We at El Galleon and Asia Divers have always supported charities of one kind or another. Rhuby our manager of El Galleon has traditionally donated a month’s salary to kids or for disaster relief each year for the past few years. Last Saturday Rhuby, Kjell and Allan put together enough of their money to provide 200 food bags for two hundred Mangyan families from Naujan in Barangay Aringan. During the last typhoon these people and hundreds of others were displaced after a hug wave of mud and water swept through their valley killing many and making homeless hundreds of others. Unable to find support and relief from government agencies, these people were left abandoned, helpless and hungry. You can only understand the magnitude of this devastation by going and standing in the middle of this valley. The drive towards this valley is obstructed by downed power lines, mud washed roads, homes with mud half way up there broken walls, coconut trees up-routed like weeds, trees that are over a hundred years old up-routed and washed a hundred or more meters from where it stood for so long.

We are calling out to anyone who can help to please send us a pledge or cash as we intend to go back to Baco another area close by hit hard by the last typhoon that went through the Philippines. There are over four hundred Mangyan families homeless and in need of help. Allan has pledged again enough money for a hundred families; through the great efforts of the instructors and friends during the November “Movember” drive there is enough money for another hundred families. We are looking at making this donation next week, Friday the 22nd of January.

Many thanks to all those who donated and the El Galleon staff, Jamie from Asia Divers and Lina for helping us during the Naujan distribution. And a very special thanks to Lina Soderstrom again who coordinated the purchasing and packing of all these bags. And also a very special thanks to Mangyan teacher Sonya for her amazing job of coordinating and distributing the food bags and supplies on the day to all the two hundred families. We met every family and personally handed over each bag! Please contact admin@asiadivers if you would like to help.