Isle residents asked to contribute prayers and donations

Although the extent of destruction in the Philippines as a result of Typhoon Haiyan is not yet known because communication lines remain mostly crippled, Honolulu’s intricate network of Filipino community groups is already rallying to support victims of the record-breaking storm that blasted through the island chain on Thursday, Hawaii time.

Joyleen E. Santos, vice consul at the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, said Saturday that a concert will be held on Dec. 1 at McKinley High School to raise funds for typhoon relief as well as those affected by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that rattled the central Philippine island of Bohol less than a month ago.

Santos said the consulate has received an outpouring of sympathy and pledges of assistance since the storm struck, and that people have reached out to try to contact missing family members and friends.

"Some of them are very concerned about the welfare of their relatives … whom they have not yet contacted," she said.

Philippine authorities estimate that Typhoon Haiyan has killed as many as 10,000 people in the city of Tacloban alone. Tacloban is the Leyte provincial capital of 200,000 people and the biggest city on Leyte Island.

Unfortunately, Santos said, there is little the consulate can do at this point to assist with communication because officials in Manila are also experiencing difficulty.

"Prayers are very helpful," she said, and she encouraged concerned friends and relatives in Hawaii to stay plugged in with social media and the Internet for updates.

Santos recommended that people donate to the Philippine Red Cross, the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, or its Department of Social Welfare and Development.

"At the moment that’s what the Philippine government recommended, although it’s not limited to those three," she said.

Jon Matsuoka, president and CEO of the Honolulu-based Consuelo Foundation, expressed concerned because he has yet to hear from the foundation’s partners in Samar, which was one of the hardest-hit areas. He flew to the Philippines just after the storm hit as part of his monthly travel there.

Matsuoka said in a phone interview from Manila that "a lot of that has been hampered by lack of communication," adding, "We’re concerned, but at the same time we’re hopeful."

The foundation recently facilitated construction of a shelter for abused girls in the area, but Matsuoka said it was built to withstand a "very, very strong" storm.

Matsuoka said the foundation will work closely with the Consulate General and the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu to aid relief efforts.

"They usually channel their resources through us and then we make sure that it gets in the hands of those that are very credible and where we have confidence that the money’s going to go to the right people," he said.