By Angelica Recierdo, News Correspondent 

It all started with a week-long tabling schedule in Curry Student Center (CSC) the week before Northeastern students left for Thanksgiving. Barkada, the Filipino heritage group, offered handmade, spray painted T-shirts embellished with the logo “HelPHeal” to those who donated at least $8. A tri-fold poster board was set up for donors to write words of encouragement to victims of Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, and show solidarity to volunteers.

Now, with over $2,400 raised, President Joseph E. Aoun has agreed Northeastern will match the total funds raised, motivating Barkada to up its goal to $5,000. All proceeds from this fundraising event will go to UNICEF.

“We’ve seen students of all years and ethnicities,” said Nicole Rodis, NU Barkada co-president and middler behavioral neuroscience major. “We have reached out to faculty and staff, and have received generous donations from them as well.”

Barkada’s efforts have gone past the tabling phase and have mobilized into events to further engage the Northeastern community. Yoga for Yolanda, taught by Barkada member Kathleen Castro, will be held in the Sacred Space on Dec. 6 from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. and Dec. 9 from 2 – 3 p.m., just in time to de-stress for finals week. Collaborating with Northeastern’s UNICEF chapter and Sigma Sigma Sigma, Barkada is helping plan a Zumbathon accepting donations for the same week. Barkada also has plans for a benefit concert in January and has been overall an active figure in the Boston-wide relief scene.

The word “barkada” translates from Tagalog into English as “a group of friends.” Luckily, no Barkada members were directly affected by Typhoon Haiyan, according to External Public Relations Representative James Tan. However, Tan said that a lot of the Barkada members know people who were impacted by the typhoon, prompting the members to do something.

“I watched and read about how cities were ‘flattened,’” Margarita Limcaoco, a senior international affairs major Philippines native, said. “Yet as my heart ached with the rising death tolls, my spirit was lifted as I witnessed friends and family transforming into heroes.”

This tough and resilient population of people was tragically hit in early November by the most devastating typhoon to ever hit the Philippines and the strongest storm to make landfall. Yolanda took over 5,600 lives, displacing 3.62 million people and affecting 14.4 million in total, according to the Philippines’ Department for Social Welfare and Development.

“When a super typhoon wipes away three-fourths of a region in your country, there is nothing worse than the feeling of helplessness,” Limcaoco said.

In light of this disaster, the Northeastern community, especially NU Barkada, has stepped up to the plate to jumpstart relief efforts.

Vice President of Northeastern’s UNICEF chapter, Walid Haida said that it was Barkada that took the initiative to start tabling immediately. NU Barkada’s fundraising success with Northeastern’s UNICEF chapter has been tremendous thus far and is clearly a priority in students’ minds.

“Since the tragedy occurred our members have been interested in learning different ways of providing relief efforts,” he said. “We established a CrowdRise donation site that has raised about $2,406. With the collaboration of different organizations on campus we strive to raise much more.”

The Northeastern Center for Student Involvement is the headquarters for up-to-date relief efforts occurring on campus. Two organizations have been named and prioritized for individual student donations: the American Red Cross’s Typhoon Appeal and World Vision’s Philippines Disaster Response Fund. To follow Barkada’s fundraising campaign, like their Facebook page and attend “Help Heal the Philippines” in CSC from Nov. 18 to Nov. 26.

“So much has been done and yet there is still much to do,” Limcaoco said. “There are just no words to describe the support we have received from everyone from international doctors providing emergency care to small children donating piggy banks.”