Shipping group offers free shipment of relief goods for ‘Ondoy’ victims
The Philippine Inter-Island Shipowners Association (PIISA) has offered a free shipment of relief goods to flood victims in Metro Manila and Luzon provinces devastated by the recent tropical storm ‘Ondoy.”
Former Negros Occidental Gov. Daniel “Bitay” Lacson, who is currently the chair and president of PIISA, said the shipment will be to any major ports throughout the country where their members operates.
Members of the shipping association include the Negros Navigation (NENACO), Sulpicio Lines, National Marine Corporation, Lorenzo Shipping Corporation, Oceanic Shipping Corporation and Solid Shipping Corporation as well as inter-regional operators of roll on, roll off (RORO) vessels.
According to the former Negros Occidental governor, the move is their way of helping thousands of helpless victims of the tragedy that hit Metro Manila and Luzon provinces.
Lacson likewise appealed to fellow Negrenses to share whatever excesses they have in life to help the victims.
He said it is in response to the assistance extended by thousands of people from the different places in the country who also donated relief goods to the people in Negros during a similar disaster that befell the province in the past.
Meanwhile, the different local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas have launched various relief operation projects solely aimed at helping affected families in flood-stricken Metro Manila and Luzon provinces that were badly devastated by tropical storm Ondoy.
Iloilo Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. said the province of Iloilo would extend financial assistance to the flood ravaged Metro Manila and Luzon provinces and requested the provincial august body to set aside P1 million budget for the flood victims.
The amount, he said, will be equally allotted to Rizal and Bulacan provinces that were hardest hit by the massive floods.
Gov. Tupas said during typhoon Frank devastation in Western Visayas a year ago, the province of Iloilo are one of the recipients of financial rainfall from Bukidnon and Cebu provinces apart from the relief goods keep pouring in from elsewhere in the country.
He said “it is only proper that we would also extend a helping hand in return as goodwill to typhoon-battered provinces in Luzon and Metro Manila where thousands of Ilonggos living there were also victims of Ondoy’s wrath.”
Likewise, the various broadcast media outlets and civic groups including the church have also embarked on similar relief operation efforts for the flood victims brought about by tropical storm Ondoy.
On the other hand, the city government of Roxas and province of Capiz are not to be left behind in the humanitarian effort.
Roxas City Mayor Vic Bermejo, in cooperation with the office of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has launched “Sulong Tulong Project” aimed at soliciting donations from kind-hearted Capicenos for the disaster victims.
Roxas City Administrator Rey Cordinillo said they have learned of a particular place in Metro Manila that was badly hit by the massive floods where most settlers hailed from Roxas City and province of Capiz, apart from Ilonggos in other Panay provinces and even Negrenses who settled in Manila and elsewhere in Luzon provinces.
The provinces of Aklan, Antique and the island-province of Guimaras have also joined the fray in the humanitarian effort to ease the sad plight of typhoon victims particularly to hundreds if not thousands of their contemporaries living elsewhere in Manila and Luzon provinces.
In Bacolod City across Negros island, City Mayor Evelio Leonardia also embarked on Monday a project aimed to cushion the plight of miserable families affected by Ondoy’s spawned floods that wrought havoc to households and property .
Leonardia said the project was in partnership with DSWD, Office of the Sectoral Concern, several lined government agencies and civic groups in Bacolod City.
The city chief executive likewise called on the business sector and even individuals from all walks of life to contribute their shares in the like of food, used clothing and medicines with the old city hall building as Relief Operation Center for the donations.
He said there are so many Bacolodnons and Negrenses living in Metro Manila were also victims of the tragedy and several of them have sought help from their immediate relatives in Negros to facilitate their rescue.
For his part, Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco also called on his constituents in the province to contribute their donations to help the flood victims in Metro Manila. (PNA)