South Korea, Brazil give donations for typhoon victims

MANILA, Philippines - South Korea and the government of Brazil yesterday made their respective donations to typhoon victims in the Philippines.

The South Korean government, through Ambassador Choi Jung Kwung, donated some 3,000 sacks of rice, assorted clothes, blankets, shelter materials and medicine.

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral received the donation in behalf of the Philippine government.

The Brazilian government, on the other hand, donated $70,000 in checks, equivalent to P3.3 million, to the United Nations World Food Program in the Philippines.

Brazilian Ambassador Alcides G. R. Prates personally handed over the checks to WFP Philippines Country Director and Representative Stephen Anderson during a simple ceremony at the Brazil embassy in Makati City.

“In solidarity with the government and people of the Philippines, the government and people of Brazil have offered a humanitarian donation to the Philippines amounting to the equivalent of $70,000 to contribute to the assistance of the victims of storm ‘Ondoy’,” Prates said.

Prates said the donation was in response to the Philippine government’s request for international humanitarian aid conveyed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last Sept. 29.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), on the other hand, has organized a 100-vehicle relief caravan dubbed “Sama-Samang Pagtulong Relief Caravan” that will bring relief goods to areas in Northern Luzon affected by typhoon “Pepeng” on Monday.

Cabral said the relief caravan would provide truckloads of supplies to some 536,500 affected families from 19 provinces in Central and Northern Luzon.

“The relief goods are donations from various national government agencies, private and international organizations,” Cabral said.

Cabral added the relief goods will be distributed to affected families in Pangasinan and La Union for Region I, Isabela and Cagayan for Region II, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Aurora and Tarlac for Region III, and Abra, Baguio City and Benguet for the Cordillera Administrative Region. – Helen Flores, Jose Rodel Clapano