OFW, Church groups launch campaign to help ‘Pedring’ victims

A fallen electric post partially damages a house on Antipolo Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Strong winds toppled many electric posts in areas badly hit by Typhoon Pedring Tuesday. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/INQUIRER PHOTO

Citing the Filipino virtue of “bayanihan,” an alliance of overseas Filipino workers’ groups on Wednesday launched a worldwide campaign to raise funds for families devastated by Typhoon “Pedring.”

Migrante International said it had relaunched its “Sagip Migrante” drive to help gather funds for the typhoon victims.

“The funds will be in support of rescue missions, distribution and delivery of essential goods such as rice, canned goods and bottled water, setting up of soup kitchens, and other relief missions to affected areas in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon,” Migrante chairman Garry Martinez said in a statement.

“It is the task of all overseas Filipinos to cooperate and help our ‘kababayan’ in times of calamity,” Martinez said.

He said that while Sagip Migrante would accept mainly monetary donations, support in kind would also be welcome although he warned that goods from abroad might not arrive in time.

All donations may be deposited to Migrante’s bank account. For details, e-mail [email protected] or call 911-4910.

Relief goods may also be sent to Migrante’s home office at No. 45 Cambridge St., Cubao, Quezon City.

Church drive

At home, the Catholic Church on Wednesday mobilized its social and charity arms to help the typhoon victims.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, said over the Church-run Radio Veritas that the “Alay Kapwa” fund was being tapped to carry out relief missions in the hardest hit areas.

“We are assessing the situation,” Gariguez said in a separate phone interview with reporters Wednesday.

Aid from the Catholic Relief Services, the official overseas relief and development agency of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, is on its way, he said.

Donations, whether cash or in kind, may be forwarded to Caritas Manila’s main office in Pandacan, Manila, or to Radio Veritas on West Avenue corner Edsa in Quezon City, said Fr. Anton Pascual, Caritas Manila executive director.

Donors may also visit the ongoing Caritas “grand expo” at Glorietta in Makati City to bring their donations, he said. Reports from Jerome Aning and Jocelyn R. Uy