Hawaii - Kalihi Representative Joey Manahan and UH and HPU Students Leaders to collect donations for "Ondoy" Victims
6 October 2009 - Consul General Leoncio R. Cardenas offers support to the initiative of Rep. Joey Manahan (District 29) to collect donations for the flood victims in Manila and surrounding areas.
At the Press Conference held today at the State Capitol, Rep. Manahan was joined by student leaders Richard Tabalno, President of Katipunan at University of Hawaii, and Niccolo Gruta, President of Kababayan at HawaiiPacificUniversity. Timpuyog, a student organization at UH will also take part in the donation drive. Katipunan will start receiving donations in kind, canned goods, usable clothing and other supplies starting Tuesday, 13 October until November, at the UH Student Center. Kababayan will also start its own donation drive.
The Philippine Consulate General has offered to be a drop-off point for donations in kind. Rep. Manahan announced that LBC Foundation will help ship goods to Manila as the latter’s donation for the cause. Also Hawaiian Airlines and the US Pacific Command have made similar offer to fly to Manila all collected donations.
“80% Manila and other affected areas are still underwater and the threat of disease is extremely high. The flood victims urgently need basic necessities such as food and clothing. They also need basic medicine for fever and respiratory ailments, ” Consul General Cardenas stressed.
He extends the Philippine Government’s gratitude to the Filipino Community and the people of Hawaii for their overwhelming support to raise funds for the flood victims. He also thanked the student leaders for their spirit of volunteerism and their passion to help the flood victims.
On 26 September, typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) brought the worst flood in 40 years, with an estimated casualties of 300 of the more than 2 million Filipinos that have been affected. It was followed by typhoon Pepeng (Parma) which pelted parts of northern Luzon with powerful winds.
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