Two Seattle residents are among those joining relief efforts in Tacloban in the Philippines, an area devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.
Precious Butiu of Seattle-based Filipina women’s organization Pinay sa Seattle, along with visual and spoken word artist Henry Luke, joined one of the first relief efforts by Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan (BALSA), a Philippine-based national grassroots alliance, to reach Tacloban with more than 2,000 aid packs. BALSA launched its first relief mission on Nov. 21, when 120 volunteers traveled more than 600 miles over land and water, from Manila to Tacloban.
Butiu and Luke were the first of more than 15 Seattle and Portland community organizers traveling to the Philippines in the weeks following the typhoon. (end)