Filipino caregivers among affected by California wildfires
MANILA, Philippines – Amid the devastating wildfires in northern California, Filipino caregivers have evacuated their homes together with their patients, Filipino immigrant organization National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (Nafcon) said on Friday, January 10.
“During initial visits and check-ups at evacuation centers, our local community partners discovered that many Filipino caregivers had evacuated alongside their elderly patients. Additionally, there were reports of caregivers having to use their own resources to purchase supplies for their patients,” Nafcon said.
The affected areas are known to have large Filipino populations, especially Filipino caregivers and domestic workers, the organization said.
“Workers are still being told to go to work, but without proper protective equipment such as masks,” they said.
Nafcon said other grassroots organizations are also reporting that insurance companies are cancelling their long-time residents’ fire insurance.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) closed all schools and offices on Friday. Prior to the announcement at 4:30 pm on Thursday, January 9, local time (8:30 am on Friday, January 10, in Manila), Nafcon had said that some of their members were told that it was “safe to go to school.”
“We are closely monitoring the situation and are taking the appropriate steps to keep our students, staff, and families safe,” LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said in a statement.
Nafcon called out what they perceived to be inadequate government preparation for the disaster.
“Government officials were told to act proactively and prepare residents against possible natural calamities leading up to the fires but preparations fell short and were outmatched by the supercharged winds. These conditions were exacerbated by the inadequate and delayed responses to the situation,” they said.
The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city’s western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming nearly 12,500 hectares, and turning entire neighborhoods to ash.
Officials have said that at least five people have been killed, thousands of homes and businesses have been incinerated, and nearly 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes, with another 200,000 under evacuation warnings.
Nafcon put out an urgent call for donations for their community efforts to help Filipinos affected by the wildfires.
– with reports from Reuters/Rappler.com