Japanese tsunami survivors help Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - A Japanese couple who experienced the devastation of the March 2011 tsunami in Japan visited Cebu last week and led the distribution of relief goods to super typhoon Yolanda in northern Cebu.

Matsumoto Osashi and his wife, with the help of the Cebu Lions Club, handed relief goods to super typhoon victims in barangays Bateria, Malbago and Tinubdan in Daanbantayan town.

They also came to Bantayan Island to also distribute relief assistance.

“I know the difficulty and trauma of those who are affected by the typhoon because I myself and my family also felt the same experience when a tsunami hit Japan in 2011,” Osashi told The FREEMAN.

Osashi said that when Yolanda hit the Visayas, he called up Fr. Eduardo Ventic, Lions Club International 301-B2 district governor, and other friends in Cebu and informed on his intention to help by giving relief goods.

He said he was told that thousands of Cebuanos in northern Cebu badly need aid his offer was very much welcomed.

He selected northern Cebu after learning that Tacloban City and neighboring areas in Leyte and in Samar were already attended to by the Philippine government and by foreign countries.

He was assisted by Fr. Ventic, Lions Club International vice governor Frederick Lim, second vice governor Manuel Piamonte, district liaison officer Jimmy Go, district secretary Stephen Yap, and district legal officer Jose Ma. Gastardo in distributing his relief goods.

Former Cebu provincial board member Gastardo, a resident of Daanbantayan, was the one who coordinated with barangay officials in the identifying recipients of Osashi’s aid in his town.

Gastardo said their group visited Bantayan Island five days after the super typhoon and gave food to more than 4,000 families in the towns of Sta. Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos.

In all, Osashi’s group gave 500 relief packs in Bateria, close to 1,000 in Malbago, and around 500 in Tinubdan.

The group also went to barangay Maya and in Malapascua Island to continue its distribution of relief packs. — (FREEMAN)