination in a timely manner without spoiling, if at all, is slim to none. Not wanting to put a dampener on things, but if you want to help NOW, think money not produce.

There is a FBook page 'Shellsocial' and the lady who runs it is collecting foodstuffs to send to the Phillipines. She is asking for noodles, sugar, coffee, tins of meat, milk powder and rice and I'm sure she would be grateful for donations. You can contact her through her FB page. I recently donated a new toy as she is also sending Christmas presents for children there. <em>edited by amelia on 10/11/2013</em>

Just read the papers for the first time today and cannot believe how many have died .. estimates of 10,000 people.. maybe more. I am sure some of the local Filipino organisations must be organizing collections of essential items but I cannot find any news on this. If anyone knows of anything can they put it on here. RIP all those poor souls. I have not seen any collection initiative here yet. My friend in Brussels gave me this link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/tulong

Just read the papers for the first time today and cannot believe how many have died .. estimates of 10,000 people.. maybe more. I am sure some of the local Filipino organisations must be organizing collections of essential items but I cannot find any news on this. If anyone knows of anything can they put it on here. RIP all those poor souls.

Heartbreaking watching this on the news. The devastation is just unbelievable. My heart goes out to anyone with loved ones out there. If anyone knows or hears of any aid/relief being collected here in Dubai, please let us know.

The storm (Haiyan or Yolanda, as it is known in the Philippines) hit the central islands of Cebu, Samar, Leyte... most specifically Tacloban City in Leyte. I just spoke to my family who live on the island of Luzon and they had strong rains. they said that the devastation in the central islands is devastating. They do not know yet how many casualties there are because communications are down. Just to add a bit more perspective on how strong this storm was: Hurricane Katrina had sustained winds of 175 mph and gusts of 215mph. Haiyan/Yolanda had sustained winds of 195 mph and gusts of 235 mph.