Eleven major Filipino Chinese business, civic and cultural organizations of the Filipino Chinese Community Calamity Fund (FCCCF) have raised financial assistance to help typhoon victims in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
Henry Lim Bon Liong, president of the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), reported they have raised P12 million initially to assist Typhoon Odette victims.
“Immediately, we asked our member chambers in the regions to assess the calamity situation and coordinate with LGUs so we can extend expeditious help to the most adversely affected communities,” said Lim.
He reported that FCCCF has allocated 10,000 relief packs for Bohol; 10,000 relief packs for Cebu; 10,000 relief packs for Negros Occidental (Hinigaran, Kabankalan, La Carlota, Sipalay, Hinupaan, Himamaylan and other areas); 5,000 relief packs for Southern Leyte and Western Samar; 2,500 relief packs for Negros Oriental; 2,500 relief packs for Surigao province; 300 relief packs for Surigao City; and 200 relief packs for Cagayan de Oro City.
Each relief pack that costs P400, each pack contains rice, canned sardines, and instant noodles.
The 11 organizations behind this philanthropic effort include FFCCCII Foundation Inc., Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations of the Philippines, Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Overseas Chinese Alumni Association of the Philippines, Filipino-Chinese Amity Club, World News Daily, Filipino-Chinese Shin Lian Association, Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Philippines, Philippine Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Philippine Jin Jiang Shen Fu Zhen Association, and World Fujian Youth Federation of the Philippines.
Lim said the groups will continue to support government programs for the recovery and rehabilitation of the affected provinces. He appealed to their member organizations to help in rebuilding these communities and the local rural economies.
“It will definitely take time to recover from this calamity and rebuild the communities, but we know that the Filipino nation’s willpower and resilience are stronger than any typhoon or calamity,” he said.
With that, Lim said that FFCCCII continued to hold on to its economic growth forecast 6.5 percent for the Philippines in 2022 and a strong recovery.
“Many people have been asking me about our Philippine economic growth forecast for next year. We’re very hopeful and optimistic of strong Philippine economic recovery next year with a GDP growth of 6.5 percent or even higher in 2022, because the Philippines has positive macroeconomic fundamentals,” said Lim.
He cited the country’s much better modern infrastructure and solid bedrock of social stability and national unity. “2022 shall be a good year for economic recovery of Asia, most especially for the Philippines, let us work hard and unite for a prosperous new year,” he said.