Mercy Relief rebuilds building on uni campus destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan

Mercy Relief rebuilds building on uni campus destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan

SINGAPORE - Local humanitarian non-governmental organisation (NGO) Mercy Relief inaugurated a newly-constructed learning space for university students and faculty in the Philippines on Friday (Jan 22).

The building was Mercy Relief's seventh post-Typhoon Haiyan community rebuilding project, and is located in the University of the Philippines, Manila's School of Health Sciences (UP-SHS) in Palo, a city in the Philippines' eastern province of Leyte.

The UP-SHS campus in Palo was badly damaged by Typhoon Haiyan when it made landfall in November 2013.

The new pre-fabricated, modular building is able to house three classrooms, and is able to withstand natural hazards including strong winds and earthquakes, Mercy Relief said.

The building was funded by donations from Singaporeans.

Mercy Relief's executive director, Zhang Tingjun, said: "We are thankful and honoured to be able to do our part in helping to rebuild the lives of Typhoon Haiyan's survivors."

"We identify strongly with UP-SHS's mission of training competent health workers who will serve rural communities in the Philippines, as we believe it is crucial to empower disaster-struck communities," she added.

Mercy Relief has been implementing disaster relief and community development projects worth at least $900,000 since Typhoon Haiyan struck central Philippines two years ago.

It was the strongest typhoon ever recorded to hit land, and left over 7,000 dead.

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seanyap@sph.com.sg

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