Embassy Gathers Support for Victims of Typhoon Ondoy
PRESS RELEASE No. APV- 53 -2009
29 September 2009
The Philippine Embassy today announced that it has started accepting cash donations from kindhearted individuals, community organizations, private companies and charitable institutions to support relief efforts by the National Disaster Coordinating Center (NDCC) in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy (internationally named “Kestan”), which has thus far left more than a hundred people dead and around 60,000 homeless in eight regions in Luzon.
Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor called on the entire Filipino community to help drumbeat the noble task of gathering support from various sectors in the Kingdom for the benefit of Filipino victims within the next ten days.
Led by the Ambassador, Embassy officers and staff have pitched in their share while a donation box was placed in the Chancery for clients to drop in whatever amount they can spare.
To facilitate the transfer of funds, the Embassy has opened the following bank account where donations can be pooled together before sending them all in one check to the NDCC at the end of the ten-day period:
Name: Philippine Embassy / Filipino Trust Fund
Bank: Saudi Hollandi Bank
Account No: 037-040-804-015
Branch: Diplomatic Quarters Branch, Riyadh, KSA
For the Embassy to properly acknowledge remittances or bank transfers, donors are advised to send their remittance or deposit slips by fax at 01-4883945 or email, filembry@sbm.net.sa.
A running tally of contributions will be posted on the Embassy’s website, www.philembassy-riyadh.org and copies of the check and proof of receipt by the NDCC will be distributed also to all the donors.
Relief goods or donations in kind are also welcome, but the Embassy can only provide the contact persons and numbers for the drop-off points established by the Department of Social Welfare and Development upon request.
“The opportunity to show our character as a helpful and resilient people is here and now, so let us focus on putting up a concerted effort to channel needed support with greater effectiveness and efficiency,” the Ambassador remarked. “Given the widespread media coverage on the plight of our countrymen who have suffered such a calamity, we hope we can also be joined in this undertaking by our Saudi friends and those from other expatriate communities.” END
