Phl thanks UNDP, football legends for typhoon aid

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines expressed deep appreciation to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the world’s football legends and the thousands of people who supported the match against poverty in Berne dedicated to the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

 The UNDP and its Goodwill Ambassadors, football legends Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) held the 11th Annual Football Match Against Poverty at the Stade De Suisse National Stadium in Berne on March 4.

Two-thirds of the proceeds from the match would go to UNDP projects for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, such as the ongoing cash-for-work projects in typhoon-hit Tacloban City and other projects supporting rehabilitation efforts.

Officials of the Philippine embassy in Switzerland and the Philippine mission in Geneva joined 21,000 people who watched the match. A sizeable number of the Filipino community in Switzerland was also present.

The UNDP team led by Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane played against the Berne professional football club, BSC Young Boys and Friends.

The match, which ended at 8-6 in favor of the UNDP team, also saw other football legends such as Luís Figo, Fabio Cannavaro, Patrick Vieira and Roberto Carlos who played for the UNDP team.

Aziyade Poltier, UNDP partnerships manager and organizer of the annual Match Against Poverty, said it was really the Philippines that won the match as both sides played for the country.

The Match Against Poverty is an annual event designed to raise awareness on poverty, help achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and support specific projects and various countries.

DSWD: Donations now over $18 M

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday said that as of Tuesday, the agency has received $18,364,194.04 (P734,567,761.60) and P82,694,812.56 in foreign and local donations for Yolanda victims.

Of the P817,262,574.16 in total donations, the DSWD has allocated P27 million for the purchase of motorized boats, and P677 million for the construction of decent and sturdy homes for the victims.

The DSWD has also allocated P34.8 million for family kitchen kits, P2.9 million for pedicabs, P14.5 million for the implementation of the cash-for-work program, P12.2 million for livelihood assistance, and P3.88 million for the purchase of a forklift.

Other projects lined up by the DSWD are the conduct of supplementary feeding that would cost around P8 million, and the repair of the Eastern Visayas Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth that would entail around P2 million.

The DSWD’s Core Shelter Assistance Program provides environment-friendly and structurally strong shelter units for Yolanda victims that can withstand up to 220 kph wind velocity, at least intensity four earthquake and other natural disasters.

The DSWD has placed the number of families affected by Yolanda at 1,472,251, and displaced families at 918,261.

As of Tuesday, the DSWD continues to operate seven evacuation centers in Tacloban City. – With Rainier Allan Ronda