General Info

I realize this may be the most bizarre website to post this question but I'm running out of options after searching for several hours on the internet.

I feel for the Filipinos affected by Typhoon Haiyan and would like to do more than just donate money, which I've already done. I'd like to travel there to help with boots on the ground. I've spent quite a bit of time in the PI previously, have literally been in war zones and would have no problems going to the affected areas to help. I've been searching for hours trying to see if any relief organizations need volunteers but everyone is just asking for money. I understand that will be the biggest need for the foreseeable future but I have be believe there is some need for volunteers on the ground. If anyone knows of a way to find something like this, I'the appreciate some advice.

Also, I know everyone reading ISG likes to receive some pleasure when they 'donate' money but hopefully some of you can donate a Jackson (no, not THE Jackson) or two to a relief organization to help the PI victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

Again, if you know of an organization that needs boots on the ground, let me know.

[QUOTE=OralFanatic;1494957]I've been searching for hours trying to see if any relief organizations need volunteers but everyone is just asking for money. I understand that will be the biggest need for the foreseeable future but I have be believe there is some need for volunteers on the ground. If anyone knows of a way to find something like this, I'the appreciate some advice.[/QUOTE]From watching local Philippine TV tonight it seems they are overwhelmed with volunteers, especially from students willing to help pack relief bags etc in Cebu and Manila.

If the major organizations like Red Cross and the NGOs like World Vision and Care International are not responding to your offer of assistance but just asking for money then you could just get yourself here and turn up in person and help. However, there will be a problem getting in to Tacloban since only restricted flights (mainly C130s) are going in at present.

[QUOTE=Red Kilt; 1494965]From watching local Philippine TV tonight it seems they are overwhelmed with volunteers, especially from students willing to help pack relief bags etc in Cebu and Manila.

If the major organizations like Red Cross and the NGOs like World Vision and Care International are not responding to your offer of assistance but just asking for money then you could just get yourself here and turn up in person and help. However, there will be a problem getting in to Tacloban since only restricted flights (mainly C130s) are going in at present.[/QUOTE]RK, thanks. There are only a few relief organizations that have an online method to volunteer to travel to areas needing volunteers but some of these sites just sent me in circles. There is an organization called All Hands that had an ongoing earthquake relief project in Bohol and is now trying to help in areas affected by Haiyan, but they don't elaborate on how or where they are helping. I've applied with them but we'll see where that goes. The Salvation Army also appears to be moving volunteers into the affected area but I can't find a way to actually volunteer with them. That was one of the sites that led me in circles. The rest of the relief organizations mention volunteers but don't have a way to actually volunteer and just steer me towards a donation page. I'm still looking and hopefully I can find a way to help. The devastation is incredible and I'the like to go hands on if possible.

I've thought about just flying there and I'm sure I could make it to Leyte despite the issues but I want to make sure I can serve a purpose there rather than becoming a burden on the resources necessary to sustain life.

[QUOTE=OralFanatic;1494957]Again, if you know of an organization that needs boots on the ground, let me know.[/QUOTE]I have heard it from disaster management experts numerous times: volunteers showing up to offer their services after a disaster constitute a crowd control problem. There are two key elements to volunteer service following a disaster. First, the volunteers who can really help are those who have been a) trained by and b) coordinated by a disaster services organization-such as the Red Cross or World Vision. This is because these organizations match capabilities to needs on the ground, plan for the logistical support that their volunteers will need, and keep in touch with officials and their volunteers throughout their participation.

In the absence of a qualified sponsoring organization, unsponsored volunteers can be helpful if they are processed through a volunteer coordination center set up by local or national government. In some of the United States-California, Florida, New York, etc. (but definitely not Mississippi or Louisiana).there are good systems in place that process volunteers when they show up, send them where they are needed, and take responsibility for the volunteers' food and shelter needs throughout the deployment. In the Philippines local governments and the national government are not prepared to process volunteers in this way. Not at all!

I strongly recommend you do not go unless you are there with a capable sponsoring organization. Remember, there is not enough food and shelter for the Filipinos who live in the affected areas. You just add to the huge problem if you show up. The Philippines has lots of people on the ground-who already know the culture, the language, and the lay of the land. You probably know none of these. The Filipinos on the ground are not much help, even with their local knowledge, because they need coordinating organizations, such as their own government to tell them what to do, arrange for their food, shelter and equipment, etc. But the Philippines' government is not prepared enough to do that. You cannot possibly help in that situation.

