Members of Canada’s Filipino community come together to aid typhoon victims

TORONTO – Many Filipino-Canadians are coming together today to gather aid resources for the survivors of a devastating typhoon in the central Philippines.

Pastor Rodrigo Felomino of the Filipino Alliance Church of Toronto says some members of his parish are still anxiously waiting to hear from family and friends who live in areas hardest hit by Typhoon Haiyan.

He says others in his community are trying to figure out how they can best help those affected by the savage storm.

Typhoon Haiyan is now believed to have killed as many as 10,000 people in one Philippine city alone, and officials say the death toll could climb even higher when emergency crews reach areas cut off by flooding and landslides.

Power and communications have yet to be restored after the typhoon unleashed ferocious winds and giant waves that washed away homes and schools.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has said Canada will provide as much as $5 million to support humanitarian organizations helping typhoon victims.