Ok, i'm speaking for myself but sitting here with a roof over my head I can hardly take this in :- BBC News - Typhoon Haiyan: Philippines destruction 'absolute bedlam'
it is. i was in sri lanka in 2004 2 weeks before the tsunami happened there. I consider myself so lucky not to be there when it happened
My Girlfriend is Filipino, she has lived here since 1976. As far as we know all her family are safe but those affected will never recover, there's no house insurance there, they have lost everything.
My friends used to live in Cebu for over ten years. Every year they had serious storms where winds would regularly hit 150mph. They seemed to be able to cope with these and the support structure was there to deal with it. This one seems to have knocked the stuffing out of the Philippines. :frown:
I'm struggling to take in what I'm seeing, for the first time in as long as I can remember I stopped to really watch the news, as opposed to just having it on in the background whilst doing the ironing. I really can't think of anything other than the sheer tragedy that has unfolded. Entire towns simply no longer exist. The real brutal irony is that those so badly affected will be hit by further typhoons, and soon.
I went to the Philippines some years ago on holiday. When you see the crappy accommodation the poor people have there, you can understand that it wouldn't last long in a typhoon. Poor Philippinos. They are such a happy smiling load of folk who have very little. They don't deserve this. I am totally skint but think I'll have to make a small donation. It always seems more real when you've been to the place. Mind you, Cebu was the arsehole of the world even before the typhoon.
Im based in Manila, Philippines and is lucky enough not to be affected by the recent typhoon, but it tears me up to see my fellow men in the south struggle with basic necessities like food, water and shelter. If you were here in Manila now you would see Filipinos lining up in groceries and supermarkets buying anything they can from canned goods, bottled water to instant noodles for donation, ive never seen such a compelling scene in a grocery before. It also brings out the best in the human spirit when we see different countries from around the world contribute and give a helping hand. To anyone interested in donating please donate only in the link below, no amount is too little in these trying times.
It is just tragic what happened out there... Will be making a donation today... Poor people... Really feel for them...
I was on holiday in Vietnam when the typhoon hit the Philippines and the place we were staying was bang on target to be hit for a few hours although luckily for us it moved out to sea a few hours before it was due and passed us by about 50 miles away. The mrs and I went to bed that evening with a couple of waterproof bags packed with food, drink, torches etc and had planned to strap us together with a belt around an ankle each so we would not lose each other in the event of flooding. We`d been in touch with the kids and parents telling them all not to worry and we would be fine but I have to say it was nerve racking and very upsetting getting anxious messages back. Nothing compared to the suffering in the Philippines I know .
