10.02.09
Excuse me? (an update on relief efforts)
-UPDATE-
I recently got a comment in my moderation queue that said “I hate spammers and opportunists.” and marked my post as “Spam.”
Just to make things clear, this website is soliciting for typhoon victims and nothing else. All in all, this website has donated 100 packs of toiletries (containing shampoo, bath soap, laundry soap and toothpaste) to an evacuation center in Cainta where there were 100 families stranded due to Typhoon Ondoy. We also helped in the relief efforts of Akabayan by helping make sandwiches and pack food items for typhoon victims.
We are all doing our part in helping out people who were affected by the typhoon. People who make harsh judgments or crass comments are not at all any help to these causes. Whoever you are (you didn’t even leave your real e-mail address), I hope you have done your part in helping out.
There’s your webmaster in the red cap wrapping sandwiches in Akbayan.
Additionally, here are more tips from Bayanihan Online :
Your Typhoon Survival Kit
October 1, 2009, 2:29 PM
Filed under: Survival
Being prepared is always one step towards survival. Here are some things that we think is important to have during times like these. Prepare them beforehand and keep them in a safe place at all times. Better yet, keep them with you, or in an area that is easy to reach and won’t get in the way of raging floods, etc.
YOUR TYPHOON SURVIVAL KIT
1. Clean drinking water. Good enough for a week. Consider having at least 1 gallon per person per day.
2. Other drinks. Consider: juices in packs, carbonated drinks, coffee.
3. Food. Also good enough for a week. Consider:
* Snacks that are easy to store and carry (biscuits, cookies)
* Non-perishable canned food (corned beef, tuna, pork and beans, vienna sausage, etc.)
* Candies to maintain sugar in body and keep acidity at bay
* Bread that will last for a few days, for carbo load
* Instant noodles, if you have the means to cook
* IMPORTANT: food for babies and the elderly if you have them staying with you
4. Food utensils.
* Spoons, forks, knives, paper plates, drinking cups
* Non-electric can opener
* Cooking stove and fuel, if possible
* Plastic bags
5. Medicines. Consider having medicines for the following:
* Fever and nausea
* Coughs and colds
* Hypertension
* Diabetes
* Diarrhea
* Anti-tetanus
* Anti-leptospirosis
* Other prescription drugs that you need to take
* Also include asthma inhalers with extra nebules and other asthma medicines
6. First Aid kit. Must contain band-aids, gauze, tweezers, alcohol, antibiotic ointment, hydrogen peroxide, bandage scissors, absorbent dressings, antiseptic wipe packets, cold compress, gloves and thermometer.
7. Sanitation kit. Make sure that you have tissue wipes, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, diapers.
8. Toiletries. These include toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap.
9. Blankets, towels, comforters, pillows. You can put them in large garbage bags to keep from getting wet.
10. Extra clothes and underwear. Put them in plastic bags to avoid from getting wet. If you can, pack something that will last you for a few days.
11. Jackets, sweaters, socks, caps. And anything else that will keep you warm and dry.
12. Emergency lights and flashlights.
13. Fresh batteries. Have reserves for batteries of different sizes, especially for radios and flashlights.
* “Ideally batteries should be advanced lithium or lithium so they have a longer shelf life….but the new Energizer Advanced is good enough to last a lot of long usage compared to Energizer Max batteries….” [via Comments]
14. Radio. Must be portable, battery operated, has functional AM station.
15. Mobile phone. Make sure the battery is fully charged, and that you have a spare one, too, in case of emergency. Also consider walkie-talkies.
16. Cash. Banks and ATMs might not be available so make sure that you have cash with you.
17. Keys. Have copies of keys to the front door, back door, garage, car keys, etc.
18. Items for pets. Consider also having a leash, muzzle, cage and food for your pets.
19. Umbrellas and tents
20. Water pails and dippers
21. Floatation devices like life jackets, styrofoams, old tires, etc.
22. Rope
* “I advice against tying family members together on a rope…if one member is swept away then the others will be pulled as well unless one person has super human strength….the rope should be attached as a guy line to guide members or as an escape line from high structures…” [via Comments]
23. Plastic whistles
* “Fox 40 whistle is available here in the RP…definitely loud.” [via Comments]
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS TO PROTECT
Many people have died trying to go back for these things, so it’s important that you are well-prepared already at this point in time. Keep these documents in a water-proof container:
1. Birth certificates
2. Insurance records
3. Medical records
4. SSS, Pag-ibig and Philhealth records
5. Identification cards
6. Passports
7. Bank account numbers and records
8. Emergency contact numbers (i.e. NDCC hotline numbers, PNP, etc.)
9. Contact numbers of family, friends and loved ones
It is important that you have an ID with you wherever you go. Also, a list of people to contact in case something happens to you. If you can, put your emergency contacts on speed dial.
If you have more suggestions, please leave them in the comments section.
Updated as of 2 October 2009, 9:14 AM.
