Canada offers additional P40M for ‘Pablo’ victims

Homeless flood survivors walk toward the gymnasium in the southern Philippine township of New Bataan in Compostela province on December 5, 2012 after the strongest typhoon Bopha pounded the island on Tuesday, leaving several deaths and and missing. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Canada on Thursday announced that it was giving the Philippines an additional P40 million to support the conduct of relief efforts for the victims of typhoon “Pablo” (international name Bopha), the worst storm to hit the country this year.

“Canada remains committed to supporting the most vulnerable people, who continue to suffer from the effects of Typhoon Bopha,” Julian Fantino, Minister for International Cooperation, said in a statement.

“The destruction is alarming, and Canada continues to ensure needs are being met,” he added.

The statement noted that the additional grant raised to P120 million the total aid given by the Canadian government.

It noted that the grant, to be coursed through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), would be given to two organizations tasked to provide food, safe drinking water, and emergency relief items to the approximately 260,000 affected people in worst-hit areas.

It said that the 500,000 Canadian dollar would be given to the International Committee of the Red Cross for the provision of tents, essential household item kits, water, and other emergency relief items for up to 210,000 people. Money would also be used in the repair of hospitals and rural healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, another 500,000 Canadian dollar would be given to Oxfam Canada for access to clean water, sanitation, shelter, food and other emergency relief items for 25,000 typhoon-affected people in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley, the two worst-hit provinces.

Canada had earlier given various organizations P80 million in aid to support their local relief operations in typhoon-affected communities in the southern Philippines.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had earlier noted that the international community’s cash and in-kind aid to the Philippines in the wake of Pablo has exceeded P670 million.

More than 1,000 people died and more than 800 remained missing after Pablo hit southern Philippines earlier this month, and the estimated damage to properties was pegged at P24 billion..