TYKFI’s HOPE Caravan, in partnership with the Philippine National Bank, Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple, Buddhist Light International Association (Philippines), Local Government of San Luis, Pampanga, and the Open Heart Foundation Worldwide, Inc. provided relief for affected families from the devastation brought about by Habagat.
Over an eight-day period, Habagat brought intense rains and thunder storms, even if it was not a typhoon but a strong movement of the Southwest Monsoon, which in the vernacular is called Habagat, caused by the pull of typhoon Gener and further enhanced by typhoon Haikui. Suffering the brunt of the weather disturbance were the National Capital Region, provinces of the CALABARZON Region, namely, Quezon, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, and the provinces of Region 3, namely, Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan. The nonstop rains caused the Marikina River to overflow and destroyed the same places that were ruined by another typhoon in 2009. It also caused a landslide in the Commonwealth Area as well as the collapse of the Northbound side of the Marcos Highway. In its wake, Habagat left 95 people dead, 8,428 homes destroyed and 6,706 damaged. Losses throughout the country amounted to at least P604.63 million (US$14.31 million).
Over an eight-day period, Habagat brought intense rains and thunder storms, even if it was not a typhoon but a strong movement of the Southwest Monsoon, which in the vernacular is called Habagat, caused by the pull of typhoon Gener and further enhanced by typhoon Haikui. Suffering the brunt of the weather disturbance were the National Capital Region, provinces of the CALABARZON Region, namely, Quezon, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, and the provinces of Region 3, namely, Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan. The nonstop rains caused the Marikina River to overflow and destroyed the same places that were ruined by another typhoon in 2009. It also caused a landslide in the Commonwealth Area as well as the collapse of the Northbound side of the Marcos Highway. In its wake, Habagat left 95 people dead, 8,428 homes destroyed and 6,706 damaged. Losses throughout the country amounted to at least P604.63 million (US$14.31 million).
     | Areas heavily hit by the flood included: San Luis, a fourth class municipality in Pampanga with a population of 47,517 people in 7,321 households; Minalin, first class highly urbanized municipality in Pampanga known for its 400 year old church and also referred to as the Egg Basket of Luzon, with a population of 40,084; City of Biñan in Laguna with a population of 269,608; first class component city Cabuyao in with a population of 205,436 and seat of many large corporations in its industrial estates; Santa Cruz, first class urban municipality is Laguna’s capital town with a population of 101,914 also functions as the service center for transportation, commerce, health, education, and other social services for the predominantly rural northeastern municipalities of the province; Victoria, a fourth class municipality in Laguna, with a population of 34,604; Bay, second class municipality in Laguna with a population of 55,698; and Calamba City, a first class, plastic-free component city located in Laguna, with a population of 389,377 inhabitants, making it the most populated town in the province and a popular tourist destination with its hot spring resorts TYKFI’s Hope Caravan, true to its mission to be where and when it is needed, reached out to some 5,000 families in these areas from August to September. Packages containing one bucket of assorted biscuits, two kilograms of rice, ¼ kilogram of salt, five 500ml. of Summit natural drinking water, and one blanket were given to each family. Foremost Farms, Inc. followed up in September with packages containing ten packs of noodles, two cans of sardines, and five 500ml. bottles of summit to flood victims in Baras, Rizal and Santolan, Pasig on top of the 5,000 families reached by Hope Caravan. |
