作業現場

Super Typhoon Haiyan caused unspeakable damage to the islands of the Philippines. Homes were lost, but even more heartbreaking, many lives were lost in this tragic disaster. One of our Japanese reporters wanted to experience the damage in the Philippines for himself, so he headed to Ormoc City on the island of Leyte. He didn’t just want to report on the tragedy, so he decided to get to know the people on a personal level and donated food and volunteered his time to help the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan. This is his story.

I went to the “Authority Of  The Government Emanates From The People” in Ormoc City, Leyte Island.

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Inside the building, many volunteers had gathered to separate large quantities of clothing, rice, and other food into white bags.

作業現場

It was here that I brought my donated food.

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Stepping into the entrance, a woman was standing by at the reception table. I told her I wanted to donate some food and she warmly accepted my parcel.

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Here is a list of the foods I brought from Japan to donate: Soy sauce candy, chili pepper starter (used to make sake) and instant miso soup all stuffed into a 30kg rice bag. The items were actually given to me by various companies before I left for Japan.

▼  Instant miso soupIMG_0680-1000

▼  Soy sauce candyIMG_0684-1000

▼  Chili pepper starter1456787_557400714339533_1090380329_n

The candy didn’t need any explanation on how to eat it, but the preparation instructions for the chili pepper starter and instant miso soup were only written in Japanese. I explained what the foods were and how to eat them, and the volunteers smiled, understanding what they were, and placed the items in a bag.

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It was only a small amount of food; I wonder if the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan will enjoy it… But even if it helps the people of the Philippines only a little, I’m glad that I was able to bring the donations directly to the place it’s needed most. There are many different groups collecting donations in Japan and in places all over the world, but I want you to know that it’s possible to volunteer on a personal level and help out in the Philippines. The people I encountered in Leyte appreciate any help they can get.

■ Site Information
Donation site：Authority Of  The Government Emanates From The People
Address：Capitol Site, Cebu City 6000, Philippines

Images：RocketNews24
Report：世界のショウゴ

▼ A representative from Yamamoto Honten who graciously donated the instant miso soup.
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▼ Soy sauce candy donations were provided by the Hashimoto Soy Sauce Joint-Stock Company.
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▼ Shinozuka Industries donated the chili pepper starter
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▼ Here’s where I donated food for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan