WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has offered his condolences on the deaths and devastation caused by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” in the Philippines.
“Michelle and I feel great sorrow over the hundreds of people who have died from the storms and resulting flooding and the hundreds of thousands more who have been displaced,” Obama said in a statement issued by the White House Tuesday night.
He said the US Agency for International Development has allocated $1.8 million for disaster relief. He assured Filipinos that the US would continue its assistance to the Philippines in the coming days.
He said US military forces and civilian agencies are supporting the Philippine government’s post-disaster efforts by distributing relief goods and helping rescue victims from submerged areas in Metro Manila.
“As a longstanding friend and partner of the Philippines, we stand ready to continue our cooperation and assistance in the coming days,” he said.
The Philippine embassy in Washington is also asking the Filipino community to send donations in cash or in kind.
Priority relief needs are food items, medical supplies, mats, blankets, clothes, flashlights, emergency lamps, tents, generators, water containers, hygiene kits, and baby diapers. -With AP