Delivery Update 1/16/22
Excited to finally be able to do this update as it covers 4 deliveries!!!
Delivery #5. This one may not be as particularly large in number of containers as the previous one we sent to Batang which had 80 containers of water, but this had a great impact by helping 40 families and went to a place I was hoping to be able to reach, Sipalay.
Sipalay is in the southern part of Negros Occidental. It has beautiful beaches, is one of the many hidden gems of Negros, and was also hit hard by Odette.
For this delivery, I inquired about doing food packs. I spoke with Manang Katy about doing family packs that included 1 container of water (18L or 4.75 Gallons) and 4 cans of sardines, 4 cans of corned beef, and 2 kilos (or 20 cups) of rice. I calculated that each food pack would cost approximately $9 per pack. At 40qty, it cost around $354. I failed my calculations and instead of adding an extra donor on the packs, I only did 3 donors for the labels. UGH. But thankfully, I can simply allocate the $50 extra to an anonymous donor. Thank you to Jessica Ramos, Cindy Tran, Alisa Lieu, and our anonymous donor who donated $50 for funding this delivery!
For added transparency, I paid out of pocket for Inday Rita’s expenses for the labels and to also kick down 100php to Manang Katy’s son for helping Inday Rita! So cute!!!!
I know that this is a clean water relief and I will continue to send money to Kwench to help get more water out. I just also know that there are families, with or without a super typhoon, who need help. The pandemic has helped to push even more Filipinos into poverty.
The Philippines poverty threshold for a family of five per month in the first six months of 2021 was estimated at 12,082 pesos ($240).
The Philippine economy, one of the fastest-growing in Asia before the coronavirus hit, contracted by a record 9.6% last year, as pandemic-induced lockdowns shuttered businesses and crimped household consumption, a key driver of growth.
Even without the pandemic, the people of the Philippines struggle, and for those who have been able to visit, anyone can see first hand that the Filipino spirit is undeniably resilient despite the hurdles of every day life.
It was in my hopes to help some families eat and share a few meals with their loved ones without having to worry about where their next meal would come from. We are so blessed here in America with all of our abundances that it only feels right to share with those who appreciate the help.
Delivery 3, 4, and 6. This one was a collaborative labor of love spearheaded by my parents. They bought enough sacks for 100 families to get 3 kilos of rice. That amount of rice is unbelievably generous and last quite a while for a family.
After having done delivery #2 of 89 water containers, they decided to do another delivery but for rice. They asked if I wanted to pitch in, so we did. $250 from our donors helped to match my parents’ donation amount to get the rice sacks.
They first did a small gathering for people to come by and pick up rice and have some cookies as a treat. My mom said everyone was so grateful for the gesture. And you’ll also see in photos below that my mom is pretty excited to help the community.
The Mayor of Himamaylan stopped by and thanked my parents and mentioned that he would be sending along info to the Negros Bulletin to cover our relief project. That’s nice of him to do.
40 sacks were given out that day! Then a couple of days later, Delivery #5, more sacks were given out in the town. I love those photos in particular. A lot of them are candid and the photos just capture a different but familiar feel of the town.
Then another couple of days later, Delivery #6, more families stopped by to pick up the last sacks of rice.
Mom is already scheming for the next delivery. I wonder what she has in store for her area.
I’m going to be reaching out to my other cousin who lives in Sipalay. I didn’t even know she lived there until my mom told me last week. I would like to send more water containers that way because I know they need it.
So grateful to be able to do this. Thank you for helping us make this happen. Our donors for these deliveries: Menez USA, The Mantra Co., Kuyawear, Irene Chansawang, and Alyssa Rodriguez. Thank you all so much.
