Bangon Northern Luzon starts relief drive

MANILA, Philippines — Volunteer workers of Bangon Northern Luzon recently started emergency relief operations in areas of Cagayan province hardest hit by Typhoon Ompong.

As of Tuesday, the relief drive has distributed 1,500 packages to families and individuals in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon Raul Lambino, concurrently administrator and CEO of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) through which the relief effort is being coordinated.

 “Our aim is to help address the immediate needs of families affected by the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year,” said Joseph Garcia, spokesman for the lead organization, Andres P. Tamayo Sr. Foundation Inc (APTSFI).

Garcia said the five partner organizations in the Bangon Northern Luzon relief effort are the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Rotary Club of Makati South, Rotary International District 3830, APO United International Organization Inc. and the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU).

He said the relief drive also includes rehabilitation assistance and will reach across parts of Northern Luzon that bore the brunt of Ompong’s destructive winds.

Each relief pack, Garcia said, contains basic goods such as blanket, sleeping mat, medicines, rice, noodles, bottled water and water pail.

A second batch of 1,500 relief packs was en route to Cagayan while another truckload of relief packs were sent to Nueva Vizcaya, he said.

“DDT Construct Inc. and Whiteport Inc., two construction companies behind the APTSFI, jumpstarted the relief operations through the two companies corporate contributions,” Garcia said.

Bangon Northern Luzon has set up its command center at Shore 2 condominium, Seaside Blvd, MOA Complex in Pasay City, where volunteers from partner organizations have been repacking relief goods.  It can be reached through cellphone number +639175324039.

“Bangon Northern Luzon is reaching out to other benevolent donors and benefactors for assistance, in cash or in kind,” Garcia said.