[QUOTE=Skip Kost;1495044]Please don't go[/QUOTE]Skip, see my comment about not wanting to become a burden on resources. Also, read my 1st post.

I've spent close to 2 years in the PI, over 1 year in a war zone, and a good part of my adult life outside the US working in 3rd world shit-holes. I've endured food and water shortages, lived in a tent, and taken once weekly 20 ounce (bottled water) showers more times than I care to remember. I once had to sleep with my boots on for 2 weeks straight because the Taliban were attacking our FOB daily and I knew I wouldn't live through the 30 seconds it would take to put my boots on, get out of my living quarters, and run for my life. Does sleeping with your boots on and getting shot at qualify as emergency preparedness training?

As far as language difficulties, I never encountered ANY during the 2 years I spent in the PI or when I worked with Filipinos in Afghanistan. This is just a guess on my part but the Philippines has to have one of the highest Engrish speaking populations anywhere outside the US. Judging from all the signs I see in US stores these days, the percentage of Philippine citizens who can speak Engrish may be higher than that of United States citizens. I have probably met several thousand Filipinos and I have to yet to encounter even 1 who cannot speak Engrish. Have YOU ever been to the PI? I'm not sure where your comment about a language barrier is coming from.

I'm not looking to go there to hand out bags of food; I have a background which I know without question is needed there.

There is a lot of good information in these posts. Thanks OF for raising the question. RK, and SK thanks for your responses.

Let me digress a bit about some of the organizations that coordinate volunteers and the fact that most seem to charge volunteers a fee to be placed. My daughter is a nurse. Her childhood dream had always been to volunteer as a nurse in Africa. She finally found an organization she wanted to work with so a few months ago she went to Kenya. They charged her about $1, 000 to register and place her for a month plus she paid her own airfare. The airfare I have no issue with, nor do I have a problem paying a reasonable amount for a billet, but somehow to me it is just wrong to ask a volunteer to pay for the opportunity to "volunteer".

Shortly after she arrived in Kenya she started texting about Safaris she was going on. I asked how she was able to book the time off right away and her response was that the volunteers just tell the agency when they are available. It sounded to me like they were acting as a glorified travel agency offering discounted safari packages but who accepted a little help from time to time. Her first placement was at a private hospital where she said she watched the staff sit around most of the time because there was nothing to do. She was pissed so requested a different placement and was placed in an orphanage which she said was only somewhat better. The day before she was due to leave, the airport burned down and a couple weeks after she got back to Canada terrorists took the shopping center she and her associates frequented. So she has had her eye opening experience in third world countries.

She is now preparing her credentials to work in Australia for a year. A few weeks ago she and I were talking and I suggested that on her way home she stop and spend a bit of time volunteering in the Philippines. For me it would be fun to meet her there and show her some of the sights I have been enjoying on my trips to the Philippines. Just the sights, not the Filipinas. She was questioning if she would allowed to do this and would any of the communities need or be willing to accept her help. Are any of you aware of agencies there that would accept the help of, and place a nurse without charging fees. Feel free to post here or respond with a PM. Thanks.

Nut

"I'm not looking to go there to hand out bags of food; I have a background which I know without question is needed there."

Well, Team Rubicon (all-veteran relief org) just hit the ground in country check with them:

[url]http://teamrubiconusa.org/[/url]

[url]http://teamrubiconusa.org/launching-operation-seabird/[/url]

Amanut, I know I saw a site somewhere that needed medical personnel but I didn't look to see if a 'fee' was required. I don't have the time to look for it right now but I'll find it and post it before tomorrow morning, Eastern time. They have a dire need for medical personnel.

[QUOTE=OralFanatic;1494972]I've thought about just flying there and I'm sure I could make it to Leyte despite the issues but I want to make sure I can serve a purpose there rather than becoming a burden on the resources necessary to sustain life.[/QUOTE]As you've guessed by now, by just showing up you would indeed become more of a burden. The problem isn't just finding an organization to work with and get sponsorship from, but it's also the time needed by them to "hire" and vet you. I asked around here a little bit about doing the same thing and was met with confusion; this included speaking with an official from the Catholic church, no one here was able to point me in the right direction.

