Photo, BCC Bergen Community College surgical technology students helped donate supplies to the College’s Philippine typhoon relief effort.

HACKENSACK (Nov. 19, 2009) — After a series of typhoons devastated the Philippines, Bergen Community College Assistant Professor Susanna Lansangan knew she had to help — although she was unsure how much aid she could provide. Thanks to the college community, she was able to muster more support than she had initially expected.

Over the past month, Lansangan, who is also the faculty adviser to the College’s Filipino-American Association, has directed a college-wide relief effort to provide supplies and essential items to residents of the ravaged nation. To date, approximately 150 bags of towels, clothes, food and toys have been deposited in bins located around Bergen’s campus.  Many bags were collected with the help of Professor Anbalagan George.

Lansangan, a Philippine immigrant who still has family and friends living in the country, said the response from students, faculty and staff has been an “overwhelming outpouring of support.” Bergen enrolls more than 200 students from the Philippines.

In addition to the donations from the college, Lansangan also secured 800 books with the help of Adjunct Professor Jill Barbarise and the Theodore Roosevelt School in Weehawken.

Lansangan said the college has been more than willing to help in the wake of the disaster, which killed more than 1,000 people, sickened thousands with disease and destroyed resources and infrastructure.

“The students and people I speak with have been shocked by the devastation,” said Lansangan.

At the outset of the effort, Lansangan sent supplies to small relief agencies in the Philippines via a shipping program organized by commercial airlines. Once that program ended, she assumed the task of sending the supplies on her own. That, coupled with the Philippine Department of Social Welfare’s restrictions on aid coming into the country, has slowed the relief process down.

Lansangan said all of the bags will eventually arrive overseas, but it will take time.  

According to the assistant professor, who has taught at Bergen for nearly 20 years, the college’s support of the relief effort has been an exercise in service learning – not only from the perspective of the merits of providing aid, but also “providing an education on country.”

“It’s a really big deal to get the college community to help,” she said.  “The help it has provided has gone a long way.”