Dubai: Hundreds of Filipino expats gathered in Safa Park, Dubai, on Friday to take part in the charity walk for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
The event which was organised by the Philippines Business Council and UAE Red Crescent aimed to get financial and moral support from the Dubai community to help support those affected by the typhoon.
Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, Grace Princesa, took part in the walk and commended the effort of the Filipinos and other nationalities who participated in it.
“The Philippines is worth the walk. Such events are not only important for financial aid but also spreading the spirit of Bayanihan — the collective heroism for a common cause – for the Haiyan victims.”
One of the organisers of the event, Lucille Ong, told Gulf News that the number of participants and funds raised from the walk will be determined on Monday. All the proceeds will go to the Philippines National Red Cross.
Typhoon Haiyan which ravaged the island provinces of central Philippines earlier this month, left in its wake almost 4,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.
The Philippines Consul General Frank Cimafranca said that it will take years to rebuild the country which is why all the support is needed.
“The Filipino expats saw how bad it is in the media and came despite the bad weather that the [UAE] has been experiencing in the last two days. It will take years worth of effort to rebuild so all the support that we get is needed.”
The only global runner in the Philippines, Cesar Guarin, 57, also attended the walk to show support to the victims. He aims to run around the world to pay tribute to the Filipino expats working in different countries to support their family and loved ones.
“I came here today to volunteer for the event in hopes of creating more awareness about the typhoon. It is amazing to see that not only Philippine expats but also other nationalities come together to support the cause.”
