UAE | Society
Charity walk to help typhoon victims
Filipinos and other expatriates gather at Al Safa Park to raise funds for rehabilitation
- By Janice Ponce de Leon, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 January 7, 2012
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
- Expatriates at Al Safa Park in Dubai during the charity walk for the typhoon victims in the Philippines. The organisers sought donations in cash because of the logistics nightmare involved in delivering aid in kind.
Dubai: More than 2,000 Filipinos and other expatriates turned up at Al Safa Park early yesterday to show support and donate money for the victims of the typhoon in southern Philippines.
Hakbang Buhay 2012 (Walk for Life) in Dubai was held three weeks after Typhoon Washi ravaged Mindanao island, claiming more than 1,000 lives. The cities of Iligan and Cagayan De Oro were the hardest hit.
"It's very touching that they [participants] are here even on their day off. I'm very happy to see them come to help our compatriots back home. I'm really very grateful," Pamela Lico, who hails from Cagayan de Oro, told Gulf News.
Led by Consul General of the Philippines Benito Valeriano, Labour Attache Amilbahar Amilasan, and UAE Red Crescent Dubai manager Mohammad Al Zarouni, the donors walked 3.4 kilometres around the park. The Philippine School's Drum and Lyre Corps provided music throughout the walk.
Initiated by the Philippine Business Council (PBC) with the help of the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the charity event was able to raise a generous amount. Donations in kind were not accepted due to logistics challenges.
"We are here to raise funds because it's the easiest to send to the victims.If you donate in kind, the sheer logistics of getting the donations to the victims is a nightmare," Lucille Ong, president of the Philippine Business Council, told Gulf News.
She added that the Red Crescent also did its bit by sending $100,000 to the typhoon victims.
"[Donations are in] cash so that we can give it to the [Philippines] Red Cross and it's their decision to use the cash for whatever is necessary, be it first relief or rehabilitation," Ong said.
An emergency management specialist, with a decade of experience in disaster management in the Philippines, said that if efforts in the past few weeks were focused on relief and rescue, recovery and rehabilitation should be everyone's concern now. And donors can be active in this aspect.
"The immediate needs have been addressed. We should focus now on recovery and rehabilitation, on long-term projects such as building better and stronger homes for the displaced familes," Arnel Capili, a corporate a corporate emergency management specialist at Dubai Municipality, said.
"Victims should not be treated as passive recipients of aid. The donors can coordinate with non-government organisations to best use the money for proper relocation of their houses away from hazards and for livelihood projects."
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