On Assisting Philippine Victims of Tropical Storm Ketsana ("Ondoy")

UPDATE #2: More info on how you can help from The Pinoy Chuva, with specifics on the particular needs of the victims & evacuees.

UPDATE: Useful info from ABS-CBN, including updates & advisories from telcos, airlines and the like.

It has been one day since Ketsana (better known in the Philippines as "Ondoy") swept across Luzon, causing the highest amount of rainfall in recorded Philippine history. The situation in congested Metro Manila & neighboring provinces remains dire, due to the number of people, perhaps thousands, who, 24 hours hence, have remained stranded on their rooftops, at risk to exposure and hypothermia. The fact that the gravity of this storm was unexpected, and unprecedented, has further hampered speedy and efficient rescue and relief operations whether by the public or private sector. There'll be a time for a post-mortem on how the public services sector performed in this once-in-a-lifetime crisis, but for as long as there remain lives to be saved, the flagellation can wait.

The Internet, particularly social networking has been able to communicate various urgent situations and means by which people can help the victims. Sour Politics best compilation out there of the list of emergency contact numbers; as well as sites where relief goods can be delivered & volunteers can register. A Google Spreadsheet has likewise been created listing places where relief goods may be dropped off; it is constantly updated. Check them out for now, I'll post additional info if necessary.

One of course should be cautious in identifying the proper conduit for donating relief goods, especially if donating cash. The surest bet is through The Philippine Red Cross. They have offered the following bank accounts through which cash donations may be made:

Account Name: The Phil. Nat’l. Red Cross

METROBANK

Port Area Branch

Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8

Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2

Type of Acct. : SAVINGS

Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS

Port Area Branch

Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99

Type of Account: CURRENT

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS

UN Branch

Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94

Type of Account: SAVINGS

Swift Code: BOPI PH MM

For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank

transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your

name, address and contact number.

Credit Card

Please fax the following info to +632.404.09.79 and +632.527.0575:

Name of card member, billing address, contact nos. (phone &

mobile), credit card no., expiration date, CCV2/ CVC2 (last three

digits at the back of the credit card), billing address, amount to be

donated.

For more details, visit www.redcross.org.ph .

Per Section 34(H) of the National Internal Revenue Code, charitable contributions made by Philippine corporations or self-employed Filipino taxpayers to the Philippine Red Cross (a government agency) are tax deductible as long as the total annual contributions do not exceed 10% (for individuals) or 5% (for corporations) of the annual net income. Self-employed individuals who avail of this deduction should not however avail of the standard 10% optional standard deduction under Section 34(L) that many taxpayers usually opt for.

Some American celebrities such as Yoko Ono and Alyssa Milano have tweeted that donations can be coursed through the American Red Cross. However, per HappySlip, the American Red Cross does not have a dedicated fund for Ketsana/Undoy victims, so any donations coursed through them will be spread out to other causes as well. You can instead donate directly through the Philippine Red Cross here (click "Others"), or by directly depositing to the bank accounts referred to earlier.

Twitter is perhaps the best place to receive wire-service like updates from the Philippines (I've been tweeting furiously myself). You can follow, among others, ABS-CBN News, GMA News, and popular blogger Manolo Quezon.