Got to believe, it’s Justin time

Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber yesterday visited young victims of superyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan), traveling to Tacloban City after launching a worldwide campaign to help those affected by the deadly storm.

Bieber arrived from Australia and flew to Tacloban City where he distributed shirts, toys and basketballs to children.

The 19-year-old pop star visited San Jose Central Elementary School that is being used as an evacuation center despite being heavily damaged by last month’s typhoon.

“It was like we were not hit by the typhoon, like Yolanda never came,” one girl told TV5, describing her feelings on seeing her idol.

Bieber took a quick walk around the school and checked a temporary learning space that was packed with about 300 children, including some from the local neighborhood, before moving to an outdoor stage to sing, said Kate Donovan, a spokeswoman for Unicef.

“He played a very beautiful set,” she said. “He played a series of Christmas songs and some of his hits as well, including ‘Baby.”’

At another school also used as temporary shelter, Bieber played basketball with some boys and posed gamely for pictures with his fans.

In a video posted in ABS-CBN online, Bieber was seen serenading an overwhelmed girl on stage and took a picture with her. Bieber also performed an acoustic version of the popular Christmas song, ‘Silent Night’.

“Justin brought a lot of joy, hope and cheer to the hundreds of children who were there,” Angela Kearney, Unicef’s emergency coordinator for Haiyan response, said in a statement.

A college student from Cebu, Bernadeth Rosales a die-hard Bieber fan had to brave the devastated Tacloban just to see Bieber perform.

Rosales and her friend who do not know anyone in Tacloban took a boat ride to Tacloban a night before Bieber arrived.

They just had to find their way to see the “Baby” hit-maker.

Bieber partnered with Unicef in his #GiveBackPhilippines campaign.

Kearney said the money Bieber raises “will give some of the children who were caught in the path of Haiyan access to education, vaccinations, better nutrition, clean water and sanitation.”

Bieber arrived on a special flight, Immigration officer Jerome Ollet said.

In a video posted on the fundraising platform Prizeo, Bieber asked fans to help him support victims of typhoon Haiyan.

Bieber said donors have a chance to win a prize to hang out with him in a studio while he works on his upcoming album.

“The moment I heard about the tragedy a few weeks back, I thought I can count on you guys to make a difference,” Bieber said.

Bieber raised $611,546 (P26 million) in donation and will be used to rebuild structures in the area. /AP, Bjorn Abraham Tabanera and Christine Estrella