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Ketsana victims head for new lives in Canada

All Felipe Macabenta could do was cry.
His family home was swept away leaving his wife and children homeless.
His friends and neighbors were killed by the ferocious storm Ketsana which devastated many parts of the Philippines last September.
“My family lost their home and all I did was to cry here because I could not provide immediate help as I am thousands of miles away,” Macabenta, who is trying to make a new life as a civil engineer in Richmond, B.C. told Philboxing.com.
But the storm that destroyed everything also brought with it some hope for Macabenta’s family.
Thanks to the special measures initiated by the Canadian government to speed up applications for Canadian immigration of Philippine residents who have been seriously affected by the recent typhoon,
Macabenta will soon be reunited with his wife, Felyn, a school teacher in, and two kids—Ritchie John, 16; and Felipe IV, 12.
The family will be leaving Cainta, Rizal, one of the hardest hit areas by the storms, to join dad in Richmond soon.
Ketsana struck on September 26, triggering the worst floods in 40 years in Manila and nearby areas. One week later, Parma pummelled the northern Philippines, causing landslides and more floods.
According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 4.2 million people were still in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 520,000 children below 5 years old.
An estimated 1.7 million people were still displaced or living in areas that remain flooded, the office added.
“Pretty soon, we will be united here and I can guarantee the bright future of my children. Thanks to the program initiated by the Canadian government,” Macabenta was quoted as saying on Philboxing.com
Like him, dozens of applications are being processed by the Canadian embassy in Manila.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) visa office in the Philippines is reportedly responding on a priority basis by expediting new and existing applications by those seriously affected by the current situation.
This will mainly benefit family members of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons, said the CCIM.
There will also be priority processing of temporary residence applications of those adversely affected by the typhoon.
Reynaldo Fortaleza, an insurance executive and magazine publisher, lauded the Canadian Government’s “truly humane concern” for his countrymen on Philboxing.com.
“When those typhoon victims arrive here, there are plenty of jobs and opportunities waiting for them, so that they can recover from the stigma of the devastating loss in the Philippines they experienced,” said Fortaleza, a resident of Surrey, B.C.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced October 1 the special measures to help Philippine residents applying for Canadian immigration who have been seriously affected by Typhoon Ketsana.
“I would like to express my deepest sympathy and support for the people of the Philippines affected by this terrible disaster,” said Kenney. “This government is moving quickly to reunite Canadians and permanent residents with their families by extending a welcome to those who wish to come to Canada.”
This is on top of the C$5 million for humanitarian assistance for those affected by Typhoon Ketsana .

Storm victims battle stress and diseases

More than a million victims of deadly storms in the Philippines may be suffering from mental stress and need psychological help, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Shin Young-soo, WHO regional director for Western Pacific, said that while it is normal for flood and landslide victims to experience anguish those feelings need to be addressed.
“Many of these people will be anxious and distressed after the experience they have gone through,” he said. “That is a perfectly normal reaction, but the danger is they might become frustrated and angry if their physical and mental needs are not taken care of as the days go by.”
Shin said among the signs of deteriorating mental state include sleeplessness, antisocial behavior and suicidal tendencies.
“This is about the time when we might be seeing worrying reactions such as these,” he said. “Government officials and relief workers should be on the lookout for signs.”
Nearly 1,000 people were killed by back-to-back storms Ketsana and Parma that triggered massive flooding and landslides in the Philippines in late September and early October.
More than 8 million people have been affected by the storms.
The WHO noted more than a million people are still living in floodwaters with little prospect of the flood receding before the end of the year.
“Tens of thousands of people are at risk from leptospirosis, a bacterial disease caused by contact with water contaminated with urine from rats and other mammals,” a WHO statement said.
“Other health threats include cholera, dengue fever, malaria, diarrhoea, skin rashes and respiratory illnesses,” it added.
The organization also warned of psychological stress on relief workers, many of whom have been working seven days a week since the storms struck.
“Confronting danger and human misery for days on end, often without proper rest, exacts a heavy emotional toll on these people,” Shin said.
Shin said emergency workers can sometimes be so overwhelmed by the scale of disaster and by the suffering they witness their performance becomes significantly impaired.
He said if relief workers show signs of burnout, they should be allowed to withdraw.
“A dysfunctional helper is no help to anyone,” Shin said.
Last week, the The European Union said it was providing an additional 7 million euros ($US 10 million dollars) in humanitarian assistance to victims of devastating storms in the Philippines.
The grant was on top of 2 million euros earlier allocated by the EU for victims of storm Ketsana and typhoon Parma, which killed nearly 1,000 people in late September and early October.
EU Ambassador to Manila Alistair MacDonald said the additional funding would be channelled through international organizations closely working with Philippine authorities.
“The assistance will cover a broad array of priority needs, including for example the provision of food, shelter and non-food items, primary health care, psychosocial assistance, emergency livelihood, logistics and transport,” he said.
The EU announced the additional assistance after the United Nations called for more aid for the Philippines and raised the amount of its flash appeal to $144 million dollars.
The initial appeal was $74 million dollars. So far, only $26 million dollars have been raised.
Ketsana struck on September 26, triggering the worst floods in 40 years in Manila and nearby areas. One week later, Parma pummelled the northern Philippines, causing landslides and more floods.
According to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 4.2 million people were still in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 520,000 children below 5 years old.
An estimated 1.7 million people were still displaced or living in areas that remain flooded, the office a

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