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Finances & Retirement

Money Monday: Devastation in the Philippines

If there is one thing that Filipinos are known for, it’s warm service and generosity of spirit. There’s always an abundance of food and food-to-go in a typical Filipino household!

My parents are from the Philippines. Even though our immediate family is safe from Typhoon Haiyan, the death toll is rising (1,000 confirmed, 10,000 estimate). Populations are displaced and people are in need of medical attention, food, and water. Not to mention, this poor third-world country is still suffering the effects of a 7.2 earthquake that hit a month ago, killing over 200 people, and destroying over 70,000 homes.

There is such great need in the world and I absolutely understand that we each have our special charities. If you have ever received a kind gesture from a Filipino (the heartfelt empathy of a doctor or a nurse, the smile of wait staff), I urge you to donate even $5 to assist in aid to the Philippines. Again, the Philippines is one of the poorest countries in Asia so even a few dollars goes far.

I have done some research and have made my donation to Direct Relief, which has been given a top rating from Charity Navigator. A phenomenal 98.7% of Direct Relief’s budget is spent directly on programs and services—an astounding number in the inefficient world of charitable giving. Compare this to Red Cross at 90.7%.

Here is the link to the Direct Relief donation page. I made my donation in less than a minute. Again, even a few dollars is such a big help. Thank you!

direct-relief-map-tracking-route-600x382

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11.11.13

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Comments

  1. Janine Huldie

    November 11, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    Totally going to check this out and truly try to help in whatever way I can. Thank your for sharing this here today and am also tweeting to get the word out, as well!

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:04 pm

      thank you janine for sharing my post about the typhoon in the philippines.

      Reply
  2. Dana

    November 11, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    So glad to hear your family is safe. Surprisingly, after the US the most visits I get on my blog is from the Philippines. Who knows why. Thanks for researching where to donate, Catherine – I’m glad to do my small part.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:06 pm

      that is an awesome statistic, dana. the filipinos love your blog! thank you for your help!

      Reply
  3. Mo at Mocadeaux

    November 11, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    The photos of the devastation and description of winds up to 200 miles per hour are just incredible. And that the country has to deal with this as they are still struggling to recover from last month’s earthquake seems like some sort of cruel joke. Thanks for passing along the important info on Direct Relief.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:06 pm

      thanks mo. my poor ancestral country just keeps getting beaten down. it’s really sad, but i know that so many people care and are trying to help out.

      Reply
  4. Patrick Weseman

    November 11, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    Glad that your family is safe.

    Donated to the site. Also, some friends of mine are collecting stuff to get over there (toothpaste, soap, shampoo) and I went to DT and bought some stuff there to help out the cause.

    Since I am considered a honorary Filipino by my Filipino freinds (a very long story there), I will do what I can for my brothers and sisters in the Philippines.

    Will be praying for the people there.

    Reply
    • Patrick Weseman

      November 11, 2013 at 3:11 pm

      Spelled Friends wrong. Sorry.

      Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:11 pm

      patrick, i knew you were an honorary filipino! i can totally see you enjoying lumpia and pancit with our family. thank you for your help. i really appreciate it.

      Reply
  5. Tamara

    November 11, 2013 at 4:58 pm

    Really glad you mentioned that your family is safe, even though I know many families aren’t. One of my oldest friends is Filipino, so many kind gestures from him. I will check this out right now.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:12 pm

      tamara, glad you have a close connection to our culture. filipinos are some of the nicest people in the world. and it’s so sad that the country keeps getting beaten up by natural disasters.

      Reply
  6. Savvy Working Gal

    November 11, 2013 at 6:38 pm

    Thank you for researching and sharing this. I am happy to donate. It is the least I can do.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:13 pm

      thank you so much for your donation. may much more be returned your way.

      Reply
  7. Andrea

    November 11, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    I feel so sad by the lose of lives & land. Thank you for doing the research. I will definitely donate. A girl like me can never forget the fineness that was my middle school boyfriend, one M. Dumloa. Yassss!

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:14 pm

      oh you so lucky, andrea. the filipino boys no like me. i was probably way too short for them. they needed to marry up! haha. thank you for your donation. i sincerely appreciate it.

      Reply
  8. The Dose of Reality

    November 12, 2013 at 3:09 am

    I am so glad all of your family is safe. I was just watching to a news report about it. The devastation is unbelievable. I just can’t imagine. I’m so glad you shared this. I’m making a donation right now. (and is it just me, but I feel like the news isn’t covering this as much as they should be. It’s been there, but not really featured in the way you’d think given the loss and destruction. Maybe I’m just not tuned into the outlets that are reporting it the most) –Lisa

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:15 pm

      oh lisa, THANK YOU! may the donation you’re giving be returned to your tenfold in kindess and blessings.

      Reply
  9. Jean

    November 12, 2013 at 8:02 am

    Thank you. I will make a contribution.

    Reply
  10. Jean

    November 12, 2013 at 8:04 am

    Hmmmm… I tried to donate $5.00 through Paypal, but it said my amount was invalid. 🙁

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:16 pm

      jean, i’m so sorry your donation didn’t go through. thank you for trying though. i really appreciate it!

      Reply
  11. FitBritt@MyOwnBalance

    November 12, 2013 at 11:44 am

    I’m so glad your family is ok! What a terrible tragedy.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:17 pm

      yes my family is lucky we’re all safe. i hope the rest of the country can come together and support the region that was affected.

      Reply
  12. Stevie

    November 12, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    I am so glad to know your family is okay. I have been following the coverage, and my heart and prayers have been with the Philippines. There are just no words. Thank you for taking the time to research and sharing a way for us to help.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:18 pm

      thank you stevie. my poor ancestral home continues to get affected by natural disasters. it’s so sad, but i/we appreciate your prayers! thank you!!!

      Reply
  13. Mar

    November 13, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    Cathy, thanks for doing the research and posting this info. What’s happening in the Philippines is so tragic! Made a donation to Direct Relief so we can help somehow from a distance. Thankfully, a local Filipino aid organization here in Seattle has a group flying out to the PI this week to help with the relief effort, so there are many ways for people to help & donate.

    Reply
    • Catherine

      November 19, 2013 at 7:21 pm

      mar, i’m so glad there are people going over to the philippines to help! i don’t know if you’ve ever done a medical mission. i did it when i was in college, and it really changed my worldview. if i’d pursued health care, i would have loved to continue to work for a week a year in the philippines: dentists pulling teeth, surgeons correcting cleft lip…it really makes such a difference. thank you for donating!

      Reply
  14. elzimmy

    November 14, 2013 at 5:50 am

    Testing, testing.

    Reply
  15. elzimmy

    November 14, 2013 at 5:50 am

    Yay, it worked! WordPress had to fix something for me.

    Reply

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Welcome to my site, derived from an advice column I wrote while getting my MBA. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I give helpful, opinionated advice based on my own experience and from the expertise of my extensive network. For more, click here.

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