Many thanks to all readers who have responded to the pleas for help and to expand the feeding program for undernourished public school children. It’s only been a day or so since I wrote this post, and donations are already accumulating with Ted in the U.S., and bettyq in Canada, in addition to pledges from family and friends here and abroad. I just checked with the account at BDO and was amazed to find that some folks had already sent their generous contributions… Here is a summary of remittances received as of early today into the BDO account or sent directly to me through other means:
9/29/2009 – PHP2,500.01
9/30/2009 – PHP4,739.55 (Probably $100 converted)
9/30/2009 – PHP1,500.00
10/1/2009 – PHP2,010.00
10/1/2009 – PHP10,000.00
10/2/2009 – PHP1,184.00
10/5/2009 – PHP9,198.89 ($200 from M in California, thanks :)
10/5/2009 – PHP10,000.01
10/7/2009 – PHP45,900.87 (From Ted, who consolidated U.S. donations into one transfer)
10/7/2009 – PHP14,000.00 (From relatives and their friends)
10/7/2009 – PHP50,000.00 MM, Family & Crew
10/8/2009 – PHP10,000.00
10/12/2009 – PHP20,000.00
10/15/2009 – PHP16,642.85 (From bettyq, who consolidated Canadian donations into one transfer)
10/15/2009 – PHP550.42
To the anonymous donor of 10/12/09 PHP20,000 from Greenhills, THANK YOU.
Latest total: PHP198,226.60
I will keep updating this post as I receive new remittances and will also post the total amounts collected and the number of meals they will provide. Many, many thanks to all of you!!!
22 Responses
Hello, always a lurker until now. MM, we will be sending our donation soon, but I was wondering if there is a way for you to set some money aside for the families of those heroes who died helping others (I know this will be difficult, but I think they may need some help, just quietly providing some assistance)? See https://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090930-227606/Bayanihan (One of the things I like about Canada is how people always try to remember the heroes and do something to help them).
I know right now it’s crisis mode, but I would love to hear your insights on what would most be needed over the next few months, MM.
I don’t know if it might be a medical supply drive or something like raising funds to rebuild houses. Or increasing the volume of the feeding program you have in place already. You have a big readership abroad with resources to donate, so please keep us posted on what you see needs doing, and how to get funds to you, over the next several months.
Using something like Paypal or Kickstart (which uses people’s Amazon.com accounts) as an online consolidator of donations (with one person doing a direct deposit into a bank account of the total) makes it a lot more feasible to give money easily and quickly from abroad.
Anybody with advice on how to donate from the United Kingdom? Preferably straight from my bank account as I do not wish to have to register with Paypal or any other such service.
MM, hope you don’t mind me posting this:
Canadian residents in the GTA can donate through the following:
– You can visit any CIBC branch and make a donation to the following account:
AFCM Temporalities Account
Transit #7012
Account #56-24010
– Torontonians can donate non-perishable food and other items to: Our Lady of Assumption Church (2565 Bathurst St. )
– Those in the Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, and Milton area can donate by visiting this link: https://oplanondoy.com/
sunny villa: Do you have a relative who can make a bank to bank deposit for you in Pinas? then you can reimburse your relative later on if you are not comfortable with setting up a paypal account or using XOOM, which, in an earlier post says will transmit funds for you without fee until Oct 9 if contributing to the disaster fund. Kindly badk track on the posts for the complete info.
Sunny Villa, since you’re from UK, try this link from OXFAM, they have a way to take your money and send directly to ondoy flood victims.
https://www.oxfam.org.uk/
Diane, I know exactly what you mean, but this is a really small program, and doing that would be mighty difficult, not to mention deciding who gets the aid. At this point, I am just trying to get meals to the hungry, in an organized established fashion where I am sure the funds are fully utilized for the benefit of those in need. The stories of heroism from this flood are amazing, and my hat is off to those heroes. To other commenters, please send your contributions to WHICHEVER relief avenue you prefer, the point is to get some help in from as many people as possible. And many thanks to all of you for your assistance.
Donations from Qatar has been sent to the Philippines and perhaps distributed there, The filipino community here for the first time that i saw their biggest support ever! (havent seen this before) and still more donations are coming….It clearly shows how filipinos respond while their countrymen are in trouble…this unpresedented task is really from the heart of everyone and has no political connection or whatsoever…..
To sunny villa, uk: Other reputable organizations who accept online donations are GMA TV’s Kapuso Foundation http://www.kapusofoundation.com; ABS-CBN’s Kapamilya Foundation https://www.abs-cbnfoundation.com/sagip.php; and Philippine National Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.ph
On the topic of helping kids, maybe you could assist us here–
8 babies orphaned by Ondoy, ages 3 weeks to 8months; in desperate need of Bonna infant formula, diapers, clothes, blankets, beddings, baby wash. They are at GRACE TO BE BORN shelter, 53 Dr Sixto Antonio Avenue, Poblacion, Pasig. Contact REY 09275010605 or 09228597035. PLEASE HELP!!
