By Sarah Waffle Gavin, on November 12, 2013

Giving back in the Philippines

Not a country you often see in the headlines, the Philippines came front and center this weekend when super typhoon Haiyan struck the world's 12th most populated country, leaving a path of destruction, with many communities having been obliterated and thousands who have lost their lives. As travelers, we think of the Philippines as an island nation that we love because of its pristine beaches and renowned biodiversity but it’s now been left in a state of destruction. So we want to bring our customers, some of the most passionate travelers in the world, together to step up and pitch in.

Anyone who has been directly or indirectly involved in a natural disaster knows that receiving aid in a timely manner during a tragedy like this can be difficult. That help is all the more challenging when the area struck is an isolated area like an island, leaving many without basic needs, like food, water, and shelter, and making it hard to reach those in need. 

So we're springing to action to help bring awareness and funds to do our part for those impacted in the Philippines. The first way we're doing this is by donating money to the Red Cross for every time you text to download the Expedia mobile app. Simply text EXPEDIAHELP to 75309 to download the app and Expedia will donate $5 to the Red Cross for the relief efforts in the Philippines up to $10,000. Terms and conditions apply*.

The tragedy in the Philippines comes at an interesting time in our #ExpediaChat calendar as well.  #ExpediaChat is our weekly Twitter chat and this week’s chat happens to have been scheduled to be all about travel in Asia.  While we’ve debated changing the topic this week, we think the better thing to do is use this platform to bring awareness to the crisis in the Philippines and make sure people know how to help. So the chat will go on and we'll be giving away the usual $500 Expedia travel coupon, we'll also be matching that with a $500 donation to the Red Cross. Tune in Wednesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time to show your love for the Asian island nation, raising much needed awareness and funds and learn more about the Philippines and Asia in general. 

*Terms and Conditions

Service is available on most carriers. Donations will be made to the American Red Cross up to a total of $10,000. Message & Data Rates May Apply. Your mobile number will be used only to facilitate the app download, and will not be stored or used for any additional marketing.

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