FEB.

15, 2012 DATE

NR # 2680B
REF. NO.

House cites private transport aiding typhoon Sendong victims in Cagayan de Oro City
The House of Representatives has lauded the heroic generosity and assistance extended by the private transport sector to the victims of typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro City. During a break in plenary session, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. presented a copy of House Resolution No. 227, authored by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, to the Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd. (MOL) of Japan represented by its Chairman, Mr. Akimitsu Ashida with Gen. Mgr. Marine Safety Division (MOL), Mr. Takaaki Anoue and Captain Katsumi Uno, MOL Representative in the Philippines. HR 227 expressed the sincerest gratitude of the House of Representatives to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines for donating relief goods and allowing the use of its vessels for the transport of relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other donors and for other relief operations for the flood victims of Cagayan de Oro City brought about by Typhoon Sendong. Also honored were officials of the Magsaysay Maritime Corporation led by Eduardo Manese (Chairman-MMC) with Doris Magsaysay-Ho (Chief Executive Officer-MMC), Marlon Rono (President-MMC) and Tadayoshi Watanabe (Magsaysay-Fairmont Representative) for their priceless and timely assistance. Earlier, Speaker Belmonte personally received the officials of both maritime companies during their courtesy call before the full-House membership at the plenary hall recognized their selfless humanitarian assistance to the typhoon victims. The Resolution noted that as a result of typhoon Sendong, which hit the city during the wee hours of December 17, 2011, left 1,249 dead, 4,594 injured and a number of persons still missing. Some 7,317 houses in the city were totally destroyed and 12,635 were partially damaged. Damage to roads, bridges and other structures could be more than the earlier estimation of P775million. Even as donations poured in from all over the country, transporting them to Cagayan de Oro was a huge problem which MOL helped solve by allowing the use of its vessels. Transported were boxes and sacks of clothing, medicines, canned goods, bottled water, food and other items weighing more or less 80,000 kilograms. Aside from distributing their own relief goods consisting of cooking utensils, blankets, rice and canned goods, MOL also transported donations from the various private sectors and from the DSWD, all for the benefit of Sendongs victims, the Resolution noted. Furthermore, students of Balulang Elementary School were able to start their classes after MOL cadets and staff cleaned the classrooms and premises of the school. (30) dpt