CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines— Late night of December 16th, when most people were soundly sleeping, tropical depression Washi unleashed its powers, leaving inhabitants along the riverbanks and low lying areas—many of which are shanty towns, in anguish and in misery. The startling and unparalleled— in the city’s history, surge of muddy waters which inundated the Cagayan de Oro River, shattered everything in its path, causing thousands of people missing, homeless and some, unfortunately, dead.

When Washi finally exhausted its wrath, heart-wrenching scenes of grief and destruction embraced the new day. People looking for their missing loved ones in despair— only to find them lifeless. The pain of a parent losing a child or a child losing a parent in such tragedy is insurmountable. Those left homeless could only stare helplessly at the very spot where their homes once stood. Those who lost neither, but left their homes dilapidated and uninhabitable, could only shudder and ponder at the scale of restoration needed.

Some schools within these affected communities were not spared by the onslaught of rampaging waters. Once haven for learning, these schools are now covered in thick mud and looming uncertainties on whether they can be functional in time for class resumption in January 2012.

Indeed, in every catastrophe, heroes will emerge. Huge number of individuals and organizations extended assistance in kind, service and finance. Digitalfront Technologies is in unison with the endeavor of rehabilitating the lives of these victims, especially the children whose young minds have been traumatized, to get them through the holidays and beyond.

As witnesses of such devastation, the Digitalfront Application Development Team in Cagayan de Oro is now in the forefront of helping the victims rebuild their lives. The team will concentrate, but will not limit, its relief efforts in two areas:

1. Provide children's school supplies.
2. Classroom cleanup drive.

As stewards for others, we would like to invite partners for this noble cause. Help us help them to move on. Any amount will go a long way...

"Heroism is the divine relation which, in all times, unites a great man to other men."

-Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) British historian and essayist.