Hana Hubert, age 10: About the Philippine Disaster

By now, almost everyone knows of the typhoon Hyan, that hit the Philippines. But there still are questions people have. So, I'm going to discuss some facts that you might not have known. There are 5,000 islands in the country of Philippines, but not all were hit. Out of the three sections, North, Middle and South, only the middle was struck. In their language Filipino, the typhoon is called Yolanda. Yolanda, or Hyan, as we call it, moved in from the east, and vanished into the west, leaving destruction and havoc in it's wake. About 5,670 people died, and thousands more were affected. The city that got the worst of it was Tacloban. The winds reached above 200 mph, and blew roofs off of houses, but more people drowned from the rain, that could flood a room up to the ceiling. Thankfully, the capital city Manila, or the most populated city Cebu weren't struck as bad. 


Graciously, the Zakat Foundation has dispatched an emergency relief team to distribute goods in the  hard to reach remote areas of Cebu, Samar, and Leyte. Relief packages include food items such as  rice, canned food, and noodles.  Blue bags were also distributed, containing from 2 days to a weeks worth of food. Volunteers, some even from the disaster area, helped pack them. 5% of people in the country are Muslims, 93% Christians, and 2% other.

Fun Facts;  things you might not have known:

*Since it is so hot in the Philippines, men, woman, and children wear slippers, and some wear a towel on their neck to wipe up sweat.

 

*The Philippines currency is Pesos. 43 Pesos equals 1 dollar. Most men there earn 120 Peso's a day: 3 dollars. 

*The Philippine people mainly eat rice.

*Mango and Coconut trees grow there.

So, now that you know all about the Philippines, you can give a helping hand, and donate!!!!!