RSAF C-130 arrives in Cebu to assist relief efforts

SINGAPORE — A second Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 aircraft arrived in Cebu, Philippines, this afternoon (Nov 14) to deliver relief supplies, said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in a press release.

This is the second tranche of S$120,000 worth of relief supplies which the SAF has sent to assist those affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The first tranche of supplies was sent to Tacloban, Philippines yesterday.

“As we flew over Tacloban, we saw just how large in scale the devastation cause by Typhoon Haiyan is,” said C-130 Mission Commander, Major Darrell Goh. “All of us are glad that we are able to play a part in the typhoon relief efforts, and we hope that our assistance has gone some way in bringing relief to the victims in their time of need.”

The relief supplies include tents, groundsheets, medical supplies, and blankets.

The second C-130 aircraft will also be extending its deployment in the Philippines to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) ongoing relief efforts. The aircraft will be supporting the transportation of relief supplies and personnel between Manila and areas in the Visayas region which have been badly affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

Meanwhile, Channel NewsAsia has reported that the Philippine Embassy has expressed its appreciation of the support offered by Singaporeans in the aftermath of the typhoon.

“We are overwhelmed by a lot of offers to the Embassy about donations from a lot of concerned Singaporeans,” said the Philippine Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Alan L Deniega. “Some of them have offered medical supplies, some of them have offered bottled water. There are too many to count.”

The embassy is currently facilitating any donations-in-kind that may be offered as relief supplies, and is also coordinating fund-raising efforts by both Singaporean and Filipino organisations.

One such fund-raising effort will be a concert held at Hong Lim Park, and will be open to everyone who wishes to help.