10.01.09
Calamity Strikes – Help needed!
Hi all! I know that this post is supposed to be about something else however, given the current situation in Manila, Philippines, I’d like to take this chance to ask for help for my countrymen who were totally stripped of their belongings.
Just a backgrounder, last weekend, Typhoon Ondoy (International name: Typhoon Ketsana) hit Metro Manila Philippines with a lot of rainfall which flooded several major cities and housing subdivisions/villages. Many of my co-workers were affected by the floodwater as high as 20 feet. Some of them were stranded on the rooftops of their homes for 24-48 hours without food or water until the water subsided enough for them to go to relocation points and relief centers.
In response to the growing need for supplies like canned food, rice, drinking water, toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, tooth brushes), medicines (iodine, bandages, paracetamol, antibiotics, vitamins etc.) and linens (towels, blankets and bedsheets) – My First One Million Pesos will be accepting donations through an address in Mandaluyong City (or we can pick up at your place). You can also donate any amount to Paypal (but we prefer goods).
If you can spare anything from your cupboard, medicine cabinet or stock of linens and old clothes, please e-mail me or leave a message for the drop off address and/Paypal ID.
We appreciate every little bit of help.
THANKS!
We will be accepting donations of all kinds up to October 13, 2009.
06.21.09
Medical Insurance
Some people have argued with me about the importance of buying medical insurance. A number have declared that they are as healthy as bulls and don’t need this “additional expense” in their lives.
Medical insurance has helped me a lot in the past years. Since I work in a high pressure type of environment with abnormal sleep hours, there were times when my asthma would bother me and I would have to go see a doctor. I even got hospitalized before and I am thankful that I only paid P198…the bill was actually about 35k– but of course, the insurance covered it all.
Now that I am employed, my company takes care of my health insurance. when I was a kid though, my parents bought insurance for us and it really went a long way. Visits to the ER, dental appointments and even some procedures were done without us having to pay for much.
The advantage of having health and accident insurance is really big and unfortunately will only be realized by a person when an emergency happens. Of course, you need to pick a really good insurance provider. One that will really fit your needs.
I’m happy with my current provider, even my dad has been able to use the policy since he is one of my dependents. I’m also able to help my brother, he’s the other dependent and is apparently only two years old! Kids nowadays get sick of one thing or another and the coverage is really useful for him.
My insurance provider requirement checklist:
1. Covers long term conditions developed after buying the insurance.
2. Covers pre-existing illnesses.
3. Flexible payment terms.
4. Allows for adding dependents.
5. Covers a wide geographical area (great for frequent travelers)
6. The office is easy to contact specially when it’s an emergency case. (One provider I had before even uses swipe card technology, so that hospitals don’t need to call to verify the card details).
7. Is accepted in many quality hospitals.
8. Covers out-patient medication (This is rare, even my provider doesn’t do this.)
9. Covers testing procedures (An MRI is very expensive! Covering it would save you 8k)
When you get a medical insurance provider, ask questions before you sign. Compare with other providers and find the one that will suite your lifestyle. Make a list of possible concerns you might encounter and ask the provider about how they handle these situations. Don’t scrimp on this investment, you’ll never know when you’ll need to use it. You could save a lot of money on trips to the ER or regular check-ups.
Part of saving money is also preserving your health. Health is wealth and if we stay healthy, we have the capacity to earn more. An investment in health insurance can go a long way.
09.18.08
News!
Hi folks! I know it’s been a while since I last updated, so let me share what’s been going on.
News #1
I’ve finally been able to grant small loans of 1-2k per month to people who need money to start small businesses. I have a broker who happens to be my maid (yes, the same one who used to lend my money out at 20% interest). So far I’ve received1 payment and am receiving another one come end of September. Sweet.
News #2
I got a pretty good reg package at work. Nuff said.
News # 3
My partner and I bought a new fridge since our old one was too small for our household. We got a Condura energy saver fridge. Good thing is that we didn’t have to dip into our life-savings for this. We got the money out of our revolving fund. The old fridge was supposed to be sold but I decided to give it to my loan broker as a gift.
News # 4
I finally bought a car! I’m selling the old one though so I can use the money to pay off some of the balance. I went to the car showroom today to place a downpayment of almost 110k. In the next 3 years, I’ll be making a payment of 15k per month. I’ve already done calculations and so far, the payments won’t impact my saving capacity much. At the same time, I’ll be able to spend less on gas. The car I drive now is a 1.5 litre model with automatic transmission. It uses up 1 litre of gas every 6-7 kms. The new model I got is a 1.1 litre (4 cylinder) with manual transmission. The new baby uses up about 1 litre of gas for every 10-12 kms. That almost cuts my gas spending in half! In a month, I spend about 4-5k on gas. I hope that the new car really does help me save a bit more. When I looked at the official website, it was listed there that the car can go for up to 20kms per litre of gas! COOL!
