Great deals and steals for Christmas

It’s 14 days (two weeks) to Christmas and you’re only half done with your Christmas shopping (do I hear a thousand and one sighs?). But really, there’s no need to hit the panic button. Christmas after Christmas, you would spend hours looking for the perfect gifts for all the people on your shopping list. No generic gifts please! Of course, it’s the thought that counts, but it won’t hurt to make that thought count, right? 

But in view of the recent calamities that hit the country, this Christmas may be different. While we’re buying gifts for the assorted people in our lives and for ourselves, too, or thinking of what to put on the noche buena table, wouldn’t it be nice if we shared some of these glorious blessings with people who have no roof over their heads and have nothing but the shirts on their backs?  Wouldn’t it be nice if we allocated a part of our gift budget for donations? Wouldn’t it be nice if we bought something for the typhoon Yolanda victims that would help them pick up the pieces of their shattered lives? And why not shop for brand-new items? Shouldn’t we give until it hurts? But of course, with everything on sale this Christmas, it doesn’t have to hurt. Or haven’t you heard of SM Supermarket’s 3+1 promo on appliances? With this promo, you get to buy something for yourself plus you get to help other people by donating the freebies that come with your purchases. Or better yet, get two of the items and donate the other two. There’s a lot to choose from, like fans, electric kettles, flat irons, and rice cookers. It’s just what the Yolanda survivors need as they rebuild their homes. This promo is  available at SM Hypermarkets and Savemore stores.

Another hearty way to spread Christmas cheer is to send baskets of goods that can provide the typhoon survivors with a “mini” noche buena. These bundled items are available everywhere. SM Supermarkets, Savemore stores, and SM Hypermarkets have holiday baskets, which come in great assortments, different sizes, and price ranges.

Be on the lookout for these great deals and steals this Christmas and care to share the season’s blessings.

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Five steps to prevent disasters

With 25 typhoons having visited the country this year, the last being killer typhoon Yolanda,  Senator Loren Legarda, a UN champion for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation for Asia-Pacific, shares vital pointers on how to prevent disasters and save lives.

1) Manage risks rather than manage disasters.

Local government units (LGUs) must determine if certain risks are prevalent in a community, making it vulnerable to the effects of a landslide, flooding, tsunami, storm surge or earthquake.

 Local disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) plans must be crafted to address these threats and funds should be sufficiently allocated to effectively carry out these plans.

2) Make every Filipino disaster-literate. Raising public awareness should be made to resonate loudly and as far deep into the communities as possible.  (In the case of typhoon Yolanda, the victims did not even know the meaning of “storm surge.”)

3) Let the science work for you. When and where a typhoon will strike, and how, are critical knowledge that will allow the community to timely seek safer ground and fully protect their homes and properties.

4) Protect the environment. Building on good risk reduction practices means going back to the very basics: protecting our ecosystems and natural buffers such as mangrove forests to mitigate floods, storm surges, and other hazards.

5)  Preparation is half the battle won. Contingency plans are crucial in times of disasters. Communities must draw and test regularly their response plan way ahead of any disaster event and improve constantly on early warning systems and emergency management capacities.

LGUs must have the political will to implement forced evacuation when called for.  Shelters for evacuees should be well-designed, built strong, and prepared ahead of time with emergency supplies of food, water, medicine, shelter, and toiletries, while government agencies are ready to augment the basic needs of evacuees. 

Local disaster and risk reduction management officers should be alert. Quick communication, particularly real-time updates, is also vital in ensuring effective disaster response with first responders and search and rescue teams ready for dispatch anytime.