Singapore group gives relief items

CALAMBA CITY—A Singaporean charity group donated P1.5 million worth of relief items to flood-stricken families sheltered in two evacuation centers here and in Los Baños town in Laguna.

Three representatives of Charis, an affiliate of the Caritas Humanitarian Aid and Relief Initiatives, distributed thermal blankets, mosquito nets, tarpaulins for tents and five water filter pumps during their visit to the centers on Monday.

Some 760 families or 3,800 people benefited from the donations, said Fr. Rene Eriga, social action director of the San Pablo Diocese, The priest facilitated the donation in coordination with officers of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action.

Eriga said the pumps would be shared with other evacuation centers in Sta. Cruz, Siniloan and other areas severely hit by floods in the province.

Chan Jwee Kah, one of the Singaporean representatives, said the water filter is easy to operate manually and it could last up to eight years of continuous use. His colleague, Hamarian bin Mohamad, said it was effectively used by flood victims in Myanmar and by evacuees in Aceh, Indonesia, which was hit by a tsunami a few years ago.

The two, along with Frederick Foo, rode a banca to reach Barangays Linga, Palingon and Sampirohan in Calamba, which are still submerged in floodwaters brought about by heavy monsoon rains in early August. Romulo O. Ponte, Inquirer Southern Luzon