Best-selling author Mitch Albom to visit typhoon-hit Tacloban

International best-selling author Mitch Albom is set to go to Tacloban City on Monday to call for more help in areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

In an exclusive interview with Jessica Soho aired on "State of the Nation" Thursday evening, Albom said he will donate 40 boats and will try to set up mini libraries upon his visit.



"I'm donating 40 boats up there, but more importantly than that, we're gonna try to reopen some libraries and put books from myself and some of my author friends from America like Stephen King, Amy Tan and John Grisham... My hope is that maybe we can draw some attention to the situation (in Tacloban)," Albom said.

Albom is the author of best-selling novels like "Tuesdays with Morrie," "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and  "For One More Day."

He is in the Philippines to promote his latest book "The First Phone Call from Heaven," in which the country was also mentioned as a setting in one of its chapters.

Albom said that apart from the two book signing events slated this weekend in Manila and in Cebu, what actually swayed him to visit the country is the magnitude of the devastation left by Yolanda.

"When I saw what happened with the typhoon I was very moved," Albom said.

He admitted that for the last 10 years, he had always been invited to go to Philippines but he always refused due to more important humanitarian engagements. But then Yolanda hit the country last year.

"It wouldn't be a reason enough for me to just come here if all I was going to do is to promote my book. That's a little self-serving. But if I can do that, and maybe help in the situation up there (in Tacloban) a little bit, then it makes the trip worthwhile," Albom said.

Aside from being a prolific writer, Albom is also active in running an orphanage he set up in Haiti in 2010 when the country was hit by a 7.0-magnitude quake. Going there every month, Albom said he has become more aware of the need for continuous support for the victims of disasters.

"I've seen what devastation looks like and I realized how sometimes victims can be forgotten. After a certain amount of time everybody moves on to another story... So my hope is to draw attention on the situation (in Tacloban) and call for more help," he said. —Elizabeth Marcelo/KG, GMA News