Chinese traders donate rice, shirts

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Association of the Philippines (FCAP) on Thursday turned over to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) 10,000 bags of rice and 10,000 shirts for people displaced by the clashes in Marawi City.

FCAP officers and members led by chairman, Choy Chi Ho, presented the donation to PRC chair and CEO Richard Gordon.

“Ang turing namin sa kapwa Filipino ay parang kapatid, kaya kung anuman ang nangyayaring kalamidad sa kanila ay parang nangyari sa amin (We treat fellow Filipinos as brothers that whatever calamity happens to them seems to happen to us as well),” said Tecson Alonzo, vice chairman of FCAP.

Choy Chi Ho said they chose to donate rice and shirts since they noticed that many of the relief goods from other donors consisted of canned goods.

In the more than one month of armed conflict in Marawi City that has affected tens of thousands of families, the PRC has mobilized its staff and volunteers to provide various forms of services together with the government and other organizations.

PRC volunteers have set up tents and portalets in evacuation centers, and provided the evacuees hygiene kits and clean water, as well as hot meals. They have also conducted psychosocial support among the affected individuals, and have provided ambulances.

PRC has also acknowledged the donations of the Israeli Embassy, which provided P1 million worth of basic equipment, medicine and supplies; the Taiwan Red Cross, which donated a water tanker worth P1.65 million; the Social Security System, which handed over P500,000; Nestle Philippines Inc., which turned over P1 million; ROHM Philippines, which sent P560,000 worth of food items; and the Korean Embassy, which donated P5 million.

According to PRC, they also plan to help the affected families during their recovery phase.