DAP launched a humanitarian aid fund for Filipino victims of typhoon Haiyan, channelling aid to four local NGO relief efforts in the affected areas of the Philippines. The fundraising drive managed to raise over RM25,000 at press time, seeking to reach its eventual goal of RM250,000 by the end of the drive.

Typhoon Haiyan – known by its local name ‘Yolanda’  – has left thousands dead or missing and 13 million homeless or affected. It is easily the most devastating disaster this year in this region. 

Launching the fund were DAP Assistant National Publicity Secretary Teo Nie Ching and DAP International Secretary V. Sivakumar, who extended deepest condolences and solidarity on behalf of the party to the victims who had lost friends and family in the disaster.

Also present at the press conference were State Assemblyman for Bukit Gasing Rajiv Rishyakaran together with his wife Ana Gella Opong, who is from the Philippines.

Ana hails from Iloilo province, which is one of the areas that was hardest hit by the typhoon. Although her family was safe from harm, she spoke of the many other displaced victims whose lives have been tragically turned upside down by the disaster, and broke down during the press conference.

Shedding tears for the suffering of her fellow countrymen enduring the tragedy, Ana urged members of the public to donate generously to ease the plight of the typhoon victims.

The superstorm struck on 8 November with a strength comparable to that of Hurricane Katrina and Sandy combined.

The survival stories are heartbreaking as the affected region seeks to find its feet after the devastation. It could take years for the situations to return to “normalcy”, if that word could be employed in this case.

Ten years after the Indian Ocean tsunami, eight years after Hurricane Katrina, and two years after the Fukushima disaster, the towns are still picking up the pieces. Rebuilding after disaster takes time. Meanwhile DAP branches have been diligently conducting activities to highlight the cause and to seek funds from compassionate members of the public.

All proceeds from this fund will go to these NGOs in the Philippines: One Meal Foundation, Northern Iloilo Christian Cooperative (NICC), Ateneo De Iloilo and Gawad Kalinga-Iloilo (GK-Iloilo).