Filipinos reach out to typhoon victims

Dubai: The response to help typhoon victims in the Philippines from the UAE has been overwhelming, a Dubai-based courier service said.

LBC, the largest courier company in the Philippines which has branches worldwide, through LBC foundation, has announced that it will accept donations in kind for the typhoon victims and will ship them for free to the most needy in Mindanao. In its branch in the UAE, many have responded positively.

"We have been getting so many inquiries about how to send donations to the Philippines for free since Monday. Most of the callers are individuals who want to help but there are groups as well," Roldan Vergara, LBC area head in Dubai, told Gulf News.

The Philippines was placed under a state of national calamity on Tuesday Typhoon Washi (locally known as Sendong) ravaged southern Philippines last weekend, and officials on Wednesday said the death toll has risen to 1,002. Officials said the death toll could rise as more dead bodies began washing ashore. Officials also said that flood survivors face a growing threat of disease, including cholera and typhoid.


Drop-off point

Ideally, Vergara said, the LBC branch in Karama will serve as a drop-off point for those who want to donate. But since there are groups which plan to give bulk donations, LBC has designated a special team to go around and deliver boxes and pick them up once they are ready for shipment. "We have designated one team that will focus on this especially in Dubai and Sharjah where we are getting most of the calls," Vergara said.

Among those who called was Pamela Lico who hails from Cagayan de Oro (CDO), one of the hardest-hit areas in Mindanao.

Lico and her friends ordered five boxes to fill with clothes, toiletries and other necessities.

"We based our donations on an outline of needs sent to us by our friends in CDO," Lico said. "Flying back home is not an option for us; this is the most we can do to help."

The shipping of the boxes may take 40 to 45 days. Only donations addressed to LBC Foundation will be shipped for free. LBC said they are only shipping clothes, blankets, shoes or slippers. Perishable items and medicines will not be accepted.

The LBC Foundation made the same initiative when Typhoon Ketsana wrought havoc in the country in 2009.

information

For inquiries, call 800-522000 or visit their branch at Mubarak Khalifa Building 75, Shop No 4, 10D Street, Al Karama.