I don't know what your research has turned up, but here's a few you may not have considered:

Doctors Without Borders:

[url]http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/work/field/?ref=main-menu[/url]

Mercy Corp:

[url]https://www.mercycorps.org/donate/help-typhoon-haiyan-survivors?utm_source=media&utm_medium=press[/url]

%2Brelease&utm_content=help%2Btyphoon%2Bhaiyan%2Bsurvivors&utm_campaign=Philippines%2Btyphoon%2Bresponse.

Americares:

[url]http://www.americares.org/who-we-are/jobs/[/url]

World Food Programme:

[url]https://www.wfp.org/about/vacancies[/url]

International Rescue Committee:

[url]http://www.rescue.org/volunteer[/url]

And here's a link to CNN's vetted list of chartable organizations; perhaps you can find one here who can use your help:

[url]http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/impact.your.world/[/url]

[QUOTE=Wicked Roger; 1491433]Even a tortoise would be faster than this one. 1994 COA found issues and now the gentleman is found guilty (second time as well as they likely let hm to return to office to do more of the same!)

[url]http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/11/03/1252488/ex-disbursing-officer-guilty-malversation[/url]

And am sure that he will employed again.[/QUOTE]I'm still named as a defendant in a case of " unfair dismissal " from 1998 when I worked there.

I thought that as the said gentlemen had 16 written warnings on his file, had been absent from work without notification for 3 weeks, was paid 3 months to get the heck out of our employment, signed a letter stating he had no further claim on myself and the company I headed, that it was all done and dusted.

Wheels of justice barely turn. I expect to be grave bound before this particular case is resolved.

[QUOTE=OralFanatic;1495103]I'm not looking to go there to hand out bags of food; I have a background which I know without question is needed there.[/QUOTE]You may have important skills and training, but that isn't the issue. The problem is their capability to accommodate and support your services. It is notable that you are battle-hardened and know how to live in uncomfortable conditions, but the issue is not you, it is them. Most importantly, you will need supporting organizations on the ground that will recognize your capabilities and be able and willing to take you on board. There may be exceptions, but many of those organizations will not welcome you with open arms. And where the international NGOs are concerned, despite your self-sufficient skills, they might not want to be liable for your safety if you go all maverick on them.

Even in non-crisis, relaxed times Philippine organizations resist outsiders whose motivations they do not trust. Historically, the military has dominated disaster management in the Philippines. Despite some attempts in the 2010 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act to decentralize responsibility, the Secretary of Defense retains the Chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Military control of disaster management leads to an emphasis on immediate response and initial recovery. That is why in the photos and videos coming out of the Philippines response is characterized by helicopters, C-130s, and military radio communications, and the military is being sent in to restore order. Grunts may appreciate your comradeship, but regardless how extensive your military training for another country was, I doubt the military brass will welcome having you tread on their turf.

What the Philippines does not do well is to prepare—build safe evacuation centers and evacuation plans; educate people about preparation; create stocks of food, water, tents, and other supplies in areas outside Manila; install backup generators at key places in the provinces (police stations, hospitals, etc.) ; install and train locals with alternative communication systems—and mitigate vulnerable areas by moving squatters out of the most vulnerable areas, building protective sea and river walls, build more disaster resistant bridges and highways, enhance building codes and construction practices, simply enforce the existing building and zoning codes, and so on. Under the new law local governments are supposed to take more responsibility for preparation and mitigation, but many local government units have been resistant. So with these units, where you might otherwise be useful, they simply don't have systems in place to screen volunteers. In addition, they are operating in crisis mode; if you can even find people who are authorized to make decisions, they are not operating in the kind of reflective mode that could recognize what you have to offer.

Westerners are part of the problem. We see the horrific photos and videos and we want to jump in and help the suffering people. So huge amounts of private contributions and foreign aid get sent for humanitarian assistance, and less is available for the ongoing development that would strengthen Philippine communities and infrastructure and make them less vulnerable. Furthermore, our contributions lead to bloat in International NGOs for mission areas that attend to immediate relief work rather than poverty alleviation and long-term development.

Regarding English competency, keep in mind that your interactions in the past have been with commercial interests who hire people with reasonable English skills. Many of the people most affected by this typhoon are poor, uneducated people, and many have limited English skills. Furthermore, in Leyte and Samar, the two hardest hit areas, the local language is Waray-Waray, not Tagalog. How's your Waray-Waray?

