Recognizing the impact of typhoons in the Philippines such as the Super Tropical Storm Trami (locally named Kristine) and last weekend, Super Typhoon Man-yi (locally named Pepito) that affected southern Luzon and eastern Visayas regions,Taiwan reached out to Philippines and provided relief goods for the typhoon victims.
The sixth typhoon to hit the Philippines in just one month, these have already resulted in at least 160 deaths, displaced over 9 million people, affected more than 10 million individuals, and caused extensive damage to farmlands and infrastructure, with losses estimated at over 470 million pesos.
Cognizant of the severe damages brought by the consecutive typhoons in the Philippines, the Taiwan government has gathered relief supplies responding to the worsening disasters in the Philippines. These supplies include emergency shelter kits, solar lamps, bedding sets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, and personal hygiene items, addressing the most immediate needs of the affected people. On November 22, these relief materials—nearly 5 tons in weight and valued at over 5 million pesos—were transported to the Philippines. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ambassador Chow, Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, donated the relief supplies to the Philippine government, represented by H. E. Cheloy E. Velicaria-Garafil, Chairperson of Manila Economic and Cultural Office, who transferred them to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for coordinated distribution. On behalf of DSWD, Mr. Leo L. Quintilla attended the handover ceremony. Taiwan government hopes that, during this difficult time, these timely donations will provide care and support to the affected communities in the Philippines, helping them return to normalcy before the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Given the geographical proximity and frequent exposure to extreme weather and natural disasters, Taiwan government and its people deeply empathize with the Philippines’ current plight. To address the damages brought by the natural disasters, Taiwan and the Philippines will continue to collaborate, exploring feasible bilateral Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HA/DR) mechanism. Taiwan government will also closely monitor disaster’s development and assess the necessity of providing timely assistance. Taiwan government and its people extend their heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the typhoons, wish the injured a swift recovery, and hope that they will soon rebuild their homes and resume normal lives.