Ad Maoirem De Gloriam

By Inquirer Visayas , Nestor P. Burgos Jr. , Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer Even before Ateneo de Manila University officially launched its own relief drive on Monday for the victims and survivors of Tropical Storm “Sendong,” one of its security guards had already come forward, carrying a small bag containing two tins of canned goods, instant noodles and some rice. “He said it was the (Christmas) gift he got from his office and that he was giving it to the relief drive,” said Harvey Keh, a program director at the Ateneo School of Government. Organizers didn’t have to wait long for warm bodies to man the processing area, Keh also noted. Two Ateneo scholars, who come from low-income families, immediately volunteered to help. “You can see that poverty is not something that paralyzes people. The response has been tremendous,” said Keh, also a convenor of Kaya Natin!, an advocacy group for good governance which partnered with Ateneo for the relief dri...

By: Riza T. Olchondra Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, Philippines—The Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has contributed $30,000 to relief efforts on Mindanao in the wake of the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi). MOL president Koichi Muto said in a statement released via email that the company was assisting relief efforts through Manila-based manning firm Magsaysay MOL Marine, Inc. (Magsaysay-MOL). MOL may provide further assistance as the situation in Mindanao unfolds. “We wish to convey our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the typhoon,” Muto said. “We received monetary donations from many people in the Philippines, including our seafarers and their families after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in March. We sincerely hope for a swift recovery to the area and a quick return to normal life.” Muto said MOL and the Philippines have “a deep relationship.” The company recrui...

  By Kristine L. Alave Philippine Daily Inquirer The tragedy that struck the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan was an event waiting to happen. It was foretold three years ago, but was dismissed by lawmakers as “too alarmist.” Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, chief executive of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines (WWF), said Monday the events in Northern Mindanao over the weekend mirrored the prediction. “It was an exact fit,” Tan said. Environmentalists said a simulation of the effects of extreme weather events from climate change such as saltwater intrusion, sea level rise and intense tropical cyclones, showed that major Philippine cities, including Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, were at risk of massive flooding. The simulation of the effects of extreme weather phenomena was drafted in 2009 by the Philippine Imperative for Climate Change (PICC), WWF and Filipino scientists. “At best, this might provide a very rough indicator of areas that may be more vulnera...