Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

The Filipino community in Canada and Canadians grieve and sympathize with the victims of supertyphoon Fengshen (Frank) that swept the Philippines over the weekend. We urgently appeal for financial support to help the relief efforts.

According to official reports, nearly 1000 people are confirmed dead, including those dead or missing from a ferry that sank in central Philippines. Over 35, 500 families had to be evacuated from their homes due to the rapid flooding and landslide risks. The hardest hit areas are Iloilo, Romblon, Cotabato, Antique, and Capiz.

In these times of natural disasters, the majority of victims are the poverty-stricken population. The majority of the people are already faced with economic crisis, such as the food crisis, the typhoon adds further suffering to the Filipino people. Already pushed in the margins of government priorities, the needy and poor populations are further left in extreme vulnerability and danger in times of natural and man-made calamities.

The Philippines is ill-equipped to handle natural calamities because most of the government budget goes towards servicing the foreign debt and militarization, and not towards badly-needed social services. According to reports, only 0.1 percent of national budget is allotted to calamity funds.

In these trying times, it is ever-more urgent for us to continue to build direct people to people support. Please donate to help in the people’s relief efforts.

Donations can be made at any Vancouver City Savings Credit Union branch to the account: “Philippine Disaster Relief Fund,” Account Number: 63487, Branch 28. You can mail your donations to Philippine Women Centre of B.C. 451 Powell Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6A 1G7. Please signify that your donations are for “Typhoon Frank” relief efforts.

In solidarity, B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines; Philippine Women Centre of B.C.; Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance; Filipino Nurses Support Group; SIKLAB (Overseas Filipino workers’ organization); Sinag Bayan Cultural Arts Collective