Filipino Community Send Initial Typhoon Relief Funds to Philippine NGOs

13 October 2009 - The ad hoc committee on the Philippine typhoon relief fund drive recently announced that it is sending $30,000 to Caritas Manila and $10,000 to the Consuelo Foundation as an initial contribution to the typhoon relief effort in the Philippines.  The funds will provide assistance to typhoon victims and their families in the following hard-hit and needy areas: Pangasinan, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Bulacan, Antipolo, Pasig,

Marikina, and Pampanga.  “The committee felt that our assistance will have a greater impact if we focused on these specific localities instead of spreading it thinly to a much bigger area,” said Jun Colmenares, chair of the ad hoc committee.

Caritas Manila is the social service agency of the Catholic Church in the

Philippines and is very actively involved in providing direct assistance and basic services to the typhoon victims and their families.  The Consuelo Foundation is also actively involved in addressing the basic needs of disaster victims and their families, particularly the children and orphans.

“The two organizations will be required to submit biweekly reports about the utilization of the funds to ensure transparency and accountability,” added Toy Arre, president of the Filipino

Community Center which is serving as the conduit for the fundraising drive.  The ad hoc committee will, in turn, provide periodic reports to the community on how the funds are being used.

In the meantime, more donations are coming in.  Recent contributions received included $5,000 from the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) and $2,000+ from the Kona Visayan Club.  As of today, total collections has reached more than $ 79,000.  The goal of the fund drive is $100,000.00. 

The Philippine typhoon relief fund drive will end on October 24, 2009.  The additional funds that will be collected will be sent either to the same organizations or other nongovernmental organizations assisting in the disaster recovery effort in the

Philippines.

Monetary donations are accepted at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu, at the Philippine Consulate General along Pali Highway, at all Central Pacific Bank branches statewide, and at all Golden Coin Restaurant locations.  Golden Coin will match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000.  Checks are to be made in favor of the Filipino

Community Center.  Hawaiian Airlines will also donate $5.00 for every roundtrip Honolulu-Manila ticket sold during the month of October 2009.

For more information, please contact Toy Arre at 808-680-0451, or Jun Colmenares at 510-734-4491.