For Yolanda victims

Instead of soliciting for our traditional Christmas contest, we requested our usual sponsors and benefactors to contribute to The Philippine Star Operation Damayan fund for typhoon Yolanda victims.

We collected a total of P60,000 with contributions from Ever Bilena’s Dioceldo Sy (P20,000), Herma Group chairman and sportsman Hermie Esguerra (P15,000), Philippine Taekwondo Association chairman Robert Aventajado (P10,000), ALA Group chairman Antonio L. Aldeguer (P10,000) and Games and Amusements Board chairman Juan Ramon Guanzon (P5,000). We also received donations from San Miguel Corp. (jackets and backpacks), Meralco (T-shirts), Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas (Peak-branded FIBA Asia Championship towels), Ever Bilena (20 boxes of Lady G orange health drink) and Sonia Trading (36 Molten basketballs).

The day after Christmas, I will fly to Tacloban with Ever Bilena chairman and Blackwater Sports PBA-League team owner Dioceldo Sy, Hayden Kho, Air 21 center Asi Taulava and broadcaster Chino Trinidad. Sy is donating a payloader to assist in the Tacloban rebuilding effort and will turn it over to Kenneth Uy, a local businessman, during the visit. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez will receive the payloader from Uy.  

Southeast Asian Games karate gold medalist Ramon Franco, a Tacloban native, will welcome the traveling group. Franco’s parents, three siblings and girlfriend survived the storm surge in the city. He was in Iran training for the SEA Games when the disaster struck. Franco, 28, captured the gold medal in the 55 kilogram division in Myanmar.

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Star columnist Cito Beltran recently said my visit to Tacloban will be “life-changing.” He spent four days in the city and was emotionally drained from interacting with survivors and surveying the damage wrought by Yolanda. A Christian leader, Cito said he left the wasteland that was once a thriving provincial capital city with a stronger resolve to do more for his fellow man.

Meanwhile, Cito’s sister Marissa Altamirano, whose husband Eric is a well-known coach, is spearheading a campaign to collect used or unused sneakers from size 8 upwards for the National Basketball Training Center teams in Tacloban and Ormoc. “We’re supporting the eight teams from Tacloban and nine teams from Ormoc so we’re asking players, especially those who came from the NBTC program, to help,” she said.

The other day, University of California at Irvine biological sciences sophomore student Gurmeet Buxani turned over $300 to The Philippine Star Operation Damayan fund and $416.43 to the ABS-CBN Foundation through broadcaster Dyan Castillejo for the typhoon victims. Buxani, 19, collected the money from sales of button pins with the words “Coming Together Is Strong Than Any Storm.” A student club Circle K, which is affiliated with Kiwanis, organized the fund-raising campaign at the Irvine campus with Filipina sophomore Nikki Sta. Teresa leading the drive. There are some 230 members of Circle K with about a fourth claiming Filipino roots.

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Buxani, who is spending the Christmas holidays with her family in the Philippines, plans to become a doctor. While on school break, she is logging hours at the Mary Medriatrix Medical Center in Lipa City as a student intern supported by noted urologist Dr. Jaime Songco. Buxani’s father Anil heads Sonia Trading which distributes Asics, Molten and Mikasa in the country.

“We made the button pins and sold them for $1 each all over the Irvine campus,” said Gurmeet whose name means the Lord’s companion. “We did another button pin with the word Hope beside the Philippine flag. It’s our small way to show our care and concern for our Filipino brothers and sisters affected by Yolanda.”

The Irvine students also sent over cards with messages of hope and inspiration to the typhoon victims. One student, Christian P., wrote: “I can’t begin to understand the hardship and pain you’ve experienced recently. It pains me to know that so many people have been affected, that so many have been lost, due to this disaster. All I can do is send you this card and offer my hopes and prayers to you, your friends and your families. From me and from all of us in the UC Irvine Circle K International family, may this card reach you and offer some hope.”

Another card said: “I just wanted to let you know that we are thinking of you and praying for your health and safety …please never give up and I hope this card makes you smile, you are beautiful and strong, we will get back up together, stay strong.” One card had Philippines on the front with this message “We love you! Our prayers are with you through this hard time, you have to go through the rain to reach the rainbow.”