FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Radio station KNDI announcers Lynne Gutierrez and Tony Sagayodoro performed a live broadcast from the fund-raising event yesterday in Waipahu. They received phone calls and donations during the broadcast.

Isles raise $30,000 in
Philippine storm aid

Donations pour in to the community
center in Waipahu

Kalihi resident Myrna Natividad stopped by the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu yesterday and handed a $1,000 check to help the victims of tropical storms and typhoons that devastated the northeastern Philippines.

Donations Those who are interested in donating to the typhoon relief effort can mail a check to the Filipino Community Center at 94-428 Mokuola St., Waipahu, HI 96797. Write "Typhoon Victims" in the memo. In-kind donations can also be dropped off at the FilCom Center. Communities and businesses interested in making in-kind donations of blankets, pillows, canned foods and other items can e-mail Crown Relocations at wscott@crownrelo.com to schedule a pickup.

"Life over there is so hard, especially the calamity that happened. It's very devastating," said Natividad, who co-owns a cleaning and restoration company with her husband, Raul.

"They need help," Raul Natividad said.

Natividad and other isle residents dropped off monetary and in-kind donations at the FilCom Center yesterday to assist victims who were hurt by the storms between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2.

The event raised about $13,500, for a total of more than $30,000. Community leaders hope to raise $100,000 by month's end.

More than 1,000 people were killed and 880,000 people were displaced by the tropical storms and typhoons, according to the World Health Organization. The storms also left 3.6 million people susceptible to communicable diseases that include malaria, diarrhea and respiratory infections.

KNDI 1270 AM radio broadcast live yesterday from the FilCom Center, where they asked listeners to contribute to the effort.

"We wanted to come together to keep the momentum going," said Stephen Callo, organizer of the event. A telethon is being planned for February and a concert at the Waikiki Shell in March to benefit the victims, Callo said.

Sen. Ron Menor (D, Mililani) stopped by the FilCom Center, where he pledged $300, and in the spirit of the holiday season, on KNDI challenged elected officials to beat his pledge, which he promised to match.

"This is a humanitarian effort," Menor said.

T-shirts and key-purse chains were sold at $10 each, with half of each purchase going toward the typhoon relief.

From cars and vans, several volunteers helped unload plastic bags filled with clothing, blankets and pillows. Residents also donated canned goods, bags of rice and saimin.

A couple of employees with Crown Relocations started boxing up items that are expected to be shipped to the Philippines during the first week of January. Willsie Scott, operations manager for the company, said they will absorb costs to ship a 40-foot container filled with donations to the Philippines.

Scott said storm floodwaters tore through the home of his wife's uncle in Quezon province. "There was a lot of flood damage," he said.

Curt McArthur, general manager of Crown Relocations, said he wanted to help after he read an article in the newspaper. Later, he had an opportunity to meet with Philippine Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz at a news conference, where McArthur offered his assistance.

"I'm just glad we're able to help out in a small way," he said. The impact of major storms is felt especially hard at the holidays, he added.

Rep. Felipe "Jun" Abinsay (D, Kalihi-Kapalama), head of the Hawaii Fil-Am International Disaster Coordinating Committee, called in to KNDI from the Philippines, where he met with typhoon victims.

"There are so many donations coming from all over the world," Abinsay said.

Bernadette Fajardo, a member of the relief committee, dropped off a couple of plastic bags filled with clothes.

"We want to help them out, whatever we can do," she said.