One for Iligan Campaign and the Power of Social Media
Typhoon
Sendong has caused deadly flashfloods affecting thousands of families in Iligan
City and other neighbouring cities. To date,
there are 3,497 families with 15,930 dependents staying at the 17 evacuation
centers.
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| Photo Credit: Aimee Sheer Quiapo Mancelita |
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| Photo Credit: Aimee Sheer Quiapo Mancelita |
As early as
Saturday, Fleire Castro, one of the members of Iligan Bloggers Society
Incorporated, initiated One For Iligan campaign with Lisa Marie and Alexander
Singcol’s approval on the said plan. The campaign aims to gather funds from
generous individuals across the globe using paypal as the online mode of
receiving donations. Three of them widely promoted the initiative over social
media networks, tapping fellow bloggers to spread the information. Before the
first day ended, over Php 100,000.00 was received coming from people around the
world. And then it became viral that donations kept pouring in that it reached
over Php 300,000.00 to present including personal endorsement of donations. Thanks
to the power of social media.
Among the
challenges met as IBS members continue are:
·
The distinct process of encashing the electronic
transfer. It would take 2-4 days before the amount will be credited to the bank
account.
·
Some people’s negative impression about the
campaign. There were those who insinuated of “scam” campaigns which the group
successfully disputed. IBS is SEC registered and is a non-profit organization. The group emphasizes accountability and transparency to keep everyone updated.
·
Other groups used the theme “One For Iligan” for
their campaigns. The web content manager of IBS posted a disclaimer about this
for clarification purposes.
DISCALIMER: ONE FOR ILIGAN Campaign by Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc. is ONLY accepting donations thru PAYPAL (singcol.inquisitor@gmail.com)
The IBS Family would like to thank the donors for the
confidence entrusted them as well as the assistance in informing everyone
through social networking sites.
Meanwhile, the group started distributing relief goods on
Monday at the Luinab Elementary School which was followed on Tuesday at the
Brgy. Sta. Filomena Evacuation Center and Lambaguhon Area. Today (Wednesday),
One For Iligan volunteers create a team to personally evaluate the needs of the
evacuees at Iligan City East High School, Brgy. Sta. Filomena.
this is a great campaign and everybody is supporting your campaign including me...
ReplyDeletecontinue pursuing your campaign and I will also continue to support whatever campaigns you will do.
I have closely followed the events of tropical storm Sendong since the first raindrops began to fall in Iligan as I was chatting with a friend there via internet. My friend lived in one of the hardest hit areas of Iligan. I found out a few days later that my friend escaped to the roof of his house when the water got to waist level. When the " Big Wave " loaded with logs came along my friend watched his house break loose and go floating away with just one corner of it and a piece of the roof left for him to stand on.
ReplyDeleteThe following morning ( Iligan Time ) I began to see the First of the relief efforts start to form while evaluation of this catastrophie was still in the evaluation process.
Iligan Bloggers Society Inc. was the First to create a theme for the solicitation of Donations toward the relief effort, First to have a custom logo created for them by some of the DiscArt students at MSU-IIT which became so attention getting and popular it was adopted by other ( non-related ) groups and organizations it has become a universal logo.
In past calamaties that have happened in Iligan, I have made donations but it was a slow and time consuming process, although it eliminated costly International Transfer Fees imposed by banks and other international transfer agencies.
Iligan Bloggers Society was First in establishing a fast, cost effective and easy way for internet users worldwide to make a donation which caught my attention immediately and I sent the first of several donations to the IBS One For Iligan relief effort. Without having to spend money for International Transfer Charges using banks or other agencies, I could donate even more. I thought " why give it to the Banks, Let the flood victims get it ".
As someone who has met in-person with members of Iligan Bloggers Society on my recent visit to Iligan, I knew who I was dealing with and had no doubts about sending a donation.
IBS can be credited with establishing their own local network for their own relief operation through the generosity of local sponsors for places to have goods shipped to, transportation, and even the donation of cell phone load to keep their communications going around the clock.
Additionally when I learned that members of IBS were spending their own money out of their own pockets to keep their operation going so they would NOT have to tap into any of the worldwide contributions, I sent a separate donation through a different money transfer agency to help their effort going.
There are thousands and maybe over a million blogs on the internet. Many times I have wondered " Who reads all of these Blogs ? " With the outpouring of generousity of the world blogging community it shows how many people really do read blogs !
Iligan Bloggers Society Inc. came up with so many " Firsts " in their voluntary response to this catastrophy in Iligan, obviously it was the First organization I could think of to offer at least some kind of help and assistance from here in New York USA.
As more information becomes available it is obvious this relief effort not only by IBS but from the many other relief agencies, governments, and individual contributors and those that volunteer their time and labor that it is going to take more than a few weeks for Iligan City and all affected people to recover from this worst calamity Iligan has experienced in recent history.
I applaud the continuing efforts of the Iligan Bloggers Society Inc. and those volunteering their assistance to them.
Iligan City & Iligan Bloggers Society
Simply Amazing !
Thank you so much for your continuing support. IBS is indeed grateful to have people who believe in our advocacy to help the victims.
ReplyDeleteSpecial thanks to you Sir Bob for the inspiration you give to the IBS Family.
God bless.