If you think I am making this stuff up, let me suggest a good screening procedure. Print out your posts and mine, delete or redact any ISG markings, and take our respective messages to the authority in your locale that has lead responsibility for coordinating volunteers and donations in emergency / disaster management. Assuming you are from the states, it might be the local Red Cross chapter, or the Salvation Army, a county volunteer office, or sometimes a nonprofit volunteer agency. Ask them for their advice. If they concur with your plans, by all means spend your money and travel to the Philippines. Many commercial interests, in your country and the Philippines, will appreciate your money.

For several years running, the Philippines has ranked third among the world's nations in terms of disaster vulnerability, behind only the small South Pacific island nations of Vanatu and Tonga. Because of climate change typhoons are not going away (24 this year already, I read) , and the Philippines is vulnerable to volcanic and earthquake activity because of its location at the edges of major tectonic plates. So, if you really want to help, get in touch with World Vision, Christian Aid, or one of the other large NGOs that do disaster assistance in the Philippines, and ask how you can get involved in helping prepare for or mitigate against future disasters.

Ps. I commend your donations and understand that you wish you could do more. I feel likewise, and I have friends here in the states from Tacloban who have no idea whether their families are alive. I have been to Tacloban, used the now wiped-out airport, and find the locals there as endearing as they are in most other parts of the Philippines. But the reason NGOs ask for money rather than volunteers or contributions of food and supplies is that the latter require much more coordination, storage, and handling. Money, on the other hand, can be wired internationally, and with it they can make local purchases that help the local economy and can be delivered more quickly, with minimal storage and logistical requirements.

[QUOTE=Skip Kost;1495228]. There may be exceptions, but many of those organizations will not welcome you with open arms. .[/QUOTE]Don't' forget the influence of the "yellow" Insiders, who supposedly use every occasion to attack the govt, on human rights and what not. And of course, when you find out who make up most of the numbers of NPA. No surprise there.

Add to it, Parts of the areas impacted are NPA strong land, though NPA exists all over PH.

[QUOTE=Amanut;1495109]My daughter is a nurse. Her childhood dream had always been to volunteer as a nurse in Africa. She finally found an organization she wanted to work with so a few months ago she went to Kenya. They charged her about $1, 000 to register and place her for a month plus she paid her own airfare. The airfare I have no issue with, nor do I have a problem paying a reasonable amount for a billet, but somehow to me it is just wrong to ask a volunteer to pay for the opportunity to "volunteer".[/QUOTE]I have seen these organizations before. They are, as you depict it, essentially shams. They prey on young people from more prosperous countries and basically make profit from offering a "summer camp" sort of experience. Except that, since they are mostly into collecting money, they rarely have good connections with the organizations to which they send the young people. There are many legitimate NGOs in the world that will take volunteers and give them good experiences in international development.

There is an important distinction between International NGOs (INGOs) and those that are Philippine-based. The Philippine-based NGOs, especially those based in Manila, are among the most politicized in the world; that is, their energies are directed to advocacy—with members of Congress, with executive branch agencies, and with local government units. Obviously there are exceptions; there are some that have direct service missions. Most INGOs, by comparison, are more focused on service delivery. Some INGOs also direct support to local community-based organizations which they have vetted, and some of these may have local health or health-education needs. The local NGOs pay Philippine-level salaries, and often not particularly good ones. Traditionally they have gotten their money from Western donors—mostly Western philanthropies and bi-lateral and multi-lateral aid agencies. But they now find themselves in a squeeze: the Western money is drying up as Western compassion has moved on to Africa and other poor areas of the world. Many are having trouble balancing their budgets, and they are laying off staff.

If your daughter's interest is to do an internship which she does not pay for, she should perhaps start with the INGOs that operate in the Philippines. I describe a few of them below.

