OFW groups raise funds for Ondoy victims

Overseas Filipino communities are pooling their resources to donate to victims of tropical storm "Ondoy" in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Migrante International said their members and chapters in Europe, Middle East, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the USA are now accumulating support in various ways and are also in the process of sending it to the national office in Quezon City. Migrante chairperson Garry Martinez said their campaign for relief, dubbed “Operation Sagip Migrante," has two components – generation of resources abroad and relief and clean-up operations in affected areas. According to Martinez, after sending an urgent situation briefer last Saturday while “Ondoy" was still ravaging Luzon, their member organizations around the globe quickly built a system of bayanihan in their own cities and countries to gather financial and material support for affected relatives and fellow Filipinos in the Philippines. Migrante noted that although the OFWs are particularly concerned with their own families, they want to make sure that the help they gave will benefit all. Martinez, who resides in heavily affected Rizal province, said “Ondoy may have destroyed our houses and office, but it did not prevent us in helping our countrymen. Immediately after the storm, Migrante, with the donations abroad, distributed relief items in communities in Caloocan and Quezon City." Migrante is scheduled to hold relief and clean-up operations on the next few days in communities in Bagong Silang (Caloocan), Barangay Katipunan (Quezon City), Tumana Bridge (Marikina) and areas in the province of Rizal. Middle East Pinoys In the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Filipinos have also began collecting donations for the benefit of Ondoy's victims. At a meeting Monday night at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, community leaders, group representatives and volunteers agreed to help mainly through cash donations. Some also planned fund-raisers such as walks and dinners for a cause. Baltazer Junio, a member of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Pangasinse, said both groups were looking at holding a “dinner for a cause." Two photographers’ groups, Shootercada and Lightsource, have organised “Oplan Ondoy," a walk for a cause at 5 a.m. at Lake Park Gazebo on October 2. Community leaders said they will coordinate donation collection and remit the cash to the official channels suggested by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Organizations suggested by the DFA include the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC ). Consul-General and Charge d’Affaires Noel Servigon urged community leaders to make a progress report every week and submit it to the embassy, starting October 5. The reports will include for the total donations remitted, the beneficiaries and provide copies of the transactions. For its part, the embassy will tally all donations sent from the UAE and report it to the department. The report will also be posted at the embassy for accountability. Balikbayan box Servigon also advised Filipinos sending help by “balikbayan box" or relief goods to coordinate with the shippers due to several restrictions on sending them. Manny Inserto, assistant vice-president and regional head of Remittances for Middle East and Africa, Global Banking Department of LandBank, said he would provide a guarantee for any large sums of donations that would be remitted. He added that he would speak with the exchange houses for possible waiver of service charges for donations being sent to the victims. Relief goods In Saudi Arabia, Filipino organizations kicked off campaigns to raise funds and solicit relief goods and medicines. “Our fellow countrymen need us, we need to unite especially that our country is in need of help. We have to do the one-voice, one-helping hand campaign to support our country," said businesswoman Elsie Chua, who met with leaders of different Filipino community organizations Sunday. Chua offered her support to the organizations headed by Jauhari Usman, Atoy Esguerra and Fred Castolome, who are organizing the campaign to help the victims. Other community groups such as the Saudia City Tennis Clubs and the Friends of Jeddah Music Club, also started their campaigns. Ed Santos of Friends of Jeddah Music Club said his group would start to solicit through their members and friends. They will also accept any donations coming from individuals. “We are also mobilizing the campaign in our company. We are calling our Filipino colleagues in the National Commercial Bank to help our countrymen in the Philippines," said Santos. Tata Egil-Martinez, an officer of the Saudi City Tennis Club, said Filipinos living inside Saudia City can send their donations to NC-6 Recreation Center. In Riyadh, chairman of the board of trustees Frank Naval said Eli Mua, international executive chairman of the United OFW, initiated the campaign for the donation of relief goods for the victims of the typhoon. United OFW will accept donations until Friday and they will send the donated money and goods immediately to Manila. - With Ronaldo Concha, GMANews.TV