More foreign aid pours in for typhoon victims

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomed the donation of tents from the Australian government and Canberra’s transport of tents donated by other countries to typhoon-ravaged areas in Eastern Visayas.

Over the weekend, the Royal Australian Air Force airlifted from Mactan Airbase in Cebu 1,000 tents for Typhoon Yolanda victims in the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte and Guiuan in Eastern Samar.

The Royal Australian Air Force also agreed to transport the 1,300 tents donated by the People’s Republic of China.

Each tent from the Australian government has a floor area of 16 square meters and can accommodate a family with eight to ten members. Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell earlier turned over the tents to the DSWD.

“Food, water, and the health of people affected by typhoon Yolanda remain as pressing priorities, but it is also important to focus on providing them temporary shelter,” Ambassador Tweddell said.

Tweddell added that while tents are only “a temporary solution and are just a small part of our overall assistance,” these are “also critical to help people start to rebuild their lives.”

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman lauded the Australian government for its continuing assistance to families affected by the typhoon.

“Aside from the monetary aid that they already have provided, the Australian government is also providing other much needed assistance in the relief operations. We thank them for being always ready to lend a hand to the Filipino people,” Soliman said

Trucks from Chinese embassy

The Chinese embassy also continues to extend assistance in the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in affected areas in the Visayas.

Yesterday, the embassy donated three payloader trucks worth P7.5 million to the Philippine Red Cross. Chinese Ambassador Ma Ke Qing turned over the trucks to PRC chairman Richard Gordon.

Payloader trucks are heavy equipment tractors used to scoop and lift heavy materials like loose dirt, gravels and logs. These would speed up clearing operations for the debris that are now scattered all over the affected areas, Gordon said.

“We thank the Chinese people for their generosity in giving much needed support to the Philippine Red Cross. With these trucks, the Chinese people help typhoon victims acquire work and give them the means to provide for their families and help the community,” Gordon said.

The Lebanese community, for its part, donated P351,572 to the relief operation of ABS-CBN Sagip-Kapamilya Foundation.

Lebanon’s honorary consul-general to the Philippines Joseph Assad and Philippine-Lebanon Friendship Community president Abdul Kader Jadid collected the monetary donations from Lebanese residents in Metro Manila, United Doctors Hospital in Jeddah, and Century Solar Power Philippines Inc. 

Job fair in Ormoc City

As this developed, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it will also conduct a relief operation and job fair in Ormoc City on Dec. 13-14.

About 700 recruitment agencies are raising funds for the relief effort, with volunteers from 33 recruitment agencies committed to help distribute 3,000 relief packs to affected families in Ormoc.

The attached agencies of DOLE, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; Public Employment Services Offices; PhilHealth; National Statistics Office; Social Security System; Government Service Insurance System; National Bureau of Investigation; and the Department of Foreign Affairs will also join the job fair.  â€“ With Sheila Crisostomo, Rudy Santos