Here is a fairly comprehensive listing of NGOs in the Philippines, although these are not exclusively health-related:

[url]http://www.psdn.org.ph/NGOs/profile.htm[/url]

I don't know if they have a permanent mission to the Philippines, but the largest health-oriented NGO in the world is Doctors Without Borders. In recent years they have sent missions to the Philippines to deal with disasters. They might be a good place to inquire:

[url]http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/ar/report.cfm?id=6222[/url]

Here is a link to World Vision's health and nutrition activities in the Philippines. World Vision is the largest International NGO in the world (based on budget). They are faith-based, but they work hard to balance their faith component with pragmatic solutions. Example: low-key condom distribution programs in Africa. Your daughter could ask them about other international NGOs operating in the Philippines. She might also ask World Vision about the Philippine International NGO Network (PINGON). A few years ago this was a viable group that included many of the bigger INGOs, but it now seems to have no internet presence. The point here is to find out the names of other INGOs operating in the Philippines:

[url]http://www.worldvision.org.ph/our-work/health-nutrition[/url]

Weblinks specifically to health-related NGOs. Most, but perhaps not all, are Philippine organizations. Some, like the Deseret group (Mormons) clearly have Western affiliations. I can't vouch for these organizations, but many if not most of the links work:

[url]http://aboutphilippines.ph/Health-organizations.htm[/url]#Health.

There is also CodeNGO, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks. These are Philippine-based NGOs. This is a large national umbrella organization. Its 12 members are regional or mission-oriented networks of individual NGOs and People's Organizations. There are easily hundreds of NGOs within this structure. Unfortunately, only a few of them have health-related interests. But a person can easily check out the various sub-networks to see what is included:

[url]http://code-ngo.org/home/[/url]

Finally, she could check with Gawad Kalinga. This is a housing development NGO, similar to Habitat for Humanity, but their programs are broader in that they also provide job training, health and nutrition education for poor people, and so on. OF take note: they also pull together teams quickly to build homes for disaster victims. They have a place to sign up for their on-call volunteer list. About seven years ago they moved in very quickly following a mudslide in Southern Leyte that buried a village of 1200 people, and built a new village within three or four months for survivors. I can almost guarantee they will be building villages on Leyte and Samar. For anything else you may need to contact them directly to really get their attention, since they are sort of into mass recruitments for one-day builds. As a part of their mission they spend a lot of time in poor communities doing nutrition and prenatal care training. They have a separate sign-up for internships:

[url]http://gk1world.com/volunteer[/url]

Also see PJ's great list of NGOs that do disaster relief.

[QUOTE=Pip Jaeger;1495157]As you've guessed by now, by just showing up you would indeed become more of a burden.[/QUOTE]This is true in the vast majority people who wish to jump in and just do something. In a pair of NGO vetted missions to Haiti post earthquake I spent about 1% of my time in my given specialty area and the remainder of my clinical time providing primary care, quite inefficiently at that. Generally much better to give donations to a group that does its work efficiently.

FWIW, the group I'm using for Haiyan is Direct Relief International which has one of the highest efficiency ratings for any relief organization (about 99%). First link is Charity Navigator that reviews charitable groups.

[url]http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3626#.UoHPxPl96Sp[/url]

[url]http://www.directrelief.org/[/url]

[QUOTE=Skip Kost;1495228]You may have important skills and training, but that isn't the issue. The problem is their capability to accommodate and support your services.[/QUOTE]Skip (and anyone has who may have missed this) , I guess I should have written this in bold all-caps, flashing text, and focused a spotlight on my comment – 'I've thought about just flying there and I'm sure I could make it to Leyte despite the issues but I want to make sure I can serve a purpose there rather than becoming a burden on the resources necessary to sustain life'.

I'm not sure how I could have been any clearer on my understanding that simply showing up in the affected area would be a burden on already scarce resources. Been there, done that, understand completely the implications.

Skip, you are still way off base on the language barrier; my interaction with Filipinos has NOT been on a commercial basis; 99% of my interactions with Filipinos has been with the 'poor, uneducated' people you mentioned, not college pukes. Aside from the Philippines, I have lived and worked in countries where no one spoke Engrish and I didn't speak one word of their language. Although that presented difficulties, I didn't find anything that was impossible to achieve, including finding and negotiating a piece of ass in the middle of nowhere in an Arabic speaking country.

The PI may not be quite up to the level of the US for emergency preparedness, but they didn't do too badly with Haiyan. They did manage to evacuate 800, 000 people in advance of the storm although some were not moved inland far enough. Many of those who died, tragically, were warned to leave but did not. The US had roughly 1, 800 people killed by Katrina, a storm milder than Haiyan, so I think the authorities in the PI deserve a LOT of credit for saving lives with far less resources and infrastructure than what the US has. Americans (I am one) are in no position to lecture others.