A resident on Monday cooks a meal for her family amid the ruins of their home and those of their neighbors in Basud village, Tabaco City, Albay province, after the devastation caused by Typhoon “Rolly’’ on Sunday. Image: INQUIRER/Mark Alvic Esplana
Several celebrities are calling for help for Bicol following the onslaught of Typhoon “Rolly” (international name: Goni), which hit the region as a super typhoon on Sunday morning, Nov. 1.
Barbie Imperial stressed that she is using her platform to encourage others to help those affected by the typhoon, as seen on her Instagram account yesterday, Nov. 3.
“Hello everyone. As a Bicolana living here in Manila, it really breaks my heart knowing that so many of my kababayans have lost their homes, livelihood and worse, their families,” Imperial lamented.
“Throughout the hours where Typhoon Rolly was in Bicol, my thoughts and prayers are with them. And seeing its aftermath, it lead me to take action and partner with some friends in order to help my fellow Bicolanos,” she added.
Imperial’s post came with several videos showing Typhoon Rolly’s ferocious winds and rainfall, which destroyed homes and killed 20. Thousands of families, meanwhile, have been left displaced following the calamity.
“Sa pamamagitan ng aking platform, hinihikayat ko po kayo na makiisa para tulungan ang mga nasalanta ng Bagyong Rolly,” Imperial stated. (Through my platform, I am calling on the public to unite to help the victims of Typhoon Rolly.)
“Kahit anong halaga po, malaking tulong na po ito para sa aking mga kababayan sa Bicol. Uunahan ko na po kayo at ako na po mismo ang magpapasalamat sa inyong mabuting kalooban,” she added.
(Whatever amount will already be a huge help to our countrymen in Bicol. I, myself, am already thanking your good hearts in advance.)
Imperial directed the public to donate through fitness gym Sportstalk PH’s relief project called “Bangon Bicol.”
Catanduanes is Imperial’s second home and is also the island where her mother and siblings were born and raised, she said in an earlier post also made yesterday.
“It breaks my heart to see a beautiful place ruined by the typhoon Rolly. It’s been [three] days and we haven’t even heard from our own family,” she said.
“Kumakatok po ako sa inyong mga puso, tulungan po natin ang mga kapamilya natin sa Virac,” Imperial added. (I am appealing to your hearts to please help our families in Virac.)
Imperial, who is helping organize a relief drive for Catanduanes, noted that they “have yet to get a full assessment on the extent of the damage but initial reports are catastrophic.”
The actress disclosed that there is “no access to roads, [only one] fuel station [is] open with a one [kilometer] lineup, no market open, no water supply, no power and telcos.”
Gretchen Ho meanwhile created a Twitter thread where she listed down several platforms people can send their donations through to help victims of the typhoon.
Sa mga gustong tumulong sa mga naapektuhan ng #RollyPH, maaaring ipadala ang donations via @ateneodemanilau @linorivera pic.twitter.com/ioVDfugI2R
— Gretchen Ho (@gretchenho) November 1, 2020
Ho also called for donations of clean water as she noted that “clean water is also a vital issue for victims of #RollyPH” in her tweet yesterday, under the thread.
Clean water is also a vital issue for victims of #RollyPH. Donate via Waves For Water Philippines now. pic.twitter.com/m1S2tRsx9N
— Gretchen Ho (@gretchenho) November 3, 2020
Angel Locsin for her part has set up the Typhoon Rolly Assistance Initiative Facebook page to extend cash aid to victims of the calamity.
Aside from local celebrities, international stars Mark Ruffalo and Russel Crowe have appealed for help and prayers for the country, specifically the Bicol region, as it bore the brunt of the said typhoon. JB
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