The Galing Pook Foundation stands with the families, communities, and local governments in Mindanao in the aftermath of the recent earthquake and the fear and disruption brought by tsunami warnings.

Our hearts go out to everyone who lost someone they loved. We are thinking of the injured and the displaced, and of the children and families whose homes, schools, and livelihoods—along with their sense of safety—have been upended. We know, too, that the hardship is far from over: aftershocks continue, damage is still being assessed, and the work of recovery is only beginning.

Even now, there is much to be grateful for. Neighbors are looking after neighbors. Local officials and frontline responders are giving everything they have. Ordinary citizens are rescuing, sheltering, feeding, and comforting one another, often without being asked.

At Galing Pook, we have long believed that good governance starts close to home—in the barangays, towns, cities, and provinces that actually listen to and work alongside their people. A disaster makes that conviction all the more pressing. Preparedness, coordination, and trust between governments and communities save lives. And recovery, to mean anything, has to be built around the real needs of the people it serves: inclusive, transparent, and genuinely theirs.

We ask that support for Mindanao continue well past the first wave of relief. Rebuilding homes, schools, and public facilities, restoring livelihoods, and strengthening the local systems that help communities withstand the next crisis all take time and sustained attention. And we urge that those with the least be helped first—children, elderly, persons with disabilities, women, indigenous peoples, and the coastal families who face the hardest road back.

To the people of Mindanao: you are not alone. We grieve with you, we are humbled by your resilience, and we consider your recovery a responsibility all of us must share.

Galing Pook stands with you—in sorrow today, in rebuilding tomorrow, and in the longer work of making our communities safer, stronger, and more caring.