My wife Glenda is on Facebook Messenger with her family now, sending live images of the burned shell of what was Glenda's family home for 16 years in a squatters' area in Samala, Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite. Preliminary reports from the scene are that, late at night last night, two masked men on a motorcycle threw molotov cocktails into the residential area where over a thousand people were sleeping. We hope we don't learn of loss of life. Glenda's oldest brother, Kuya Ray, and his family lost everything. Glenda's younger brother Claro and his family also lost everything. All of their clothes. Their furniture, appliances. The children's toys, most of which were given by Glenda and Natalie. Natalie was sad to learn that "the toys she gave to Angel" were lost. We are saddened for Glenda's family but even more for all of the beautiful filipino people who are our friends there and our extended family, who lost all for which they have worked their entire lives. This is unlike here in the US. These people work 12 to 16 hour days for the equivalent of $2.00. They have no medical care. No social services. No insurance. Nothing. It's painful to type this. My heart hurts. I will start a GoFundMe for this. Not for our family, but for all of the families affected by this. Please share the GoFundMe. Every penny will help. Every cent will go to these people. Anyone who knows me or Glenda has heard my stories of my short time living there. This is that place. These are those people.
With grief and sadness...