The All UP Workers Union and the All UP Academic Employees Union distributed relief goods to Bgy. Sucol, Calamba, Laguna this morning, October 10.

The relief mission, scheduled prior to the devastation wrought by Typhoon Pepeng in Northern Luzon, was in response to the appeal of the Southern Tagalog People's Response Center to the UP unions to help communities which remain flooded two weeks after Typhoon Ondoy left the country. People's organizations around the Laguna Lake area noted that the water level in the lake continues to be higher than the level of water in Manila Bay; hence the flooding of homes near the lake.

The two UP unions brought around 200 bags of relief goods which came from donations by union chapters in Tacloban, Mindanao, Baguio and Manila. The son of Alumni Regent Alfredo Pascual, Carlos Pascual, facilitated the donation of several sacks of rice, water, canned goods and clothes. I would like to thank my sister, Nancy, based in Singapore who sent money solicited from concerned friends. This was the second time she did so. Ron de Vera, a son of a friend, volunteered his car and his time to help us with the relief work.

Union members from the chapters in UP Los Banos and UP Open University helped pack the rice and assisted in the distribution. They also prepared a simple lunch of inihaw na talong at paksiw na tulingan which we had in the union office in UPLB before those of us from Diliman went back to Quezon City.

Here are some of the pictures taken this morning.

Maraming salamat to everyone who helped.

The UP unions are now preparing to extend help to victims of Typhoon Pepeng in Northern Luzon. It seems that we cannot yet move on to the rehabilitation stage of assistance as the appeals for relief continue.