THE Filipino-American community in the Metropolitan Washington area was commended for the work it has done to support the ongoing rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts in communities affected by Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) in the Visayas.
“The Filipino-American community should serve as a model for our kababayan here in the United States,” Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose L. Cuisia Jr. said during the presentation by the Philippine Humanitarian Coalition (PHC) of $100,000 in grants for various projects that would benefit typhoon-affected communities in the Visayas.
“If the Filipino-American community would work as one, like what all of you did here in DC, we could achieve much more,” Cuisia said as he paid tribute to the PHC for “demonstrating what could be accomplished by a united Filipino-American Community.” He was referring to the successful “After the Storm” concert at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in June that was staged by the US-Philippines Society with the embassy and the PHC to raise funds for typhoon victims in the Central Philippines.
Executive Director Hank Hendrickson of the US-Philippines Society said the more than $350,000 raised from the concert is being channeled to support various initiatives of reputable non-governmental organizations in the Philippines that are involved in Yolanda-related rebuilding and rehabilitation work.
“The PHC leadership and member groups were critical to the success of the Kennedy Center fund-raiser,” Hendrickson said, adding that the Society has already distributed funds for projects such as school repairs, rural health and maternal units and livelihood and shelter assistance. “The PHC awardees will add to these efforts.”
The PHC, which is cochaired by Filipino community leaders Abraham Rasul Jr. and Victoria Navarro, brought together more than 20 DC-based Filipino-American organizations that responded to the request of Cuisia for Yolanda to work together to support relief and recovery efforts.
“On November 8 we will remember the millions of Filipinos who saw death and destruction when Typhoon Haiyan struck the Central Philippines last year,” Rasul said. “We will remember” the suffering of those who lost family members and friends, homes and livelihood,” Rasul added. “These are somber reminders of the work that needs to be done to rebuild their lives and provide for a hopeful future.”