Pinoys continue to help as worry over lost family grows

PANORAMA City, California - As days go by, it's been more difficult for Filipinos with ties to the typhoon ravaged Visayas to cope with not only lost properties but also lost lives.

Jane Cruz, whose family hails From Tacloban, Samar, and Maripipi in Biliran has yet to hear from all sides of the family.

"Hindi ko alam kung buhay lahat kasi hanggang ngayon yun sa father side ko, hindi pa alam. Yung mother's side lang, sa Maripipi Island, sila lang nababalitaan ko," she said.

She added, "Yung mga sa Tacloban, yung mga Francisco family, at saka Salunay family. Mga pangalan nila Daday, and Luling Francisco, yung Lolo ko. Palitugan Francisco. Yung mga kapatid ng Lolo ko".

The few updates she does get, only bare bad news.

"Yung bahay namin na washed out lahat. Tapos wala sila pagkain. Wala silang clothing. Kaya ang mga damit nila ano lang, yun lang ang suot nila hanggang ngayon," said Cruz.

Lisa Smith, who's been gathering donations to give to her religious contacts in Cebu, gets emotional when she thinks about her friends and family in the area.

"Sa Tacloban, sa Leyte may mga pinsan ako doon kaya iyak ako ng iyak. Hanggang ngayon, ang trabaho ko ngayon mag-tawag at mag-tawag naghihingay ng mga pag tulong, mga food, kahit ano," Smith said.

While the disabled Smith does her part in helping out, the Filipino community continues to mobilize.

Beautician Monet Lu, who is holding his Beautiful Life Celebration honoring community members, will now raise money for typhoon victims with the help of celebrity guest and honoree Ruffa Gutierrez.

The TFC Tambayan and Island Pacific Supermarket will also hold a Yolanda Fundraisers this weekend benefiting the ABS-CBN Foundation.

"We want to extend our help to support the suffering Filipinos with the help of Ruffa Gutierrez coming, she will able to grace the occasion and the portrait of Yolanda with the help of photographers," he said.

Despite a quick call to help, some Filipinos do have hesitations to send donations as this latest disaster comes amid the pork barrel scandal and reports of looting in affected areas.

But despite the concerns, Filipinos said nothing will stop them from getting aid to their families whom they continue to pray are safe.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pru Life UK extends payment grace period for quake victims

MANILA, Philippines - Pru Life UK has extended the premium payment grace period for policyowners in areas affected by the recent earthquake in the Visayas.

In a statement, Pru Life UK said it extended the grace period for premium payments for policyowners living in quake-hit areas by an additional 60 days.

With the extension, the grace period for premium payments with due dates that fall between September 15 and November 15, 2013 is extended o 91 days.

This will cover policyholders living in identified areas in Cebu, Bohol, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Siquijor.

"This is our way of helping ease the burden of our clients as they recover from the earthquake. All payments made within the 91-day grace period will be accepted without interest,” Pru Life UK Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer George Opeda said.

Policyowners from the following municipalities are covered by the extended grace period on premium payment due dates: in Cebu, these are Argao, Boljoon, Cebu City, Danao, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Lapu-Lapu City (Opon), Mandaue, Minglanilla, Pilar, Pinamungahan, Sibonga, Tabogon, Talisay and Toledo.

In Bohol, the covered municipalities are Albuquerque, Alicia, Anda, Antequera, Baclayon, Balilihan, Batuan, Bien Unido, Bilar, Buenavista, Calape, Candijay, Carmen, Catigbian, Clarin, Corella, Cortes, Dagohoy, Danao, Dauis, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Guindulman, Inabanga, Jagna, Jetafe, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Loon, Mabini, Maribojoc, Panglao, Pilar, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia (Pitogo), Sagbayan (Borja), San Isidro, San Miguel, Sevilla, Sierra Bullones, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran City, Talibon, Trinidad, Tubigon, Ubay and Valencia.

The extended grace period also covers Jordan in Guiamaras; Binalbagan, Hinoba-an (Asia) and Pontevedra in Negros Occidental; Larena and Maria in Siquijor and Iloilo City in Iloilo.

Pru Life UK is an indirect subsidiary of Prudential plc, a United Kingdom-registered company, through Prudential Corporation Asia.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

No major damage in Cebu airport after quake

MANILA, Philippines – No major damage was detected at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Central Visayas on Tuesday.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) denied reports, which spread through text messages, that the runway was badly damaged in the quake.

The agency said the runway was deemed safe after the Runway Inspection Team conducted an immediate technical inspection of the runway and taxiway integrity.

“Having been found to be safe, the runway was reopened for flight operations,” MCIAA said in a statement released Friday.

Airport authorities also assessed the structural integrity of the passenger terminal building (PTB), which was evacuated and closed for around three-and-a-half hours after the quake.

“No major damages were detected, as minor damages such as cracks were non-structural in nature. Passenger and cargo processing were returned to the PTB from separate buildings by around noon of the same day,” the MCIAA said.

The MCIAA said operations at the airport resumed at its full capacity on Wednesday, October 16, but appealed "for calm and sobriety" from passenger as aftershocks occur.

Meanwhile, the board of directors of MCIAA approved the release of P2 million to the victims of the earthquake in Cebu and Bohol out of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budget.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Jun Abaya commended MCIAA for the act, saying he hopes it “inspires others to help out as well.”

“I personally visited our kababayans in these areas over the past two days and saw the difficulties they are going through. It is good for them to be reassured that government is here to help them,” he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Dengue cases in Central Visayas up 64.6%

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The number of dengue cases in Central Visayas rose to 4,019 from January to July 7 this year, up 64.6 percent from 2,441 recorded during the same period last year, the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 7 said.

Cebu City accounted for nearly half of the cases and the most number of deaths in the region.

In a report by the Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (RESU), based on the records of government hospitals and other units, the region tallied 25 deaths due to dengue from Jan. 1 to July 7, 2012, compared with 16 during the same period last year.

The patients were as young as one-month old and as old as 87 years. Most of the patients were below six years old.

Dengue is caused by a virus transmitted by carrier mosquitoes that breed in clean, stagnant water.

Patients afflicted with dengue show symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, body and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, and rashes.

The RESU noted that the most number of cases were from Cebu City with a total of 1,858 cases and 11 deaths, or 45.5 percent of the total number of dengue cases in the region.

Lapu-Lapu City had three deaths, the second highest in the region, and 167 patients.

Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental province had the second highest number of cases with 247 and one death, while Minglanilla town in Cebu xame third with 198 cases and one death.

The other towns and cities in the top 10 list are Talisay City, Liloan town, Mandaue City, Toledo City and Consolacion town in Cebu, as well as Bayawan City in Negros Oriental.

Health officials, through its anti-dengue campaign advocacy, urged the public to get rid of breeding places for mosquitoes that include unused flower vases, discarded tires and water dispensers, among others.

source: interaksyon.com