TAIWAN DONATES $50,000 WORTH OF RELIEF GOODS FOR TYPHOON VICTIMS
MANILA, OCTOBER 13, 2009 (STAR) Taiwan has donated $50,000 and 10,000 euros worth of relief goods to victims of tropical storm “Ondoy.”The relief goods arrived on board a Taiwan military aircraft at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City yesterday.
Among the eight tons of relief goods are assorted noodles, diapers, toothpaste, infant sanitizer, towels, wet tissues, pots, puzzle mat, and mineral water.
Welcoming the plane were Representative Donald Lee of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office and director Ma. Isabel Oirola Golamco of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office.
“The Taiwanese people and government deeply sympathize with the typhoon victims and as a symbol of our solidarity with all of you, we have answered to the best of our abilities the Philippines’ call for international assistance,” Lee said.
“Our government humbly contributed its assistance in the form of financial donations amounting to $50,000 and 10,000 euros for the implementation of immediate humanitarian aid programs in the Philippines.”
Lee said 26 medical staff of Taiwan Root Peace Corps and six from the Taiwan International Health Action will help prevent the spread of diseases in overcrowded evacuation areas and provide basic health and medical care to flood victims.
“Through these modest tokens of friendship and humanitarian love, we strive to be a true dedicated neighbor in the Philippines’ in time of need,” he said.
In response, Oirola thanked the Taiwan government for the relief goods on behalf of the Philippine government.
“Our sincerest gratitude for this gesture of friendship and cooperation you have done; we are really like brothers and sisters here in good days and bad days, we thank you deeply for your concern and you can look forward to similar concern from us whatever need arises in the future,” she said.
Israeli medical team to help victims
In addition to the medicine donation previously given by the State of Israel to support the medical needs of the typhoon victims, an Israeli organization called Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid (IsraAID) sent a team of medical experts to help affected families of Ondoy and typhoon “Pepeng”
The Israeli experts, six volunteer doctors, nurses and paramedics from IsraAID, arrived in the Philippines last Oct. 10 and will stay in the country for two weeks to offer medical assistance and medications to the typhoon victims.
They have already started their free medical assistance to victims in the Laguna area in coordination with Operation Blessing, a Filipino Christian organization. In the next two weeks, the Israeli experts are set to visit affected communities within Metro Manila and Northern Luzon.
SM responds to victims of ‘Pepeng’
SM Prime Holdings Inc. and SM Supermalls immediately responded to the calls for rescue and relief operations in Pangasinan to help victims of Pepeng.
Using its resources and with the Navy’s help, the company conducted evacuation efforts and started sending relief goods to the area.
Leading the efforts was SM Prime Holdings Inc. president Hans Sy, who flew to Rosales, Pangasinan to oversee and participate in the evacuation of people to safer grounds, and to take the sick to the San Carlos City Hospital.
SM Supermalls president Annie Garcia is overseeing the packing of relief goods that would be sent to victims in Pangasinan.
This is done through the effort of Operation Tulong Express, where donation bins are set up in all SM Supermalls nationwide.
This is in partnership with Caritas Manila (for Ondoy victims) and SM Foundation Inc.
Operation Tulong is currently accepting and assembling donations to be sent to Rosales, Pangasinan.
Operation Tulong hotlines are open for inquiries. Interested parties may call 508-5670/71 or e-mail tulong@smsupermalls.com. Cash donations may be deposited to SM Foundation Inc. BDO Account No. 1500070694.
GMA hands out relief goods
President Arroyo distributed relief goods in at least five flooded towns in Laguna last Friday after inspecting the new houses in Sta. Rosa City allocated for evacuees from Marikina.
Accompanied by Laguna Gov. Teresita Lazaro and local officials, Mrs. Arroyo gave away bags containing foodstuff, including 10 kilos of rice each to the 235 Marikina flood victims.
The flood victims from Marikina were relocated to Southville 4, a Phase 3 project of the National Housing Authority in Barangay Pook and Caingin.
It is also the relocation site for informal settlers from the railroad tracks of Philippine National Railways.
Mrs. Arroyo then motored southeast to the capital town Sta. Cruz where she distributed relief goods to around 7,000 families in a school basketball court.
