TBK Gives -An appeal for help from my Kabayan in Palawan, Cuyo and Siargao- updated 27.12.21

                  Dam Dam's Restaurant in Port Barton, after Typhoon Odette hit

I do not normally do charity appeals. Due to my high profile I get requests for money every day, and I have to say no. It's not that I am not charitable you understand. I support 4 students at Palawan State University and Western Palawan University , and through HOPE , a young lady called Aimae at Aberawan Elementary school. https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2020/05/hope.html

Since COV 19 hit the Philippines I have been financially assisting those who lost their jobs like Jeff, Rhoda, Rodel, Grecil and many more. I also support OFW in Bahrain , and my Thai friends without work in Bahrain and Thailand. So why am I writing this Blog?

I want to tell you a story. No Wikipedia. These are my friends and I cannot stop crying at what happened to them. The Lord has tested the most resilient of Phillipino's this year. 

 My first trip Advisor review of El Nido Resort and Spa in 2014 had 11,000 readers

I first fell in love with Palawan in 2014 when I stayed at El Nido Cove Resort and Spa. ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/11/tbk-travels-to-philippines-part-eight.html)

The young manager ( then!) Marco had hired the best looking and most talented guys to work for him, and in the coming years many moved on to set up their own businesses. Jethro went to the new Amos restaurant in Puerto, Marz set up her massage and entertainments empire in Sibaltan, and Adam set up his restaurant business, Dam Dam's in Port Barton. 

                    The interior at Dam Dam's place back in 2015

On a later visit I journeyed down to Port Barton to see Dam Dam's new place and met his lovely dog , Bailey ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/11/tbk-travels-to-philippines-part-ten.html )

 

                                                  Dam Dam's back in 2016

The place was really busy serving food to the locals tourists and people like me staying at his Aunt's place , Eshantis nearby. Ate Rose and the family were always fully booked and they also operated Ricardo's travel ( who delivered me from El Nido Cove to Eshantis) , and there was often a wait for tables at Dam Dam's. Things were good, and as El Nido became overcrowded and polluted more people travelled to stay in Port Barton instead. ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2019/09/blogger-in-news.html) 

     Dam Dam ,Restaurant, Bar & Cottages before COV19 and Typhoon Odette

Adam, sensibly, decided to reinvest his and his family's money in the property by building accommodation units around the restaurant. Then he would increase the number of diners for the restaurant, pick up the overspill from Eshantis, and generate more revenue, and employment, from the tasteful locally built and designed "cottages"

                The new accommodation at Dam Dam's in 2020

Kuya Ran and I stayed at Eshantis in January 2020, had a meal at Dam Dam's and watched the builders creating the new rooms. Business was good back then and I even considered Port Barton as a place to live when I retired.

                  Dam Dam Cottages- after one year closure due to COV 19

THEN COV 19 HIT! The Philippines closed its borders to foreign tourists in 2021 and the hotels and restaurants ( including Dam Dam's and Eshantis) were closed due to a lack of customers. The Philippines relies heavily on tourism. Dam Dam could not afford to pay his staff any more so they turned to other jobs ( Renaud, his waiter set up a Party Planning visit for example) . Ate Rose went to work for her employer as house maid in Puerto Princessa. 

               One of Dam Dam's new rooms just over a year ago

Without revenue for a year they were all struggling to feed their families and left their businesses in Port Barton to find work elsewhere. The grass grew, the trees grew and a few months back Adam sent me photos of an overgrown Dam Dam's place. Before the Omicron  variant hit the world The Philippines announced it would reopen to vaccinated tourists with a return ticket from green list countries from 1- 15 December. The hotels were told they could reopen in January 2022 and Adam planned to go back to Port Barton to cut the grass and trees and clean the rooms and restaurant and get ready to reopen.

Earlier this year I was asked to donate to the Palawan flood victims in Narra by TJ and the money I sent was used to make up food packages for the kids , and TJ and friends donated clothes and blankets. ( https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/10/tbk-gives-palawan-flood-victims.html

              Chester's warning to my anaks on our Team Neil Facebook group

Then on 16 December Chester sent me a warning that Typhoon Odette was heading straight for Palawan, and asked me to warn the kids I sponsor who were travelling to Puerto Princessa for a Christmas and birthday celebration that I had organised at the Microtel on 18 December.

He warned them that:

"Just heard Northern Palawan will be directly hit this noon. Ingat kayo

keep safe and keep dry "

I spoke to Jhoanna on 17 December and she reported some rain in Puerto. Kit headed south by van ( normally 7 hrs. drive ) from Barutaan to Puerto.

THEN TYPHOON ODETTE HIT, AS CHESTER FORECAST, AT 4 PM ON 17 DECEMBER.

Trees were blown over like they were paper, bridges collapsed, the roads were blocked, power, water supply and communication was cut in Puerto Princessa. Kit had to stay in Roxas overnight and then return home and I have not heard from my anaks since ( now 4 days without communication). Ironically Kit and Jhoanna's sister , Elay, reported that Barutaan was relatively unscathed and maintained electricity and communication.

Grecil finally got in touch on 22 December and said:

"

Enter

Grecil

I went to Puerto Dec. 18 from BP ( Brookes Point in the south of Palawan) bound to Puerto at 2:00 pm then its already no signal so I was expecting that afternoon the signal was back but nothing. So we don't have connection I decided to sleep there on my brother boarding house then Dec. 19 I arrived from Puerto to El Nido but it almost one hour from Puerto we need to walk because of the broken bridges, the landslide and then the most scary moment Tatay we hang in to the rope with my baggage to get down the cliff po we can't walk in the road because of landslide we walk 5 hours before we get where the van is.

