Please check in

[Smiley]

I know that many members here are as concerned as I am about the safety of our members who are in the Philippines. Could you all please ,when you read this please take a moment to let us know you are allright? Also please feel free to share your experience over the last few days.

[red]

Our Pastor's wife, her father and some relatives in Guiuan, Leyte can't be contacted anymore. I told her that all communications down and it was the first place that was hit by storm surged. She is worried now she was about to cry and just walked out when i said that to her. I been monitoring on TFC channel here and it is very sad scenes there. I have a cousin with his family live in Samar Leyte. I don't know if they are all okay. There is a way to know if relatives still alive and that is what I am trying to figure out now as I have heard it on ABS CBN last night. Trying to help Pastor's wife here she can't browse on internet coz she's blind. My other friend here said that her family's house over there in Cebu lost roof in their kitchen but thankful to God all family members are well. We been praying for this. It will take months to recover and as a Filipino am thankful for those that contributed help and prayers. I know there are a lot of Filipina women who have profiles on this site are from Leyte. I hope and pray that they are all okay. We can't expect some to be able to get on here as all means of communications there are down. There is a designated place in Tacloban City for people to use phone and internet for free just to let their loved ones know they are okay but it is limited to 3 minutes only per person. Looting is happening in Tacloban City. People are trying to survive can't blame them.

[jadegil6]

It is going to take more time for anyone in Leyte or on any of the other devastated islands to be able to respond to anyone. It may take months to get power restored to many of these areas. I have many friends along the storm eye's path, and I have heard from only one so far. Her family lost their roof, and everything they have is soaked with rain. I was talking on facebook with another, when the roof of her house flew off, and then contact with her was lost, and I don't know if she and her family survived.
I have two friends who are sisters from Caluya, Antique, and that little island (Caluya) was directly in the storm's path. It is a very small island comparatively, and there is not many places to flee to, or to seek refuge. These friends have not heard from their mother or siblings, and they are worried sick. Their mom's house is right next to the beach, and I fear for the worst for those people. I was exchanging messages with their niece on Caluya prior to the storm getting there, and I was warning her to get all of her family members away from the sea, and into the strongest building she could get into. I can only hope she was able to do that. One of the sisters lives in Pennsylvania, and she told me that her cousin in Manila confirmed that her nephew was dead, but I don't know where he was when that happened. I know he was not on Caluya.
If Guiuan looks anything like Tacloban City, then there won't be much left of that place. Tacloban City was totally destroyed, and reports today say that more than 10,000 died in Tacloban alone, many of which died in the storm surge that was like a tsunami with waves 20 to 30 feet high, and which flooded the town, and washed people out to sea. I am so sad at what has happened. I was there in Tacloban 3 years ago to visit a child in the hospital, and to see the General MacArthur Memorial site. Now that city lies in ruins.

[Smiley]

I just got word from my foster son that he and his immediate family are ok. I was afraid that he was traveling in the Visayas but fortunately he was home in Pagadian so it looks like he was lucky to have been spared from the full brunt of the storm.He is very frantic worrying about his friends further north however.This is truly a terrible thing for the victims and the survivors both.

[red]

Another typhoon is going to hit Mindanao and some parts of Visayas but it will not be as strong as Yolanda. I pray this will just be an ordinary rain. A member of the church came to tell me yesterday how devastated Phils right now, calamity after calamity. I thought God will rebuild Philippines to a new better country.

[Cameron]

Thanks Smiley for creating this topic, it's a good idea to help make sure everyone is ok, and to help discuss if they're not so maybe some of the members here locally and abroad can lend a helping hand.

[m&m]

We are doing okay. We are not affected in our area and we are safe. But today, the weather is so gloomy. yesterday, was raining a lot and got so much cold during the night and until now almost having a fever again. Still need to be healthy for the upcoming medical and physical exam on Sunday to Monday.