Schools offer help as 'Maring' batters Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Schools and universities turned into action centers on Tuesday to provide aid to those affected by floods and torrential rains caused by typhoon Maring.

The University Student Council of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) activated its 'Isko Operations,' calling for donations to be dropped at the College of Human Kinetics in UPD.

The University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) also called for individuals, companies and businesses to donate food and non-food items such as clothes, diapers, medicines, medical supplies and toiletries to those affected by the typhoon. Donations are to be dropped off at the back gate of UA&P in Escriva Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City. Donors may contact 09177176212.

The De La Salle University and Enderun Colleges are similarly asking for donations to be distributed to typhoon victims.

Meanwhile, the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) student government is also conducting a constituency check to ADMU students who are in need of help and rescue. ADMU students needing assistance should visit http://bit.ly/16Yxocv.

For their part, the University of Santo Tomas's (UST) official school paper, The Varsitarian, asked UST students to tweet photos of flood situation in their areas. The tweet should include the time, location and flood level.

The government encouraged the use of the hashtag #reliefPH in Twitter for easy monitoring of situations and quick response from concerned state agencies.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is also calling on volunteers to repack relief goods at the National Resource Operations Center in NAIA Chapel Road, Pasay City. Volunteers may contact 852-808 or 09189302356.