SAF sends supplies to Philippines

To help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is sending $120,000 worth of relief supplies to the Philippines.

The supplies, which are being sent in two units, include tents, groundsheets, medical supplies, and blankets.

The first unit of supplies arrived in Tacloban City in the Philippines on Wednesday morning. Before returning to Singapore, the aircraft also helped to evacuate civilians from Tacloban to Manila.

Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines last Friday morning, left around 2,500 dead and over 580,000 people displaced.

The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has sent help - more than $100,000 worth of relief supplies.

And Oxley Holdings will match donations for SRC's Typhoon Haiyan Relief Appeal dollar-to-dollar to a total of $1 million.

"We are in a position to help and it is only right that we do so," said Mr Ching Chiat Kwong, executive chairman and CEO of Oxley Holdings.

He hopes that the initiative will encourage more Singaporeans to donate and help relieve the suffering of the victims in the Philippines.

SRC has received $145,000 in donations from the public so far.

The deputy secretary general of SRC, Mr Lim Theam Poh, said: "Over the past few days, we have witnessed an outpouring of compassion from the people of Singapore - we are grateful to everyone who has come forward to help."

To help with the distribution of relief items, a team of volunteers and staff from the SRC are leaving for the affected areas in the Visayas region of the Philippines.

Cash can be donated to the Singapore Red Cross at Red Cross House, 15, Penang Lane (Tel: 6664-0500). Cheques should be made out to "Singapore Red Cross Society" with "Red Cross Haiyan Relief" written on the back with your name, contact number and address.

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