St. Luke's launches relief operations for 'Odette' victims


After Typhoon Odette battered Visayas and Mindanao, the St. Luke's Medical Center (SLMC) launched on Wednesday, Dec. 22, a relief operation to aid Filipinos affected by the typhoon.

(JUAN CARLO DE VELA / MANILA BULLETIN)

In a memo obtained by the Manila Bulletin, SLMC President and Chief Executive Officer Arturo S. Dela Pena urged Filipinos to volunteer to help pack food packages at the Henry Sy, Sr. Auditorium on Dec. 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Dec. 24 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

"To heed the urgent call for support, we are organizing St. Luke's Bayanihan -- a relief operation for the victims of Typhoon Odette. We aim to reach as many families as possible and share whatever we can to help ease their loss," Dela Pena said.

"We would appreciate your willingness to support -- especially now as we count the days before Christmas. We may not be able to give much but together, we can make a difference in the lives of the victims of Typhoon Odette," he added.

The damage sustained by the agriculture sector due to Typhoon "Odette" was pegged at P2.2 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to the typhoon rose to 177, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Wednesday, Dec. 22.