Women Power: Relief Operation in Pampanga By: Pres. Elvira L. Gozun – Sumadchat Pampanga, Philippines – Four days of unrelenting monsoon rain last August 6–9, 2012 submerged most of Metro Manila and nearby provinces in the island of Luzon in floodwaters. A bad situation was made worse when 5 dams that supply drinking water to Metro Manila and irrigation water for farmlands in the provinces overflowed, inundating some areas with as much as 10 feet of floodwaters. Pampanga, a province approximately 70 kilometers North of Manila, was Former host to Clark Air Force Base, the biggest U.S. air force base outside the Continental United States. Pampanga is also partly home of Mt. Pinatubo, an active volcano which erupted in 1991. And, Pampanga is home of the Zonta Club of Pampanga and Environs, a very young club chartered only last 01 June 2012. When floodwaters started to rise, phone calls were made and text messages were sent to members of Zonta Club of Pampanga to be ready to do relief operation. However, majority of the member themselves were victims of the floods themselves including this writer who couldn’t leave her house as roads leading to and from her subdivision were submerged in floodwaters. Nonetheless, five members (PE Mabel Sison, Lea Rivera Bais, Gilda Padua, Ligaya Foster and Analiza Agbanglo) organized themselves and started the ball rolling, With 30% of Pampanga submerged, the question was, whwo would be beneficiary of the club’s relief efforts. It was decided that it would be Barangay Dalayap, Macabebe, Pampanga, a 4th class coastal municipality, an islet of 705 families, 485 of which are classified as“indigent” according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). With limited funds, the club partnered with the Emergency Relief Fund for Philippines, an NGO organized and supported by Philippine Community of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. For transport of the goods through flooded streets, the 703rd Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army based at Fort Bonifacio, Nueva Ecija responded positively to a call by PE Mabel Sison. Though the rains continued to pour, the group fearlessly decided that the relief operation was scheduled on August 11. Relief goods were purchased which consisted of rice, canned goods, quick cook noodles, biscuits, soap and shampoo. The club also bought new 5 liter containers; filtered water was donated by Star Fish Barangay Water; and club members solicited used clothing’s. On distribution day itself, men of the 703rd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army helped load the relief goods into their 6x6 truck and it was a slow 2.5 hr drive thru flooded streets to the staging area where they transferred everything into a banca. The boatride took 25 minutes to Brgy. Dalayap where they were met by

local officials. The residents were already informed of their arrival and they readily organized and lined-up for the relief distribution. With this and with only 200 pre-packaged goods, they were done distributing the relief goods in 1 hour. Kudos to the ladies of Zonta Club of Pampanga -- a force to reckon and emulate. # Photos:

Filtered water donated by Starfish Barangay Water.

Packing the relief goods (l-r) Gilda Padua, Lea Rivera Bais, Analiza Agbanglo, Ligaya Foster, Mabel Sison assisted by friends

Men of 703rd IB, 7th ID Philippine Army from Fort Bonifacio, Nueva Ecija assisted in the transport and distribution of relief goods.

A banca is the only safe way to get to Barangay Dalayap

Residents of Barangay Dalayap lining up to wait their turn to receive relief goods

Zontian Analiza Agbanglo and Lea Rivera Bais distributing the relief goods

After a successful relief operation, pose of joy and smile on the lips of Zontian Analiza Agbanglo, Lea Rivera Bais, Gilda Padua, Ligaya Foster and Mabel Sison with friends and members of 703rd IB, 7th ID Philippine Army