MANILA, Philippines - Several dioceses and archdioceses in the Visayas have donated around P35 million worth of relief goods for those affected by super typhoon Yolanda, a prelate said on Tuesday.
Fr. Anton Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila, the social arm of the Archdiocese of Manila, said the donations came from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, and the social action centers of Metro Manila dioceses and Quiapo Church.
The donations were distributed to six Dioceses and three Archdioceses in the Visayas region, the hardest hit by the typhoon, including those in Capiz; Ormoc, Leyte; Bantayan Island in Cebu, Guian Eastern Samar; Iloilo; Coron, Taytay, and Busuangga in Palawan; and Calamian group of islands.
Fr. Pascual said Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle initially directed to release P5 million for the immediate relief operations in the areas severely affected by Yolanda.
He said 5,000 relief packs good to be consumed for three days will be transported to the areas.
Meanwhile, the Caritas Damayan relief bay contains five kilos of rice, six nutritional foods, 10 liters of potable water, sugar, juices, biscuits and hygiene and medical kits.
On top of the P5 million, Fr. Pascual said that an additional P20 million cash donations and 15,000 relief bags, worth of P8 million, will be released for the typhoon victims.
He said that the cash will be used to buy tents, medicines, and for the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the devastated areas.