National Olympic Youth Center, Tokyo, Japan
12 December 2013
President Benigno S. Aquino III gladly announced the recent developments on the status of the typhoon Yolanda victims and said that communities are beginning to rise again, during his meeting with the Filipino community in Japan held at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center (NOMYC) in Tokyo.
The President reported that as of 1 December 2013, relief assistance provided by the government reached the amount of more than one billion pesos in sum. More than 3 million food and rice packs, likewise, were distributed to the people of Eastern Visayas alone. He also said that according to Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, supply of electricity to affected municipalities will resume before Christmas day. National roads have been cleared and can be passed through again, while all Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)-controlled airports are now operational.
Moreover, President Aquino said that there are 3,800 families from Tacloban City that will be transferred to new bunk houses that will be built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) before Christmas day and that he already instructed the members of his Cabinet to form a Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for typhoon Yolanda. He then thanked the Japanese people and government for the assistance that they provided to the Philippines.
“Sa lahat po ng inisyatiba natin upang maibangon ulit ang mga pamayanang tinamaan ng kalamidad, hindi po matatawaran ang napakalaking tulong na ipinaabot ng bansang Hapon. Sa larangang pinansyal man o teknikal, talaga pong ipinakita nila sa atin: hindi tayo nag-iisa. Kaya nga po kayong mga kababayan natin dito ay pinapakiusapan nating lalong paigtingin ang pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga Hapon upang ang ipinakita nilang kabutihan ay masuklian din naman po natin ng magandang pakikitungo,” the President added.
During the program, Jenavila Shigemizu, Chairperson of the Philippine Barrio Fiesta Executive Committee presented the FILCOM symbolic check of ¥1 M that will be donated to typhoon Yolanda victims.
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