RIYADH, 9 December 2004 — Be it in cash or in kind, your donations for the victims of the four recent storms that hit the northern Philippines are most welcome.
Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla has sent out this message to the Filipino community in the Kingdom as the Department of Social Wefare and Development (DSWD) in Manila reported that it had ran out of funds even as relief operations for an estimated 800,000 victims appeared far from over.
In a press statement, Guinomla said Philippine missions overseas have been authorized to receive donations “pursuant to existing orders and circulars of the Department of Foreign Affairs.”
Quoting a circular from Manila, he said cash donations may be forwarded through checks payable to the National Disaster Coordinating Council’s (NDCC) account.
The NDCC, which includes the social welfare and defense departments, is leading a multi-agency effort in pooling together all resources to deliver relief services to affected areas and people.
Guinomla said checks should be sent to the NDCC’s account at the Land Bank Cubao Branch or the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Camp Aguinaldo Branch, all in Quezon City.
“Donations in kind (food and non-food items) may be forwarded to the Department of Social Welfare and Development,” Guinomla said in a press statement.
He said food items can include canned goods, ready-to-eat meals, compact food, baby food, etc. Non-food items could come in the form of blankets, mats, clothes, medicines, cooking sets, tarpaulins, or tents.
Ambassador Guinomla assigned Consul Germinia V. Aguilar-Usudan to coordinate the receipt of all donations coursed through the embassy. Some cargo forwarding companies have assured the embassy of their support in shipping donations to the Philippines.
Where to Donate
More and more community organizations and individuals have also started collecting donations.
Those who prefer to donate cash are encouraged to channel their donations to Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), ABS-CBN through its Sagip Kapamilya project, or Ayala Foundation.
PNRC’s account number is 151-2-1500218-2, Metro Bank, Port Area branch.
The Sagip Kapamilya hotline 219-2889 has received pledges worth of more than 22,000 Saudi riyals since Friday, according to Rene Fuentes, area manager of The Filipino Channel (TFC) in Riyadh.
Manny Ramos, manager of Sky Freight Dammam, also told Arab News that Cathay Pacific and Emirates airlines each agreed to give 40 kilograms of free shipment of donations.
Labor Attaché Manuel Roldan of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) confirmed that WRJ Cargo Forwarders committed one ton of free air cargo of donations.
Earlier, Sky Freight Forwarders said it will help deliver donations coursed either through the PNRC or ABS-CBN Foundation.
Individual and group donors can send their donations to any of the following Philippine schools such as International Philippine School in Riyadh (IPSR), Second Philippine International School (SPIS), Elite International School, Riyadh International School, Al-Taj, and Palm Crest.
Roldan also asked donors to sort out their donations by items for an easier and a faster shipment. “This initiative has been made possible through the efforts of the Order of Knights of Rizal (OKOR) including 60,000-peso cash donation sent earlier to the typhoon victims,” he said.
Ramon Eugenio Jr., an employee of an insurance firm, upon seeing on the devastation in Quezon, was prodded to borrow money to donate through the PNRC.
Eugenio said he just came from vacation, which explains his “financial deficiency” at present.
Benevolent Companies
Even some companies, Arab News learned, had given consideration to their Filipino employees by way of salary advances.
"We extend our sympathy and our prayers to all of you who have had family and/or friends adversely affected by these storms,” said one office memorandum, which ordered its finance department “to give priority attention to the processing of cash advances requested by Filipino employees.”
Black Python, a martial arts group composed of more than a hundred members has started collecting old clothes, food and other relief goods for the PNRC.
“We are also reviving our blood donation commitment to PNRC through our members who are going home during the Christmas holidays,” said Faisal Mercurio who also received similar commitment from his Filipino colleagues at Safid company.
Edgar Asuncion of Saudi Telecom and his colleagues at STBC bowling league will remit to PNRC a total amount of 1,300 riyals collected from the players and league’s fund.The Kapihan sa Riyadh, a forum composed mostly of active community leaders in central region, listed relief goods donations as one of its top agenda on Friday.
Muslim Filipinos in Al-Bat’ha Tent also organized a team to collect donations from fellow Filipinos who will go to Bat’ha this coming weekend with relief goods.
Abobakar Limus and Mohammad dela Pe?a are in-charge of the donations. Limus can be contacted at 05015-95775 for more information.
Other individuals like the Filipino employees of King Faisal Hospital have also mobilized to collect used clothes, other relief goods, and cash donations for the PNRC, according to Muriel Aquino, organizer of the on-going 7th inter-hospital basketball tournament.