From Sta. Cruz, Mrs. Arroyo proceeded to the municipality of Paete, where she handed out relief goods to around 120 families in a public market, and another 44 families at the Knights of Columbus headquarters.
From Paete, Mrs. Arroyo went to nearby Pakil town, crossing through narrow flooded streets for the distribution of relief goods in a basketball court.
Mrs. Arroyo’s final stop was Pila, where a tent was placed along the narrow main road.
JDV hands out rubber boats
In Dagupan City, Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. started distributing 10 rubber boats worth P500,000 each with engines from South Korea to all the towns and cities within his district for rescue and relief operations.
The rubber boats were donated by friends in South Korea, China, Thailand and Malaysia, he said.
De Venecia said the first to respond were friends from South Korea coordinated by Lee Hyu, Michale Zablan and Raul Caballero of the Universal Peace Federation and business leaders Fernando Peña and Paul Kim, who loaded 10 brand-new boats on a Korean Airlines flight.
The plane arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after midnight of Oct. 10, he added.
Yesterday, De Venecia gave one rubber boat each to Dagupan City, San Fabian and Mangaldan, to be followed today by San Jacinto and Manaoag.
He will also give the excess rubber boats to other congressional districts in Pangasinan, he added.
Aquino, Roxas hand out relief goods
Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Roxas II have distributed relief goods to at least 700 families in an evacuation center in Barangay Apulid in Paniqui, Tarlac.
Aquino and Roxas were accompanied by Gov. Victor Yap and other government officials in distributing the relief goods.
Meanwhile, troops from Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command headed by Maj. Gen. Ricardo David Jr., and US troops from the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade under Brig. Gen. Mark Andrew Brilakis are shifting their efforts to relief operations in the northern provinces devastated by floods and cut off by landslides as the death toll and damage from two typhoons this month continue to rise.
Maj. Rosendo Armas, AFP spokesman, said the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and NOLCOM Disaster Response Task Force have spearheaded the delivery of 36.1 tons of relief goods to calamity victims in La Union, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija.
The convoy was led by Col. Gerard Velez, NOLCOM civil-military operations chief.
As early as 1:30 a.m. Sunday, 10 tons of food packs courtesy of ABS-CBN were motored to affected families in Baguio City using a five-tonner truck, Isuzu Elf and M35, he added.
Armas said on the same day at about 4:30 a.m. at least 5.3 tons of assorted food packs, native mats and blankets were brought by soldiers to Lingayen, Pangasinan aboard M35 trucks.
Joint RP-US troops delivered 16.3 tons of assorted food packs and clothing to the town, he added.
Armas said the Army’s 7th Infantry Division in Licab, Nueva Ecija served as drop point of 4.5 tons of food packs last Sunday that were delivered to evacuees.
Since last Friday, a combined coordination cell has been established at NOLCOM Headquarters, particularly at the Command Information Office (CIO), which is manned by AFP and US soldiers on a 24-7 basis, he added.
Armas said its task is to coordinate and integrate disaster response and humanitarian assistance efforts of the US Disaster and Relief Contingent to the overall rescue and relief efforts of the command in Northern Luzon.
As of yesterday, joint medical-dental missions were being conducted by the AFP and US troops in Calasiao, Pangasinan, he added.
At least eight municipalities in the province of Tarlac were affected by floodwaters, including Paniqui, Ramos, Moncada, La Paz, Concepcion and Pura.
The Tarlac Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) reported that some 2,244 families or 8,783 individuals were evacuated to safer grounds due to floodwaters up to four feet.
Cebu, Zamboanga City donate P20 million, P1.5 million
The Cebu provincial government has donated P20 million for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts of the National Disaster Coordinating Council in Metro Manila and Northern Luzon.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., who chairs the NDCC, flew to Cebu to personally acknowledge the donation from Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia.
The simple rites were witnessed by 45 mayors and more than 1,500 local political leaders and barangay captains at the Cebu International Convention Center.
The Zamboanga City government, through Mayor Celso Lobregat also donated P1.5 million to the NDCC. – Rudy Santos, Arnell Ozaeta, Eva Visperas, Ric Sapnu, Jaime Laude, Christina Mendez
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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