S’pore Government donates an additional S$150,000 to Philippines

SINGAPORE — The Government is making an additional S$150,000 donation to support relief efforts in the Philippines.

This is in addition to the S$50,000 pledged yesterday (Nov 10).

“The Singapore Government notes with concern the severity of the damage and human suffering wrought by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda),” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement.

“With the S$200,000 donation from the Singapore Government as seed money, the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) will be launching a public appeal for cash donations to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda),” said the MFA.

The monies will be used to provide clean water, medical and health services, shelter and non-food items such as blankets, sleeping mats and mosquito nets to the victims. The SRC will also be sending a medical team to Tacloban.

Announcing its fundraising effort today, the SRC said it will extend the opening hours of its Red Cross House office to 9am to 7pm on weekdays and 7am to 12pm on weekends to facilitate donations from the public. The office is located at 15 Penang Lane Singapore 238486.

Donors may also post their cheques to “Singapore Red Cross Society” at the above address, indicating “Red Cross Haiyan Relief” on the back of the cheque along with their names, contact numbers and addresses.

A hotline service has been set up to help Singaporeans and Filipinos locate family members affected by the disaster. Members of the public may call 6664 0501 or 6664 0502 to use the service.

According to the SRC, its first tranche of humanitarian aid and emergency supplies worth S$100,000 has been committed for the survivors’ immediate needs. A team of SRC volunteers and staff will visit Visayas on Thursday to help distribute the relief items.

The SRC will also work closely with the Philippine Red Cross to dispatch medical teams to the affected areas in the coming weeks.

“Reports coming in from many of the affected areas and from various sources indicate that Typhoon Haiyan’s impact on the Philippines has been dramatic. As the overall picture starts to emerge, it is evident that this is a mega-disaster which has had a devastating impact on the population especially in coastal areas in Leyte but also in northern parts of Cebu, Iloilo and Palawan,” said Mr Lim Theam Poh, Deputy Secretary General of the SRC.

“We have received close to a hundred phonecalls and emails from concerned members of the public, expressing interest to help in one way or another. At this critical time of need, cash donations would allow greater flexibility in our response coordination and immediate relief purchase and distribution,” he added.