P25-M worth of donation to benefit 10,000 families hit by 'Ondoy'

Some 10,000 families affected by tropical storm Ondoy will be the recipients of around P25-million worth of goods, the largest foreign donation to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) so far, Senator Richard J. Gordon (Ind.) today said.

Gordon, also chairman of the PNRC, led other PNRC officials and delegates from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in the country in accepting a planeload of donations from other Red Cross societies abroad late Monday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

"We are thankful to the other Red Cross societies and the IFRC for this donation, the biggest we have received so far since the country was battered by Ondoy. This donation will go a long way in alleviating the suffering of our countrymen who were badly hit by the typhoon," he said.

The donation, worth 554,000.80 Swiss francs (CHF), came from the IFRC and its members such as the American, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Finish, German, and Japan Red Cross societies and coursed through the IFRC's Asia Pacific Zone regional logistic unit based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It consist of hygiene sets, which contained body and laundry soaps, toothpaste, toothbrush, sanitary pads, toilet papers, hand towels, bath towels and razor; sleeping gears, such as blankets, mosquito nets and sleeping mats.

The donated goods also included kitchen sets, which contained cooking pots, frying pans, metallic bowls and plates, plastic cups, kitchen knives, wooden stirring spoons, and tablespoons and forks.

Gordon, a governor of the IFRC, said each family will receive one hygiene set, one sleeping set and one kitchen set.

The senator led Red Cross volunteers in conducting rescue and relief operations. He and Red Cross volunteers distributed relief goods in different evacuation centers and communities in Metro Manila and other nearby provinces.

Donations and assistance from other international communities have started pouring in, a day after Ondoy lashed the country. They included $30,000 from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and $10,000 from the People's Republic of China. The US government has provided $50,000 worth of rubber boats and has pledged an additional donation of $50,000.

Last week, a check amounting to $50,000 from Mr. Lee Soo Young, Chairman and chief executive officer of OCI Company Ltd. from Korea, coursed through Korean Ambassador Choi Joong Kyung, was turned over to Gordon.

Singaporean Ambassador A Selverajah also handed over $20,000 worth of relief items as initial donation from the Singaporean government.