Google Person Finder has been activated for use following the deadly
supertyphoon Yolanda that devastated the Philippines including the
Visayas regions and other nearby areas. Pile of dead bodies in Tacloban City after Typhoon Yolanda Devastated central Philippines (Photo by AFP/Noel Celis)
As the tool is being populated, you can either search for someone or share information
about someone’s whereabouts. The tool includes a disclaimer stating
that Google doesn’t review or verify any information, and all submitted
details are public to all users.
Shortly after launching, the Person Finder homepage says it’s tracking about 6,500 records.
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for from Google Person Finder, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) has launched Social Services Restoring Family Links and Tracing Services.
“If you are looking for a family or friend, contact our Social Services Restoring Family Links and Tracing Services, please call 09175328500,” the PNRC said.
According to the provincial government of Leyte, at least 10,000 of
its residents are feared were killed by Super Typhoon Yolanda
(international codename Haiyan), regional police
said on Sunday, November 10. Reports said about 70 to 80 percent of the
houses and structures along the typhoon’s path were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross said 1,200 people were believed to have died in just two provinces – Eastern Samar and Leyte.
EDSA Revolution
The Second EDSA Revolution (EDSA II) was a four-day political protest from 17–20 January 2001 that peacefully overthrew the government of Joseph Estrada, the thirteenthPresident of the Philippines. Estrada was succeeded by his Vice-President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was sworn into office by then-Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. at around noon on January 20, 2001, several hours before Estrada fled Malacañang Palace. EDSA is an acronym derived from Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, the major thoroughfare connecting five cities in Metro Manila, namely Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, and Caloocan, with the revolution's epicentre at the EDSA Shrine church at the northern tip of Ortigas Center, a business district.
Advocates described EDSA II as "popular" but critics view the
uprising as a conspiracy among political and business elites, military
top brass and Catholic Cardinal Jaime Sin.[2]
International reaction to the revolt was mixed, with some foreign
nations including the United States immediately recognising the
legitimacy of Arroyo's presidency, and foreign commentators describing
it as "a defeat for due process of law", "mob rule", and a "de factocoup".[3]
The only means of legitimizing the event was the last-minute Supreme Court ruling that "the welfare of the people is the supreme law."[4] But by then, the Armed Forces of the Philippines
had already withdrawn support for the president, which some analysts
called unconstitutional, and most foreign political analysts agreeing
with this assessment. William Overholt, a Hong Kong-based political economist said that "It is either being called mob rule or mob rule as a cover for a well-planned coup, ... but either way, it's not democracy."[3] It should also be noted that opinion was divided during EDSA II about whether Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
as the incumbent Vice President should be President if Joseph Estrada
was ousted; many groups who participated in EDSA II expressly stated
that they did not want Arroyo for president either, and some of them
would later participate in EDSA III.
The prevailing Constitution of the Philippines calls for the Vice
President of the Philippines, Arroyo at the time, to act as interim
president only when the sitting President dies, resigns, or becomes
incapacitated, none of which occurred during EDSA II.
EDSA People Power Revolution
The Philippines was praised worldwide in 1986, when the so-called bloodless revolution erupted, called EDSA People Power’s Revolution. February 25, 1986 marked a significant national event that has been engraved in the hearts and minds of every Filipino. This part of Philippine history gives us a strong sense of pride especially that other nations had attempted to emulate what we have shown the world of the true power of democracy. The true empowerment of democracy was exhibited in EDSA by its successful efforts to oust a tyrant by a demonstration without tolerance for violence and bloodshed. Prayers and rosaries strengthened by faith were the only weapons that the Filipinos used to recover their freedom from President Ferdinand Marcos’s iron hands. The Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) stretches 54 kilometers, where the peaceful demonstration was held on that fateful day. It was a day that gathered all Filipinos in unity with courage and faith to prevail democracy in the country. It was the power of the people, who assembled in EDSA, that restored the democratic Philippines, ending the oppressive Marcos regime. Hence, it came to be known as the EDSA People Power’s Revolution.
The revolution was a result of the long oppressed freedom and the life threatening abuses executed by the Marcos government to cite several events like human rights violation since the tyrannical Martial Law Proclamation in 1972. In the years that followed Martial Law started the suppressive and abusive years–incidents of assassination were rampant, particularly those who opposed the government, individuals and companies alike were subdued. The Filipinos reached the height of their patience when former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Sr. was shot and killed at the airport in August 21, 1983, upon his return to the Philippines from exile in the United States. Aquino’s death marked the day that Filipinos learned to fight. His grieving wife, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquinoshowed the Filipinos and the world the strength and courage to claim back the democracy that Ferdinand Marcos arrested for his personal caprice. Considering the depressing economy of the country, Ninoy’s death further intensified the contained resentment of the Filipinos. In the efforts to win back his popularity among the people, Marcos held a snap presidential election in February 7, 1986, where he was confronted with a strong and potent opposition, Corazon Aquino. It was the most corrupt and deceitful election held in the Philippine history. There was an evident trace of electoral fraud as the tally of votes were declared with discrepancy between the official count by the COMELEC (Commission on Elections) and the count of NAMFREL (National Movement for Free Elections). Such blatant corruption in that election was the final straw of tolerance by the Filipinos of the Marcos regime. Thedemonstration started to break in the cry for democracy and the demand to oust Marcos from his seat at Malacañang Palace. The revolt commenced when Marcos' Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and the Armed Forces Vice-Chief of Staff command of Fidel V. Ramos, both withdrew their support from the government and called upon the resignation of then President Marcos. They responsibly barricaded Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo and had their troops ready to combat against possible armed attack organized by Marcos and his troops. The Catholic Church represented by Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin along with the priests and nuns called for the support of all Filipinos who believed in democracy. Radyo Veritas aired the message of Cardinal Sin that summoned thousands of Filipinos to march the street of EDSA. It was an empowering demonstration that aimed to succeed peacefully with the intervention of faith. Nuns kneeled in front of tanks with rosaries in their hands and uttering their prayers.
With the power of prayers, the armed marine troops under the command of Marcos withdrew from the site. Celebrities expressed their support putting up a presentation to showcase the injustices and the anomalies carried out by the Marcos administration. Finally, in the morning of February 25, 1986, Corazon Aquino took the presidential oath of office, administered by the Supreme Court Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee at Club Filipino located in San Juan. Aquino was proclaimed as the 11th President of the Republic of the Philippines. She was the first lady president of the country. People rejoiced over their victory proving the success of the EDSA People’s Power Revolution, the historic peaceful demonstration. Although in 2001, there was an attempt to revive People Power in the efforts to oust then President Joseph Estrada, it was not as strong as the glorifying demonstration in 1986. The bloodless, People Power Revolution in EDSA renewed the power of the people, strengthened the meaning of democracy and restored the democratic institutions of government. Continue to the 5th Republic (1986) up to the Present Time.
The Philippines was praised 
