As Samoan families in Northland reel from a deadly tsunami back home, local Filipinos have begun praying for their loved ones affected by a typhoon that claimed hundreds of lives. Typhoon Parma killed four people in northern Philippines last weekend - just eight days after an earlier storm left the capitalManila flooded and killed almost 300 people. The families of at least three Filipinos living in Whangarei are affected and have requested assistance in cash and kind. Onerahi's Linda Booker cried as she described how her sister and their 93-year-old mother had to flee their home, which later collapsed, in Manila. "I cried when my niece told me. They live in a small house by a river and flood waters forced them to flee and they now live with neighbours," she said. Whangarei nurse Adrianne Escondo said his mother, Thelma, and sister, TM Escondo, who was on holiday in New Zealand about four months ago, had also been forced to flee their home and were now staying with neighbours. His niece was born in Whangarei Hospital and his family flew back to the Philippines early in May. Mr Escondo said his sister sent him a text message, asking him to pray for them as they couldn't save anything. "Our house is beside a creek and water levels reached the ceiling." he said. "I put a message on my Facebook (page), asking people if they could go check my family and a couple of my friends replied to say they are doing fine." Whangarei Filipino Society president Neven Osmena said cash donations could be made to the Red Cross and items could be dropped off at Oriental Foodmart on Cameron St. Meanwhile, cash donations for tsunami victims in Samoa can be made on ANZ account number 010487 024840200.
