Toronto Filipino-Canadians focus on aid post Haiyan

Filipino-Canadians in theToronto areaare stepping up relief efforts after the world's most powerful storm of the year struck the Philippines on Nov. 8. It's all many can do as they remain cut off from contact with family members living in devastated areas.

"It's a very difficult time," NormaCarpio, president of theToronto-based Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC), told CBCNews.

Carpio's family is from ahard-hit region in the northern part of the country, inIlio-Ilio, a town in Pangasinan province.

She's having trouble connecting with family because communication is nearly impossible, with electrical lines a longway off from being repaired in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda.

"Almost all the houses in that area were destroyed. Fortunatelyour house was not destroyed, and the church. And there are twoother houses.

"Most of the survivors are staying at those few remaining houses andthe church, andthey're suffering. They urgently need water,clothing, food and, you know, anythingthat can help them,"Carpiosaid, "I'm urging everybody to help by contributing before Dec. 8."

The Canadian government will match dollar-for-dollar eligibledonations by individuals until Dec. 9.

Registered charities declaring eligible donations must complete adeclaration form, which must then be received by the government onor before Dec. 23.

No matter what happens with the level of donations, the Canadiangovernment is committed to providing $20 million in aid.A government spokeswoman on Tuesdaysaid the total donation amount for Canada is almost $40 millionbecause of dollar matching, with Canadian individual and businesseskicking in $19.7 million.

That total would make Canada the first largest donor, after theU.S., U.K. and Australia.

Some of Toronto's fundraising events:

• One of the city's biggest fundraisers will be#ProjectLIFTph, on Dec. 4 at the Great Hall on Queen StreetWest, with performances by Casey Mecija and Jenny Mecija (formerlyof Ohbijou) and others.
• Another event, organized in part by the Philippine Independence DayCouncil, is scheduled Dec. 13 at the Star Walk Buffet inScarborough.
• The Drake Hotel will host Sari Sari for Yolanda on Nov. 23. Donated items will be sold during the event, named for the popular sari-sari stores in the Philippines, with proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross.

Carpio said any and all help is needed, because "this is not an easytime"for the community.

"When it's your immediate family the feeling is different, butalso, all of our loved ones, our friends and relatives that areaffected. We just pray that everything will be given attention."

"First we had the earthquake (in the central Philippines) and afterthe earthquake, Typhoon Yolanda. I still don't understand why it'shappening."

Mike Aprieto, vice-president of PIDC, a co-ordinating group forpeople in the community responding to the disaster back home, saidhe lived in the Philippines as a child but has never seen anythinglike thisstorm, which had sustained winds of 250 km/h, enough to causestorm surges with tsunami-like waves in some areas.

"I havelived through typhoons and this is the worst one yet thatI've heard of,"he said.

The towns that were most severely affected are located in theprovinces of Leyte and Eastern Samar, as well as a few places inthe Southern Tagalog Region, particularly Coron in Palawan.

"We live in Canada where the standard of living is very good, we'revery comfortable,"Aprieto said.

He said his group has members whose families are affecteddirectly.

"We're a volunteer group and when one of us is affected, we're sadto hear the news and we try to do as much as we can to push peopleto help."

He said the community is using social media to come togetherto help friends and family who have lost everything.

Here are numbers for people from the Philippines currentlyliving in the Greater Toronto Area, based on ethnic origin:

• Durham - 13,450
• York - 26,770
• Peel - 62,360
• Halton-9,120
• Toronto -140,420
• GTA- 252,120

Consul general moved by grieving families

Juvever Mahilum-West, consul general of the Philippines in Toronto since June of last year, said her fellow Filipinos in the city have come together as never before.

In an interview with CBC's Mary Wiens for Metro Morning, Mahilum-West recalled attending the prayer service at a Seventh Day Adventist church when she suddenly found herself becoming teary-eyed. She was sitting with six people on the front stage, including the ambassador. It was a prayer service where people expressed their grief and she realized everyone sitting on the stage around her was also sniffling.

She said it was a very important event because it was not just about raising money, but about expressing feelings.

The consul general's website has posted details about the federal immigration minister's promise to "prioritize" the processing of applications from people who say they've been "significantly affected by the typhoon."

No estimates are available of how many people this might affect, but Mahilum-West has helped with one such case in Toronto - a Filipino man working at Toronto Police Services.

His co-workers noticed that he seemed dazed at work and found out he had a daughter who was in the Philippines. They advised him to go to the consulate. The consul general said they reviewed his daughter's file and she hopes the application will be successful.