September 2, 2016


Dear Ones,

Below you will find pictures from our last project.  You will also find the story line does not always a line with the pictures.  Don't try to make sense of it that way.  Just read the story then look at the pictures.


Most of the work we do here is in conjunction with a partner -- a person or organization who can monitor equipment or check up to make sure the materials we donate are used properly and within the agreement of  understanding.  We have some great partners.

One partnership we have developed since our arrival in the Philippines is GMA Kapuso Foundation.
Elder Webb just called them and asked for an appointment so we could introduce LDS Charities.

New school receives finishing touches before the turn over celebration

Elder Webb takes pictures of the students working on clean up

GMA is a local television station that has a foundation called GMA-Kapuso. This foundation works in and with communities to help restore schools and neighborhoods affected by natural disasters of which this country has many. Some times the people are moved to a new location because the land is cheap and there is space for building homes.  That is what has happened in Tacloban.

They say 26,000 people lost their lives in Typhoon Yolanda, which is probably a conservative number.  The government does not count a life lost unless there is a body and someone to identify it. There were many missing people who were swept out into the sea, but those people were never "officially" counted as victims of Yolanda.  Our driver told us there were mass graves because there were so many bodies left in the tangle of debris. He and his family survived the surge, which is the cause of the real damage.  There was no warning a tsunami was coming. It was 8 am in the morning and water started pouring in the kitchen windows of his home.  He was trying to get his children to the second level when the refrigerator started floating on it's back.  He opened the door of the fridge took everything out including the shelves and put his 3 children in the box of the fridge.

The alley at the back door of these homes is filled with activity

The GMA neighborhood is very nice. Each home has a little space at the entry for the families to make their own "statement"      Most people have taken advantage of the space and filled it with vegetables and flowers.  We even saw small mango trees.

I am not sure how his home was configured but they all ended up on the third floor of the home, everything else was flooded.  The refrigerator just kept rising with the water and the children remained safe.  He showed us the water levels in downtown Tacloban and the store fronts were all under water; about 20 feet up one could still see the water level on the side of the buildings. He also said the water was gone as fast as it had come.

Beautiful children waiting to go to school close to their home. 

Bryan, our driver, said that it was hard but the worst part was the aftermath.  There was no water, no food, little shelter and lots of bodies.  They were all in such a state of horror no one could do anything because they were in shock.  He and his wife and children  finally made it to his in-laws home, walking through the death and destruction on the way.  His mother in-law owned the store.   They thought at least they would have some food and maybe water.

Carmela "Mel" Tiangco  does the nightly newscast on site using a drone camera which can be seen right

Mel, Founder and President of GMA Kapuso Foundation. 

Center right is the Mayor, Mel, Rikki Escudero-Catibog, EX VP GMA K and President Aban, Stake President in Tocloban

Planting a tree to mark the occasion.  President Aban and helping hands

Elder Webb inspecting new chairs

Anxious for the new school to open

It was 3 months before they could get regular supplies. There was no economy.  It has been three years and there are still people without permanent homes. When everything one has is washed away, and you are surrounded by other families in the same situation it is hard to see a way out of the mess.  It has been a slow recovery and much of the world has lost sight of this disaster as others have taken its place.  There is no way to prepare for this kind of situation, but those who had some things stored were able to make it.

The reason we were in Tacloban was because our partner, GMA Kapuso, had rebuilt this neighborhood and as promised had completed the school.  They asked us (LDS Charities) to provide the school chairs which we were very happy to do.  It was so fun to see how excited the parents and children were to have a school close enough for their children to attend.  Part of the agreement GMA has with the community is that the parents will help with cleaning and up keep.  So when we went to check out the site early Friday morning we saw people cleaning and painting and moving things.  They were getting the first several rooms in order for the dignitaries' dinner to be held after the ceremony.  There were just a few class rooms set up as the last of the construction is completed.  The actual turn over of the school was to be a week later and then another week and the children will begin school.

Sister Webb with new friends.  They wanted to know all about her grandchildren

Father from Catholic church blesses each classroom

Cute girls are excited about the new chairs.

Sister Webb with mothers from the community helping to clean the new school

We didn't realize we were in the company of a famous newscaster. Carmela "Mel" Tiangco is president and founder of GMA Kapuso Foundation.  She is also on the nightly news.  Since we have no TV we were uninformed as she climbed the stairs and shook our hands.  She apologized for being late, stating she was left in the Manila airport for 3 hours waiting for her flight.  We also met Rikki, EVP of GMA Kapuso and she dazzled us with plans for the future. There is a lot of work yet to be done.

Children watching the drone fly through the crowd

Welcome crowd.  These children have traveled a long distance to school now they will have more time at home.

Ribbon cutting ceremony

School makes a huge difference in the lives of children.  With it there is hope for a brighter future.
These boys have been with out school.  

We enjoyed our time.  As for the Airports?  Like the street traffic, one often runs late because of some hold up or another.  Both times we flew out of Tacloban our flights were late departing.
They don't post the information, you just go check in and about 30 min before flight you will find out the plane has not left it's previous destination.  One gets periodic updates and projected times of departure which are seldom accurate.  On average the flights run about 2 hours late, and every seat in the waiting room is full.  One time we were waiting and all the eateries and shops were closed so there was no place to get water. The shops were closed for fumigation, some thing that happens once a month in a lot of public areas.  

It is now September once again.  The beginning of the "Ber" months.  That means Christmas is coming.  The stores and Malls are now showing Christmas decorations as people prepare for what is to come.

We are grateful for this opportunity to work here in the Philippines.  It takes so long before one begins to feel comfortable with the work, if ever.  Not the people, that comes immediately, but the paper work, the social work, the cultural work, the poverty.  We are learning a lot, yet there is so much more to learn.  Our capacity has increased and our ability to respond is changing for the good.  Charity is a very complex quality the Lord has asked us all to take upon ourselves.  There is much more to it than we think.  He is with us, when we call on Him, to help us expand our vision, our understanding and will, until we see what He wants us to see and do what He wants us to do.  We thank Him for the privilege and ask Him to bless you in all you do.

We love you all,

Mom and Dad
Gma and Gpa
Norriss and Carol
Elder and Sister Webb