And for those abroad who wish to donate–
* UNICEF: httpss://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5960&5960.donation=form1
* Ateneo Alumni Northeast, Inc: https://www.atenista-usa.org/site/featured-articles/help-for-ondoy-victims/
* Australian Red Cross: httpss://www.redcross.org.au/Donations/onlineDonations.asp
* Ayala Foundation: https://af-usa.org/donate_now_form.asp (select AFI-Typhoon Relief Fund in drop down menu)
* eBay: https://donations.ebay.com/charity/event.jsp?NP_ID=-45#donatenow
* Gawad Kalinga: https://www.gk1world.com/give.html
* Global Giving: https://www.globalgiving.com/projects/philippines-flood-disaster-fund/
* HOPE Worldwide: httpss://www.hopeww.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1227&srctid=1&erid=162143
* Music for Relief: https://musicforrelief.ning.com/page/donate-1
* Operation Blessing International: https://www.ob.org/_programs/disaster/news/2009/dr_2009_0927_ketsana_philippines.asp
* PhilippineAid.com: https://www.philippineaid.com/
* Philippine National Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/Default.aspx?S=48&SS=972
* PayPal: PayPal is also accepting donations now. Please send to give@redcross.org.ph.
* Thomson Reuters Foundation (total sum donated by October 16 will be matched by the company): https://www.trust.org/trust.org/page/files/philippinestyphoon2009.html
* TXTPower (Paypal): https://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090927-227196/Help-Ondoy-victims-via-Paypal
* UNICEF USA: httpss://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=5960&5960.donation=form1
* Xavier School Alumni (NY): https://xs4ondoyny.chipin.com/ondoy-flood-victims
* Xoom: https://ronaldredito.org/blog/321/ondoy-donation-using-xoo/
* World Food Programme: httpss://www.wfp.org/donate/ondoy
Whoa…MM…there must be somethng wrong with the BDO exchange rate back home ! I should have sent the $390 + 15 CDN totalling $405 by the other means!…there is quite a BIIIIIIIIG! difference…..(about PHP 6 to 7 thousand more dapat!)
Does BDO charge communications or administrative fees?
@BettyQ, that is normal to most online transactions. They charge less for the transaction fee, but they get you on the exchange rate. Also the $ suffered a big loss last week due to Saudi Arabia thinking of selling their oil in other denominations other than the $. Also many OFW’s and other’s like us sending to PI gave the Peso some strenght (supply and demand).
It’s XOOM that made the money on your/our remittances.
Ted: before wiring it, the teller at Royal bank converted it for me and told me how much the equivalent is and the recipient wil be getting. I shouldered all the transaction and communications and whatever fee-fees! they wanted to charge!!!!!
If that is the case, then next time, MM, I shall send it to you like the first time MC and I sent it.
bettyq, there were no charges on my end, the bank waived all fees due to the charitable nature of the effort. The current peso exchange rate is PHP46.60 mid rate to US$1. So on Ted’s remittance, the exchange cost was about right, with bank buying dollars at roughly PHP46/$1. I am not sure what Canadian dollar is trading at today…
MM…today’s exchange rate…$405 Canadian is about PHP17,777. something cents. Last week Friday, Royal Bank teller said $405CDN is about PHP 17, 747 something cents.
I have the transaction paper, MM stamped by Royal Bank!
@bettyq, get in touch with xoom customer service, i think they made a mistake, the difference is way too much, MM should receive between P16-17K and not P9K plus change.
TEd: it was a bank to bank transfer…Royal Bank to Banco de Oro, Cebu City……no xoom involved.
MM: Royal Bank said it went through…I will send you by e-mail the Branch Reference No. Do you mind following up on it on your end? Thanks!
MM; I can fax to you the transaction papers if you would like to send to me by e-mail your fax number. Would that be easier for you?
MM,
I will be going back to Texas in a few weeks. I would like to send donations for your feeding program on a monthly basis. Would it be possible t send it thru western union? This way my bank does not charge me $35 per transaction. If this is possible kindly give me the recipient’s name, address. I will also start a campaign among the Filipinos in San Antonio, Texas to solicit more funds for your worthy cause. I won’t promise anything big but you can count on my monthly support.
Sincerely,
Zack
Zack, I think western union charges even more than xoom, the more you save on transaction fees the more money can go to the feeding program.
Zack…if you are still back home, why don’t you just leave postdated cheques with MM if you get the chance , send him an e-mail through the contact form. I am positive you can make an arrangement. This way, maybe the bank charges for clearing the cheques won’t be as much….or maybe there won’t be any!
Huh? Royal Bank asked me for a complete address of the recipient, MM to fill in the blanks on their computer upon giving them the account name under…so I just gave Cebu city…initially I thought of telling her TIMBUKTO or the teller I was telling you about will not wire the transfer!
In all fairness though, she was just doing her job…I knew that she was just frustrated as I was. At the end of the day, we came to know each other by name and I offered her a WHOLE CHOCOLATE CAKE which I will bring tom. so she can share with the whoooooole staff to compensate for all the kunsumisyon I may have caused.
Hah!… and I thought M cannot do any more surfing the net at work (when on her break!)….hahahaha