03 December 2013 - Since the onslaught of the super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Philippines on November 08, which severely affected several provinces in the Visayas, the Philippine Consulate General has been receiving tremendous outpouring of support, in the form of monetary donations to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) for the typhoon victims.
Among the very first to respond to the call for help for the typhoon victims was Dr. Luis Golez Arguelles, MD, a Family Medicine and General Practice doctor from Iloilo, who in spite of his grief came to the Philippine Consulate General last November 12 to hand over his check donation in the amount of US$ 10,000.00 for the Philippine Red Cross for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Dr. Arguelles said that he was donating the amount in memory of his late wife, Mrs. Catalina Sobremonte Arguelles RN, who died recently. He was accompanied by her daughter, Beatriz Arguelles Santos. Consul General Bayani V. Mangibin conveyed his deepest appreciation on behalf of the Consulate General and the typhoon victims. He told Dr. Arguelles that his wife, Mrs. Arguelles must be very happy now as she watches Dr. Arguelles from heaven turning over their generous donation for the typhoon victims in the Philippines.
On the same day, November 12, the Insurance Association of Guam, headed by Mr. Brent Butler of Nanbo Insurance, also came to the Consulate General to turn over their donation of US$5,000.00, also for the Philippine Red Cross.
On November 13, the Guam Society of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), represented by Mr. Jason V. Katigbak, also came to the Consulate to turn over the US$1,000 check donation from the Association and US$100 as his personal donation for the typhoon victims. Mayor Melissa Savares of Dededo, on the other hand, turned over a check donation of US$500.00, on behalf of the Association of Mariana Islands Mayors (AMIM). Both donations are for the Philippine Red Cross.
Last November 18, Flat Stanley also came to the Philippine Consulate to give US$20.00 for the victims of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Flat Stanley is a character in a 1964 children's book written by Jeff Brown. He served as the alter ego of Patrick Hechanova Reed, a third grader at Rossmoor School in Los Alamitos, California and whose parents are from Guam. Flat Stanley was accompanied to the Consulate by Patrick’s two Gumataotao grandmas, Mrs. Meming Shimizu and Mrs. Carmen Cruz, both from the village of Yona.
As of November 29, the Philippine Consulate General has received already a total of US$42,634.56 of monetary donations, since November 12, which it remitted to the respective accounts of the PRC, DSWD and NDRRMC. END
