Group gathers relief goods for Marawi

Relief goods are being sent to “hardto-reach” areas in Marawi through the donation-collecting, repacking, and distribution efforts of the Du30 Cabinet Spouses Association Inc. (CSAI).

This initiative was organized in cooperation with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and aided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Today, the CSAI will send its fourth shipment of relief goods.

At least 2,000 pails full of goods will be transported from the Central Command, where repacking operations were conducted, to the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) in Lapu-Lapu City. From there, relief goods will be loaded into the Landing Craft 299, and ferried to Iligan City where the group of Bai Norhata Alonto, wife of MinDA Secretary Datu Abul Khayr Alonto and CSAI member, will receive and distribute the goods to evacuation centers.

"We usually address those who are less visited by the DSWD and the government offices giving out relief goods," said Bai Norhata. "I also go to the evacuation centers, but I only target the number of registered families."

Marissa Aguirre, wife of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and president of CSAI, said that the group collected at least P2-million worth of relief goods. This is equivalent to an estimated 2,000 pails full of goods that include rice, sardines, noodles, water, hygiene kits, clothes, condensed milk, and blankets.

Aguirre said that her group also received 2,000 special mosquito nets from Japan, where they dis-

The Marawi siege really brought out the best of us (CSAI members). Day and night we were searching for ways to source out any donation BAI NORHATA ALONTO CSAI member

tributed 1,500 to the evacuees and 500 to the soldiers.

Cash donations collected by the CSAI were immediately used to purchase relief packs in in a store in Cagayan de Oro.

"The reason why we want to do it that way is so that we save on transportation because the money you spend for that could be used to add more relief goods," said Kristine Dino, wife of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino.

The relief operation was launched three days after the crisis in Marawi erupted. Since its launching, 8,000 pails of goods have been gathered and distributed by the group. /