From quake to typhoon, Brit always ready to help

IN just a month, Sam McDonalds witnessed the devastation caused by one earthquake and a typhoon in Central and Eastern Visayas.

In both catastrophes, the 30-year-old Briton’s first instinct was to help.

“To help is a natural instinct. I admire the spirit of the Filipinos and I love the Philippines very much,” she said while sorting out food packs at the Capitol building grounds.

McDonalds, 30, is one of many foreign volunteers who joined 100 others in repacking relief goods to be delivered to typhoon-hit towns in northern Cebu and Eastern Visayas.

A team of medical volunteers from Israel will arrive at tomorrow on board two Boeing 747 jets at the Mactan Airbase to assist, said Capitol Information Officer Ethel Natera.

She said the Israeli delegation will bring relief goods and other humanitarian aid.

Representatives from Russia will set up a mobile hospital in northern Cebu to service ailing typhoon survivors.

Yesterday, a team of volunteer French doctors arrived in Cebu and immediately went to Tacloban City.

Natera said the country’s foreign neighbors haven’t “forgotten Cebu.”

“A lot of countries expressed their intention to help, we’re just waiting for their next step. Yes, more help is coming to Tacloban because they are badly hit compared to Cebu. But we’re not far behind as these foreign volunteers start to arrive,” Natera said.

More than 40,000 food packs were sent by the Cebu provincial government to towns ravaged by super typhoon “Yolanda” since last Friday.

The Cebu provincial government spent P20 million from its calamity fund to buy relief goods for northern Cebu towns. Bantayan and Madridejos towns each received 2,250 food packs while Santa Fe town got 2,865.

Daanbantayan town received food packs for 3,225 families, Bogo City got food packs for 600 families, while Tabogon and Tabuelan towns each received their share for 1,125 families and 1,825 families respectively.

Medellin town received food packs for its 1,200 families. Cebu’s sister provinces also offered assistance such as the province of Busan in South Korea, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.

Davide said the Cebu provincial government will coordinate with the military and police forces in accommodating the foreign delegations and ensuring the delivery of relief goods.