DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                             2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                        Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-499-07                                                                                                                                                       27 June 2007

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY, MUSCAT DELIVERS DISASTER RELIEF for Filipino ‘Gonu’ victims  

27 June 2007 — Philippine Ambassador to Oman Acmad D. Omar reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that Philippine Embassy in Muscat and Filipino Community Joint Disaster Relief Group has mounted a drive to distribute relief assistance to Filipino nationals in Oman who were adversely affected by Cyclone ‘Gonu,’ with funding provided by donors in Manila.  

Ambassador Omar, overall chair of the Relief Group, said that the Group has distributed initial gift certificates that could be used to purchase groceries and other essential items at a major supermarket. Earlier, the Embassy conducted a water-assistance drive to distribute water to affected Filipinos at the height of the water shortage due to broken mains caused by the cyclone.  

Minister and Consul Genera! MacArthur F. Corsino, overall Vice Chair, is urging all Filipino nationals who suffered damage or were victimized by the cyclone in one way or another to register at the Embassy's POLO office and state the nature of their ‘Gonu’-caused problems for evaluation of their needs.  

A subcommittee under the Relief Group chaired by Labor Attaché Romeo A. Young is in charge of identifying and classifying Filipinos who suffered from ‘Gonu’ in various degrees. Subcommittee member Welfare Officer Samuel Madrid, in cooperation with FILCOSOC President Melvin J. Villaflor, has activated the Embassy/Filipino Community text brigade to inform Filipinos of the Embassy's relief drive.  

A subcommittee chaired by Administrative Officer and Assistance-to-Nationals Head Suhod V. Sinsuat is in charge of determining the amounts in money and in kind to be given to victims.  Another subcommittee chaired by Finance Officer Eden R. Laforteza takes care of purchasing the essential goods and gift certificates to be distributed. A subcommittee composed of the Filipino Ladies Group chaired by Mrs. Jahara U. Omar with Rose Marie Cormack as vice chair handles distribution of goods to the Filipino victims.  

A few hundred of the 30,000 Overseas Filipino Workers in Oman are believed to have suffered some form of damage or loss or temporary joblessness due to ‘Gonu,’ the biggest calamity to hit the country so far.  END

/jay

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