HONORABLE SECRETARY ESPERANZA CABRAL,
HONORABLE UNDERSECRETARY CELIA YANGCO,
CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE NORIO MATSUDA,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN . . .
Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat (Good evening to you all).
First of all, as already conveyed from Foreign Minister Okada to Secretary Romulo last Monday, on behalf of the Government and people of Japan, I , too, would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to the losses of many lives and serious damage caused by the typhoon Ondoy which hit the Philippines.
We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved and our best wishes for the speedy alleviation of the suffering of the affected people as well as for the full restoration in the areas damaged by this calamity.
Today, I am honored to represent the Government of Japan in formally handing over the emergency relief goods, amounting to 20 million yen (approximately 10 million pesos or US$220,000), that will assist the people affected by Ondoy in Metro Manila and other areas.
As of now, 864 sleeping mattresses, 780 polyester tanks, and 750 blankets have been transported here. Additionally, 636 sleeping mattresses, 720 polyester tanks, 750 blankets, 20 water tanks, and 15 water purifiers are going to arrive here later tonight. We sincerely hope that these emergency relief goods will help the people affected by this calamity to gain their recovery . We have the pleasure of supporting the efforts of the Government of the Philippines in this regard. We hope to see our emergency assistance soon translated to the improved lives of as many Filipinos as possible.
In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to re-affirm our commitment to cooperate with the Government of the Philippines in the field of disaster prevention a nd mitigation and look forward to forging even closer ties between the two countries.
Thank you very much.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines