DFA Expresses Appreciation To International Community For Humanitarian Aid After Ompong
19 September 2018 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has expressed its gratitude to members of the international community for their offer of assistance to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Ompong.
“In the spirit of true bayanihan in times of crisis, and as proof of our being a 'friend to all, enemy to none', we are heartened by the expression of support we have received from the international community,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said.
The Secretary said Australia, France, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States were among those that have offered humanitarian assistance for those affected by Ompong, which left a trail of destruction when it swept through Northern Luzon on Saturday.
International organizations like the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center), the European Union and United Nations agencies such as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP) have also expressed their willingness to provide assistance for the typhoon victims.
“On behalf of those who were affected by Typhoon Ompong, we express our gratitude for this support, and we will make sure that the Filipino resilience and ability to bounce back after a crisis will shine through,” Secretary Cayetano added.
The Secretary said that aside from immediate humanitarian assistance, the Philippines has also received offers for post-disaster rehabilitation of affected agricultural areas.
As the lead agency for the Philippine International Humanitarian cluster (PIHAC), the DFA has also activated the Philippine Humanitarian Assistance Registry (PHAR) where details of offers of assistance shall be recorded, as well as the needed resources for disaster operations from the different response clusters headed by the different government agencies.
The DFA also said it will continue to extend P5,000.00 in cash assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose flights were cancelled.
According to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola, a total of P680,000.00 was distributed to 136 OFWs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Clark International Airport from Saturday to Monday.
Affected inbound and outbound OFWs can personally claim the cash assistance at DFA Office of Migrant Workers Affairs at the DFA Main Office in Pasay City and in DFA Consular Offices nationwide from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until 28 September 2018 (Friday).
To claim the cash assistance, affected OFWs must submit their passport, airline ticket showing their original date of departure; reissued ticket showing new date of departure; Employment Contract; and Overseas Employment Certificate. END