November 23 ------ Responding to the series of devastating calamities that hit the country early this month, Taiwan has donated $200,000 to the Philippine government as humanitarian assistance for the victims of typhoons “Rolly” and “Ulysses.” Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Representative Peiyung Hsu personally handed over the donation to Vice Chairman Gilberto Lauengco of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in a ceremony over the weekend. As the closest neighbor of the Philippines, Taiwan conveyed its condolences to the families following the tragic disasters that resulted in the loss of lives and billions of pesos worth of properties, infrastructure, and agricultural products.
On top of the Taiwan government’s donation, Lauengco also received an additional P700,000 from the Taiwan Association Inc. in the Philippines. The MECO official expressed his appreciation to the government of Taiwan and the Taiwan Association Inc. for their solidarity with the Filipino people, saying that whenever there is a need in the Philippines, “Taiwan is always there to offer a helping hand.” “For that, the people of the Philippines are very grateful for Taiwan’s generosity and friendship,” Lauengco was quoted as saying in a statement issued by TECO, Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Manila.
Aside from Taiwan, several members of the international community have responded either individually or multilaterally primarily to help thousands of families displaced by the two devastating calamities that struck Luzon. On Friday, the European Union (EU) pledged to spend €1.05 million (roughly P60 million) in humanitarian aid funding to deliver emergency relief assistance to families affected by Typhoon Ulysses. Before that, the EU, along with the governments of Sweden, Australia, the US, Germany, and New Zealand have responded to the call of the United Nations (UN) to mobilize P182 million ($3.8 million) to help about 260,000 Filipinos that have been severely affected by both typhoons Rolly (Goni) and Ulysses (Vamco).
Also last week, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said, with the support from resource partners, the UN and humanitarian community translate international solidarity into concrete actions that combine emergency relief assistance and early recovery efforts to help people get back on their feet.
Source: mb.com.ph