The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Friday, Aug. 20, held a virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the housing project in Guinobatan, Albay to provide full shelter assistance to 167 families affected by a series of typhoon last November 2020.
Nine months after the onslaught of Typhoon “Rolly” in the Bicol Region and other parts of the country, PRC said that residents have yet to recover from the damages brought by the typhoon.
The initiative is supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Korean Embassy, and the Singapore Red Cross.
“Nakita ko na ang iba’t ibang uri ng mga trahedya at nakita ko kung paano mahirapan at masaktan ang mga Pilipino (I have seen all kinds of tragedies and I have seen how Filipinos suffered and got hurt), PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon said.
Recognizing the hardships of Filipinos especially during disasters, Gordon said that the PRC always aims to be a “symbol of hope to our countrymen, we are here and we will not abandon you until you recover.” Aside from housing assistance, Gordon said that PRC also support Filipinos in need by providing food items and hot meals as well as basic necessities such as clean water through water tankers, hygiene and sleeping kits.
Under the leadership of Gordon, PRC has built more than 1,416 houses for the most vulnerable families affected by Typhoon “Reming” in 2006 and Typhoon “Rolly” in 2020 in the province of Albay.
PRC said that it also provided aid to the said province through multiple cash distribution and relief operations to natural calamities such as Typhoon “Milenyo” in 2006, during the Mayon Volcano eruptions, and other different typhoons which hit the province.
Aside from Gordon, the virtual-groundbreaking event was also attended by Secretary-General Elizabeth Zavalla, Country-Representative Canadian Red Cross Mladen Milicevic, IFRC Program Coordinator Gopal Mukherjee, Ambassador of Korea to the Philippines His Excellency Inchul Kim, Albay Governor, Honorable Al Francis Bichara, Vice-Governor Edcel Greco Alexandre B. Lagman, Guinobatan Mayor Ann Gemma Y. Ongjoco, and other officials from PRC and the local government unit of Albay.