Gerald Anderson, P-pop fans help Typhoon Carina victims

FILIPINOS are working hand in hand to help their countrymen affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon in the Philippines.

Rescuers were deployed to save trapped residents from their flooded homes, and among them was actor Gerald Anderson.

Anderson, a reservist for the Philippine Army and an active member of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, trended on social media after he joined rescue efforts in a flooded area in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Quezon City.

In a video posted by a netizen on X (formerly Twitter), the 35-year-old actor, along with another man, could be seen braving a chest-deep flood to save a stranded family. He was trying to convince a crying child to come with him.

“Ride in your back, mama,” the kid could be heard saying.

“Sa back na lang ni tito,” the mom replied, referring to Anderson. 

“Sige na, akong bahala,” the actor said as he carried the child who was wearing a pink raincoat.

ABS-CBN News reported that the uploader, Rachelle Joy Kabayao, got the footage from her sister who waited nearly three hours before Anderson and other men came to their rescue.

In her post, Kabayao thanked Anderson for helping her sister.

Another netizen posted a photo of Anderson pulling an inflatable boat to help transport stranded individuals.

Some social media users pointed out that this was not the first time Anderson extended his hand to help typhoon victims.

In 2009, Anderson put his life on the line when he swam through muddy floodwaters in a village in Quezon City to check on his neighbor who had three kids at the time.

Typhoon Carina, internationally known as Gaemi, brought heavy downpours to the country on Wednesday, triggering severe flooding in several areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila. 

This placed the capital region under a state of calamity, which allowed the implementation of a price freeze in the region and the release of calamity funds.

Donation drives

Typhoon Carina may have exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday, but aid for the typhoon victims continues to be delivered.

Various organizations have launched donation drives to help communities, including fanbases of popular P-pop groups SB19 and BINI.

BLOOM Philippines, a fanbase dedicated to the nation’s girl group, announced that it accepts monetary and in-kind donations for those affected by Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon.

The group also accepts ready-to-eat food, bottled water, toiletries, blankets, vitamins, and pet food.

18 Donation Drive, composed of SB19’s fans, also launched its own donation drive, accepting monetary and in-kind donations like ready-to-eat food, rice, bottled water, sanitary kits, face masks, and rubbing alcohol.

Clothes, shoes, and bags will not be accepted, it said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Thursday that 245,298 families or a total of 1,115,272 Filipinos were affected by the combined effects of Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon.