Mr. ROY CUERPO, REPRESENTING HONORABLE MAYOR PEDRO CUERPO
Municipality of Montalban
HONORABLE BARANGAY CAPTAIN ROGER FRIAS
Barangay of San Jose
MS. DAPHNE VILLANUEVA
Country Director, Christian Aid
Mr. JOEY CLEMENTE
Socio-Pastoral Institute
Distinguished Guest
Ladies and gentlemen:
First of all, on behalf of the Government and People of Japan, I would like to express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the families who were affected by Tropical Storm Ondoy.
Today, I am deeply honored to join this turnover of emergency relief goods to severely affected families, specifically for 400 households in Sitio Sub-urban of Barangay San Jose, Montalban, Rizal.
In Japan, we also have many kinds of disasters such as flood, mud flow and landslide, therefore, I fully understand the magnitude of devastation that you have to deal with right now.
It is for this reason that the Government of Japan, from a humanitarian point of view, has contributed several assistances such as 20 million yen or approximately 10 million pesos worth of sleeping mattresses, blankets, water tanks, and water purifiers. In addition, the Japanese Government extended food assistance, amounting to 4.5 million US dollars or about 210 million pesos, through the United Nations World Food Programme. Under this assistance, food supplies have been delivered within one month for 670,000 victims. At the same time, the Japan Platform, a humanitarian aid organization that helps with emergencies outside Japan has decided to contribute up to 100 million yen or approximately 50 million pesos to conduct relief and medical missions to various areas affected by the calamity.
We sincerely hope that this humanitarian aid will provide a vital leverage to the rehabilitation efforts for improving the plight of the tropical storm victims in your area so that you can rebuild what you have lost.
In closing, I would like to commend the efforts made by the local governments and the Christian Aid. I would also like to commend the residents yourselves for not giving up in your quest for a normal life after the tragedy. Japan on its part will keep up its commitment to assist the Philippines in its reconstruction efforts.
Thank you very much and Magandang Umaga Po sa Inyong Lahat (Good Morning to You All).
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines