Thursday, September 2, 2010

Thousands of kind-hearted UAE residents touched by the plight of flood victims in the Philippines have raised more than dhs500,000 in cash and filled dozens of containers with much-needed aid.

The bulk of the donations poured in during a charity walk in Safa Park earlier this month that saw 8,000 participants dig deep and dwarf the suggested dhs50 donation to take part.

The Philippines Business Council along with local companies, individuals and community groups raised more than dhs413,000.

Chairman of the Philippines Community Organisation (PCO), Robert Ramos, said: “So many people came and it raised much more money than we every expected.

“We have been overwhelmed by people wanting to help.”

On top of the dhs413,000, a further dhs150,000 was donated in separate collections carried out across the emirates since the ferocious typhoon hit Luzon  last month and tore tens of thousands of homes apart.

The PCO’s aid effort has also seen 44 steel containers full to the brim with everything from tents and dried juice to medicines and brand new clothes. Malls in Dubai have been supporting the collections and shoppers have dropped off tonnes of aid.

Ramos said: “We have kept extending the deadline to allow people to contribute, we have had so much support from all kinds of different people.”

The PCO is not accepting any more donations at the moment but does plan to organise a second wave of relief in the coming months and will also be holding fundraising events to keep the momentum going.

“We are sending the first containers next week and we have already sent some donations by air,” Ramos said.

“The people need our help and will continue to need it for some time so we will be keeping up our efforts. The situation is really still very bad.”

nichola.jones@7days.ae