11/11/2013
For those with PayPal accounts, kindly direct your donations to CULION, PALAWAN thru our friends from 250k Kiteboarding.
250K Philippines Haiyan Relief
When the biggest storm on earth crossed the Philippines, our little island lay directly in the path of its eye. We could only expect the worst.
Amazingly, thanks to our brave and dependable staff and our Kite Camp manager Chris Martinez and Ryan Ramos, nothing at 250K was damaged and more importantly, NO ONE WAS INJURED. Our island is in one piece; our newly built cottages withstood the wind, rain, and storm surge.
However, small towns such as Culion (south of Coron) in Palawan have suffered terribly. Ninety percent of the coastal homes no longer exist. Our staff’s and friends’ homes are now just posts, the elementary school no longer has a roof over their classrooms, cement structures are the only things left standing in this small, coastal town. There is minimal communication because of a collapsed signal tower. Many of the boats have sank or are heavily damaged which means fishing for their daily sustenance as well as travelling to buy diesel for generators is now limited.
Resources are running low. Coron town where many of the residents of Culion go to for replenishment is also running very low in supplies. You get the picture.
The international media has been covering other places in the country, but almost no one has heard of CULION. The navy and military is already on the scene in Coron town, the main port of Palawan, but in disaster situations like this, a common problem is proper infrastructure and coordination. Distribution of goods is difficult, and often does not reach the little islands. This is where we on the ground and sea can go and help.
This afternoon, Chris is meeting with the town mayor to micromanage relief, assess the situation and prepare a detailed list of items needed in the most desperate places. Then we will be chartering a sea vessel from Manila or Subic (all boats in Coron are damaged) to bring goods to the thousands affected by Typhoon Haiyan. We will update you as things progress.
On behalf of the people of the Philippines, our crew, friends and family, THANK YOU for your support and helping us to reach those affected by this disaster.
Here is how you can personally donate through 250K, to Operation Reach Culion:
PayPal: [email protected]
Tel: 09999 7000 12
Or 09398487812
www.kiteboarding-philippines.com