After a year without customers due to COV 19 the overgrown trees at Dam Dam's place were toppled by the high winds and crashed into the restaurant and rooms breaking them up like matchwood. Adam sent me the pictures below:

Now you can see why I am crying. 5 years hard work by Adam and his family ruined by one storm . He has had no revenue for a year due to COV 19 so he cannot afford to rebuild the place. If he does not rebuild he cannot reopen.6

Grecil sent pictures of one of the broken bridges so we can see why no vehicles can get in or out of the capital city, Puerto Princessa.

Dam Dam's is , sadly, just one sad story of many across the 1000 plus Islands that make up this once beautiful Archipelago. My houseboy Corleen wrote to ask me to give him his February salary early so that he could send money to his family to rebuild his sister's house which was destroyed. Thankfully another friend of ours, Beshy, contacted all his friends for donations on G cash and sent them to Corleen for his sister. I have seen endless appeals from Bohol, Cebu , Palawan , and the many charities I support there like TPSK and Alimurgan skimmers. They all want to help those whose lives were destroyed by the Typhoon.

TPSK just wrote to me to say:

"Sir Neil ,

Please can you try and gather more sponsors for TPSK ( a Charity organisation in Palawan)

We need sponsors for our efforts to support the victims of Typhoon Odette. If you have any unwanted Christmas presents or if your New Year Resolution is to help those less fortunate than yourself , this is a great opportunity for you

You can also send through remittances;

Name - Leopoldo D. Francisco Jr

Number - 09703639751

Address - San Vicente Palawan

They will be without electricity until February 2022 and are desperate to get some solar powered lights if anyone has any contacts

Many thanks

The British Kabayan

PS Please share this as widely as you can , especially my Kabayan in the Philippines. The victims of Typhoon Odette desperately need your help"

Now the sad part. What is the Government doing? Remember this is the Philippines where corruption is rife. The Duterte administration has nearly run it's course. Cov 19 hit them hard , and as they closed their borders to Foreign investors like me a year ago they have no revenue. They have told the islanders they cannot support them which has caused outrage. An article I read recently while researching this blog revealed that the Philippines has now borrowed more money than any other country, including India from the world bank.

Recently the President flew to the affected area and told the people he had no money for them! Coastguard helicopters have been delivering some aid and one of the bridges into Palawan was repaired in a week , with another now passable to motorbikes. Rebuilding takes time and money and the electricity companies have so many guys working around the clock to repair the fallen lines and pylons, but this is dangerous and highly specialised work which takes time. According to the latest news from HADS of TPSK in St Vicente it will be 2 months before the electrical power is restored. What a miserable start to the new year!

So , as usual, its down to the local charities and businesses to raise money.

As Chester taught me years ago:

Kabayan help Kabayan

As we in the Middle East and UK and Europe get ready for our New Year celebrations with fireworks, laser and music shows and drone displays let us support those who do not have electricity as we go into 2022

People like Adam who worked hard to set up their business and lost everything

Over to you Corleen:

"As of now we are still looking to anyone who can donate ng empty bottles. We use to get a refill waters from Butuan and deliver to Surigao. And anyone can give us a Delivery truck its more better. You can contact Dolly Dollz Cheska Araneta Nap Nap. You can help to send tthru Gcash- 0946 743 8855 SALUBRE cla n bahala mag organize and palit ng empty bottle. Any amount can help to Surigaonon. Kahit pang xmas gift n nijo sa amo. Salamat

And meron tubig kina Star Dust ito ang details where located, aq tag copy and paste:

Taga San Juan sanan hain sa Surigao, may poso/bomba (water pump) sa amo bayay sa purok uno, atbang sa dagat na may vulcanizing. Good for cleaning, washing clothes/dishes, taking a bath, etc. Pwede sab mainom kon wayay gajud lain. Just boil the water. Just be easy sa paggamit kay karaan na. Spread the words.

Let's us pray for the safety ng mga Surigaonons."

Here is the latest request from TPSK:

Thank you so much for your generosity, in advance

I decided not to send Christmas cards, calendars or gifts this year but donated 13,238 Philippine Peso to Adam to get him back in Business. If you wish to add to this please email me on Thebritishkabayan@gmail.com

If you want to help Adam here is his appeal :

KUMAKATOK PO KAMI SA INYONG PUSO Napakasarap po sa pakiramdam na makitang ngumingiti yong mga apektado ng BAGYONG ODETTE sa kasagsagan ng PANDEMYA. Ngayong darating na pasko at panibagong taon iparamdam natin sa ating kababayan ang diwa ng pasok at di sila nag-iisa. Ang COMMUNITY KITCHEN ay tumatanggap na kahit anong donasyon(prutas,gulay,bigas,pera,etc) para maihatid ang tulong at mas makapaglagay pa ng ibang COMMUNITY KITCHEN sa mga apektadong lugar. sisiguraduhin namin na kahit piso makakaabot ito. GCASH 09151695006 Leary Vincent Adam R. Libiran BDO ACCOUNT 005040449756 GOD BLESS YOU ALL #palawanneedshelptoo #OdettePH

Now all that remains is form me to wish you all

Happy New Year

Ing  mamal/ gui-guigman ta kaw nged- to my Cuyunon speaking friends

Mahal Kita - to those who speak Tagalog

Manigong Bagong Taon