22 November 2013 - His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, has approved the release of the Brunei Government’s US$500,000 cash donation for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), on top of the “in-kind” contributions from Brunei’s National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).

This update was conveyed by Pengiran Kasmirhan bin Pengiran Haji Tahir, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) at the sidelines of the visit by HRH Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to the Philippine Embassy on November 15.

His Royal Highness had come to the Chancery to sign, on behalf of the Brunei Government, the condolence book for victims of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

This cash donation was in addition to the following initiatives from Brunei Darussalam:

·         The dispatch of representatives from Brunei Darussalam’s NDMC and the Fire and Rescue Department on 08 November 2013 to participate in the ASEAN-Emergency Rapid Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) in the typhoon affected areas in the Philippines;

·         The establishment of a Humanitarian Fund for the Victims of Typhoon Haiyan and Bohol Earthquake on 11 November 2013, under the oversight of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), to collect cash donations from the public for three months until 10 February 2014;

·         The collection of donations in kind from the general public up to November 28, 2013 through drop off centers in selected Brunei Government facilities. The MCYS, which has been overseeing the receipt of donations in kind, would also arrange the transport of the items from  Brunei directly to the Visayas; and

·         The delivery of more than 30 tons of relief supplies to affected areas in the Philippines between 15 and 20 November.

1.    A CN-235 aircraft and Royal Brunei Navy ship OPV KDB Darussalam were deployed to Tacloban on November 15.

The aircraft transported relief goods, mostly food items and medical supplies with an estimated weight of 1.7 tons

The naval vessel transported more than 20 tons of medical supplies, food, water, personal hygiene items, blankets, and cookers from various Brunei Government agencies.

2.    A military aircraft carrying relief supplies left Brunei for the Philippines on November 17; and

3.    A CN-235 aircraft transported 1.3 tons of relief goods comprising bottled water and food items to the affected areas on November 20.      

 

The Brunei Government had also provided a US$100,000 cash donation for the victims of the earthquake in Bohol and Cebu. END