By Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG CITY - The
Philippine Red Cross (PRC)-Zamboanga del Norte Chapter continues to accept
donations from the public for the Yolanda victims but used clothing.
PRC-ZN
Provincial Administrator Hector Soledad said in a recent “Kapihan sa Dipolog”
radio program held here at Sunburst Restaurant, Camilla Hotel I that the local
chapter has already generated more than P100 thousand cash assistance and an
estimated P1.2 milion worth of food and non-food donations for the typhoon
victims.
The
PRC here is scheduled to transport another batch of relief goods to Tacloban
City tomorrow using the vehicles of the provincial government, consisting of
food and non-food items and medicines.
Soledad
also expressed his thanks for the support extended by provincial government,
the two cities of Dipolog and Dapitan, the 25 municipalities of the province as
well as the public and generous individuals for lending their vehicles to
transport the relief goods to the Port of Pulawan in Dapitan City, including George
and Peter Lines and Lite Shipping for providing free accommodations for the
relief goods to be transported to Tacloban via Cebu.
He
assured the public of transparency in handling donations for the Yolanda
victims. “All cash generated by the local chapter is remitted to the national
headquarters for disposition except those intended for administrative
expenses,” Soledad said.
Meanwhile,
PRC- ZN Chairman Soccoro Hamac urges the public to participate in disaster
preparedness trainings to enhance their capability to respond in times of
calamity. She noted that in most of trainings conducted only the “tanods” and a
number of barangay officials are participating.
Soledad
stressed the needs of least one member of the family to know the basics of
first-aid to be able respond appropriately to any untoward incident.
Executive
Assistant Joshua Bicoy of the provincial government reiterated Governor Roberto
Uy’s appeal to the public for prayer and thanks to the Almighty as Zamboanga
del Norte had been spared from major calamities that hit other parts of the
country.
It
may be recalled that despite appropriate warnings from the concerned government
agencies of the coming of supertyphoon
Yolanda - considered one of the most damaging typhoons that hit the country –
it still left more than 6,000 people dead, thousands injured and missing, and
billions of properties, agriculture and infrastructures damaged. (PIA9)