A call for assistance

To all Fil-Americans and Americans in Charlotte, North Carolina who wish

to donate in cash or kind to victims of typhoon Yolanda in Central

Philippines here are the two drop-off centers.

Elsa's Sari-Sari Store at 10726 Pine Vile Road NYC 28134. Her phone

number is 704-643-0173.

Lisa Diwata's home with address at 745 stone road Salisbury NYC

28146.

Little Schoolhouse of Charlotte gets ready for Christmas party

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

NOW on its second month, the students of the Filipino Eskuwelahang Munti of 

Charlotte (Little Schoolhouse of Charlotte) are getting ready for their 

Christmas party.

This was learned from Dr. Nini RB Bautista, chairperson of the Filipino 

American Spirit, Inc. The students are practicing how to sing the traditional 

Filipino song Paru-Parong Bukid (Butterfly Field).”

A five-minute practice is held after every Sunday class to familiarize the 

participants. Dr. Nini Bautista teaches the students how to sing and dance to 

the song, a source of delight to every Fil-American student.

The Little Schoolhouse program started last summer and was such a success 

that the Fil-American parents and the community requested to sustain it.

The past weeks showed that the students can speak conversational Filipino as 

evidenced in the question and answer portions and the role playing games. The 

parents take turns in providing snacks for the students.

The Fil-American students are taught Philippine history, geography, arts, 

culture and Philippine cuisine.

The project is being supported by an initial grant from the Catholic Diocese of 

Charlotte Foundation and the fundraising efforts of the Filipino American Spirit (FAS) 

.

Assisting Mrs. Gloria Grifenhagen as school director is Dell Fallar. Luz Taboada 

is the administrator while the members of the pool of teachers are Glo 

Grifenhagen, Dell Fallar, Dr. Chris and Guia Villapando,and volunteers Susan 

Palmes-Dennis, Grace Basilan and Ron Beltran. Ron Beltran also serves as an 

IT consultant along with Boging Mata.

Fil-Am community anxious over devastation of Yolanda in central Philippines

by Susan Palmes

Scenes of devastation wrought by super typhoon “Yolanda” in Central Visayas 

in the Philippines caused anxiety and drew sympathy from Fil-Americans here 

at North Carolina.

Len Stevens, a native of Albuera, Leyte which is three hours drive to the

capital town Tacloban, said she last made contact with her family at past 12 

midnight.

She said she talked with her sister Hazel about the typhoon since her family 

lived near the ocean. Len said she's worried because it had been two days and 

she had yet to contact her family through Skype.

Len's parents are Fe Bignay and Edwin Bignay and her sisters are named 

Junerose and Hazel. Len Stevens, the eldest, had been here in Charlotte for 

two years already and is pregnant with her first baby.

She said she she grew up in the Philippines and learned to live with the huge 

waves caused by typhoons. “But this is different, I saw on TV that banana trees 

were toppled.” Len said.

Another Filipino-American, Ghing Vought, said she couldn't contact her parents 

in Mahplag, Leyte, one of the hardest hit in the Philippines.

"Even my sisters in Manila also tried to contact them- no luck.” Vought said.

For her part, Annete Ray is sad that she couldn't contact her father Nido 

Amores of San Remegio town, Cebu.

She said it has been a month that she last talked with him along with her half-

brothers. She learned about the news here in Charlotte and is hoping that she 

could make contact with her father soon.

PinoySa Carolinas contacted Florami Cuardero-Lee, the president of the Fil-

American Association in North Carolina (FACC) and asked if the association has 

information on how many Filipinos came from the affected areas.

“We don't have the geographical population of our members what islands 

they're from, all I know is they're Visayans or Ilocanos. But I have friends from 

north of Cebu that were badly affected,” she said.

A report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer stated that President Benigno Aquino 

III ordered the military and all search and rescue teams to locate both 

survivors  and the dead in the communities badly hit by Yolanda, which made 

several landfalls in Central Visayas last Friday.

A report from Reuters said the initial death toll in Leyte reached 10,000, with 

70 to 80 percent of the province destroyed. Relief assistance from the 

government and groups are headed to the affected areas.