Philippines relief effort under way at Governor's Inn

Caesar Racoma at work as a chef's intern at the Governor's Inn. (Herman Ejarque photo)

ROCHESTER - At The Governor’s Inn in Rochester, a young Filipino, Caesar Racoma, has been a culinary intern for almost a year. In a few weeks he leaves the comfort of New England to return to Cebu, his island in the central Philippines where the most powerful storm in history to ever hit land recently ripped through.

Racoma is the impetus for a fund-raiser planned at The Governor’s Inn, where he will prepare Philippine food for a Dec. 12 benefit, in which ticket and auction proceeds go directly to the American Red Cross Philippines Typhoon Relief.

“I hope we can raise a lot of funds, as that’s what is needed the most there,” said Racoma. “My country is torn to shreds, the whole country is grieving, the economy is devastated and it’s going to take a huge, worldwide effort to help people and help put things back together.”

As part of the benefit, which runs from 6-10 p.m., there will be Philippine food and cocktails concessions, a slide show of the Philippines (before and after the storm) and live music – including Craig Roy’s blues band “Wellfleet.”

Tickets for the event are $10, available at www.GovernorInn.com.

During the evening there will also be silent and live auctions of many gift certificates and high quality donated items.

Organizers are hoping the timing is perfect as the event is just in time for holiday gift giving, and also in the spirit of humanitarianism to mega-storm victims of devastated islands 8,500 miles away.
Typhoon Yolanda affected 10 million people across 36 provinces, with more than 5,000 deaths reported, thousands still missing, and up to three million people left homeless. Aid is desperately needed.  Reports of the typhoon victims describe the situation as complete mayhem, with 70 to 80 percent of structures in the storm’s path destroyed.

Having lost their cell phones and address books in the storm, Filipinos have been unable to reach loved ones. For that The Red Cross has launched a family tracing service at redcross.org.ph where people may registers as “I am alive” or register a missing person.

With hundreds of villages and vast rural areas decimated, thousands of refugees are seeking shelter in the larger cities, of which there is little. One refugee said, "My worst fear is we'll be dumped in the streets and be at the mercy of drug addicts and criminals."

A massive disaster like this requires a massive response, with officials citing food, clean water and shelter the top priorities – all of which are in desperate need of cash infusion for relief efforts.

Donations of auction items - art, antiques, jewelry, valuable items and gift certificates of all manner - are being sought after for the events’ silent and live auctions. Donations are tax deductible and may be left and registered at downtown Chambers of Commerce offices in Dover, Somersworth, Portsmouth, and Rochester. Other downtown drop spots are DeStefano Architects in Portsmouth and The Governor’s Inn in Rochester.

Racoma summed it all up: “No help is too small,” he said. “Anyone’s help can make a lot of difference right now.”

For more information visit www.governorsInn.com, call (603)332-0107 or email questions to info@governorsinn.com.

Herman Ejarque is the owner of the Governor’s Inn in Rochester and is helping to organize the benefit.