WAIPAHU — When Waipahu resident Ariel Daguio learned that his sister's house was among those flooded when Tropical Storm Ketsana hit Metro Manila over the weekend, there was no need to think about it.

Like many other Hawai'i residents with family in the Philippines, Daguio made his way to the LBC Mabuhay Hawaii location in Waipahu to wire $100 back home.

"I know already they need the help; they don't need to ask," Daguio said.

The flood waters reached the second floor of his sister Cherryl's home, and she, her husband and their son had to move to the attic to avoid the rising waters, said Daguio, 31.

The storm that caused those floods also ripped across Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, killing at least 406 people — 293 in the Philippines, 99 in Vietnam and 14 in Cambodia. Officials fear Typhoon Parma — due to hit tomorrow unless it changes course — will cause a second disaster in the northern Philippines.

Yesterday, Elma Boder, manager of LBC Mabuhay, said business was up about 30 percent from normal at each of its O'ahu locations since Monday. Nearly all of the additional remittances are on their way to the Metro Manila region, near the center of the storm.

Cesar Evangelista and his wife, Theresa, also were at the Waipahu LBC yesterday to transmit funds to their families in Manila.

The Village Park couple has been sending money to their parents on the first day of the month for some 20 years. But both families suffered damage to their homes during the storm, so they decided to send more — an additional $100 to each, above the $300 they had been remitting.

The Evangelistas are not well off but they do what they can, said Cesar Evangelista, 46, a retired sailor and now a civilian worker at Hickam Air Force Base.

"We don't count how much we lose every month but count our blessings, and we share with our families," he said. "Us here, we're OK, but back there they have nothing to eat."

Rose Charter, the manager of the Waipahu LBC location, said Filipinos in Hawai'i always come through when there's an emergency in their homeland.

"They always do send something, even if it's $100," Charter said. "It means a lot."

Boder said the company is also receiving a larger share of balikbayan "care" boxes carrying everything from canned food to clothing.

COMMUNITY EFFORTS

While some Filipinos in Hawai'i sent funds to their own families, leaders in the community were rallying people to chip in with a larger effort being coordinated by the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu.

About $5,600 had been collected as of yesterday afternoon and FilCom president Toy Arre said there will be much more by next week.

The effort is gaining traction from all segments of the community. Central Pacific Bank has agreed to accept donations at its branches on behalf of FilCom. The Golden Coin restaurant chain has promised to match every dollar donated at its establishments up to $50,000.

Meanwhile, Hawaiian Airlines agreed to donate $5 for every Honolulu-Manila flight purchased. The airline also chipped in $10,000 and is matching donations made by its employees.

On a smaller scale, members of the Kasama Filipino studies club at Leeward Community College set up a table on campus and managed to collect about $800 for the FilCom fund, said club member Kimberlim Ramos.

Philippine Consul General Leoncio R. Cardenas said every bit counts, whether it be in direct family remittances or contributions to the community-wide effort.

"The floods were very devastating," Cardenas said. "There are people with no roofs on their heads, no food or clothing."

ANOTHER STORM LOOMS

Disaster officials yesterday said evacuations have begun in low-lying and mountainous villages in several provinces north and east of Manila, and officials were poised to relocate other communities in Parma's path, once that became clearer today.

Heavy rain fell on parts of the eastern coast this morning as Parma swirled slowly northwest. It was about 170 miles off eastern Catanduanes province, the government's weather bureau said.

Parma is packing sustained winds of up to 120 mph and gusts up to 140 mph, the government's weather bureau said.