Over 1,000 volunteers show up at DSWD center

MANILA, Philippines - More than 1,000 people answered the call of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for more volunteers to help in the repacking of family food packs to be distributed in various evacuation centers and flood-hit areas.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said as of yesterday afternoon, a total of 1,175 volunteers who showed up at the National Resource Operation Center (NROC) in Pasay City were mobilized to repack 20,014 family food packs.

The volunteers include 53 groups and 238 walk-in individuals.

Some of the organizations which volunteered were Pitogo High School, JTF-NCR AFIP Camp Aguinaldo, Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group, the Alpha Phi Omega, Boy Scouts of the Philippines-Metro Manila South Council, PNP-Pasay, National University Supreme Student Council and Chiang Kai Shek College.

“We are thankful for the volunteers who immediately responded to our call and are now in NROC,” Soliman said, adding that some 100,000 family food packs will be repacked for disaster victims.

Malacañang also urged the public to unite under the spirit of cooperation and bayanihan and help their fellow Filipinos recover from the recent disaster.

As of 6 a.m. yesterday, a total of 363,246 families or 1.73 million people have been affected by the massive flooding caused by Tropical Storm Maring and the southwest monsoon earlier this week.

40-member mission

A 40-member humanitarian mission left Albay last Wednesday to provide drinking water and medical assistance to Laguna and nearby provinces that were hardest hit by the recent floods.

Raffy Alejandro, Bicol Office of Civil Defense director, said the team is composed of Army and Navy personnel, rescue volunteers, and doctors and nurses.

“We have coordinated with Laguna Gov. (ER) Ejercito in identifying the areas where we could hold our humanitarian activities,” Alejandro told The STAR.

He said the mission might last two weeks, depending on the need of the affected areas.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said Albay has made it a point to provide assistance to calamity-hit areas since the province was devastated by Typhoon Reming in 2006.

The Jesuit Community of Xavier School, San Juan and Mary the Queen Parish appealed to the faithful to participate in the 8 p.m. prayer habit, while the Philippine embassy in Washington urged Filipino-Americans to help those affected by Maring and the ferry tragedy in Cebu last Aug. 16.

PAL offers free airlift of donations

Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines (PAL) offered yesterday free airlifting of donations for flood victims from the provinces to Manila.

Charitable and civic groups from any of the 30 provincial stations where PAL and PAL Express fly may send donations to their counterparts in Manila by contacting the PAL Foundation.

Preferred donations include medicine and medical supplies, powdered infant milk, hygiene products like new underwear, indigenous food such as dried fish and fruits, ready to eat food, among others.

PAL said donations must be limited to goods not readily available in affected areas in Metro Manila and Luzon. Canned goods such as sardines, noodles and bottled water are not eligible for the free airlift.

 Shippers, who must be registered with the SEC, must contact the PAL Foundation at (02) 851-2980 or (02) 852-6096 (telefax) or email [email protected].

Metrobank donates P3 M

The Metrobank Group, led by GT-Metro Foundation and Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation, has pledged P3 million for relief operations.

The donation will be coursed through select partner institutions and targeted critical areas, while a portion will be used to distribute over 60,000 mineral water bottles among families in Regions III, IV-A, and National Capital Region through the Department of Health.   – With Delon Porcalla, Cet Dematera, Pia Lee-Brago, Evelyn Macairan