$4.6m raised in S'pore for typhoon victims

When 10-year-old Cleo Contreras saw homes battered by Super Typhoon Haiyan on television, she broke her piggy bank and gave all her savings to relief efforts.

"I felt very sorry for the victims when I watched the news," said Cleo, a Singaporean whose parents were from the Philippines. "I wanted to donate all the money I could."

Cleo and her two brothers had been saving for three months for a new PlayStation 4, but on Wednesday, the Primary 4 pupil said: "I felt happy because I helped someone."

Cleo's $15.15 donation is part of the $3.8 million the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has raised for victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan since it started collecting donations about a fortnight ago. One of its major donors was developer Oxley Holdings, which gave $1 million.

Mercy Relief has raised about $800,000 in the same period.

"The outpouring of generosity from Singaporean corporates and individuals was overwhelming," SRC secretary-general Benjamin William said.

The $3.8 million will fund mainly health-care missions and rebuilding efforts. In the first phase of the SRC's relief efforts, a four-man team went to ravaged areas such as Ormoc city, Malapascua Island and Cebu. They distributed food and aid packages to about 1,360 families.

"We are not in Tacloban because many international groups are already there. We do not want to duplicate efforts," said Mr William.

SRC volunteer Eileen Lew added: "The situation in these places is equally heartbreaking. Four or five families would live under a makeshift shelter made of whatever scraps they can gather."

Two medical teams, with six doctors and three nurses altogether, are in Ormoc.

The SRC is also working with Singapore art therapy organisation The Red Pencil to help children traumatised by the typhoon.

In addition, it has set up a Restoring Family Links hotline for Filipinos in Singapore to connect with their families in devastated areas.

In the next phase, the SRC will focus on recovery efforts, including providing shelter and rebuilding amenities such as schools, medical centres and water and sanitation facilities.

On Wednesday, the charity arm of Singapore mosques, Rahmatan Lil Alamin, donated $140,000 towards Mercy Relief's efforts in Aklan, Palawan and the Western Visayas area.

"So far, we have distributed our fourth tranche of aid benefiting 5,000 families. We have already prepared another six tranches for distribution in the next month," said Mercy Relief's chairman Michael Tay.

Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Minda Calaguian-Cruz said: "Every bit of help is appreciated. It will take a long time to heal, but our people have faith and hope."

kashc@sph.com.sg

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