Filipinos in Edmonton talk about two typhoons hitting the Philippines

A shocking scene for Kenette Joy Tungcul as loved ones in the Philippines are sending her pictures of the devastation of Typhoon Fung-Wong.

What was once her in-laws’ corn field, completely washed away by mud in a flood that was almost shoulder-level.

“It’s really hard for us to stand again because we need to spend a lot of money again for replanting our crops,” said Tungcul.

Tungcul moved to Edmonton in October. She says it’s hard to watch the devastation hit her relatives, but she’s happy to see they are safe.

“We are hoping that my family will be strong, and this is just a challenge in our lives … I always just pray for them to be strong during these kinds of calamities,” she explained.

Alberta Filipino organization launches recovery fundraiser

More than a million people were displaced when Typhoon Fung-Wong hit the Philippines on Sunday, but parts of the country were already recovering from a separate typhoon that hit less than one week before.

An Edmonton organization, launching a fundraiser to help those affected.

“It’s heartbreaking, I must tell you, especially because there was also an earthquake just last month. So it’s been one disaster after another, and it’s very hard for people to kind of recover just from one disaster, let alone three in a row,” said Jessa Aco Kuchmak, the president of the VisMin Association.

The VisMin Association is raising funds to send clothes, water, and food to the Visayas and Mindanao islands of the Philippines.

“We have a VisMin officer in Cebu right now, where they’re going to give it to medical missions and reputable parishes,” said Kuchman.

The sense of bayanihan — the Tagalog word meaning spirit of civic unity and cooperation among Filipinos — in Edmonton is still being seen in the local community.

“I am happy that we are. We have those people who have a good heart, who are willing to extend their help,” said Tungcul.