Ang Kalatas Volume IV February 2014 Issue | Page 5

Volume 4 | Number 5
February 2014
www.kalatas.com.au

05

NEWS

Ang Kalatas. Bringing into focus Filipino presence in Australia

Team to visit Haiyan
ground zero

MNS File Photo

A six-member team
from the Alliance
of Philippine
Community
Organisations Inc
(APCO) will be in
Tacloban, Cebu, and
Ormoc cities this
month to help in
current rehabilitation
efforts for survivors
of Typhoon Haiyan.
ll The team is will visit the
most affected barangays to give
much-needed house building
tools, and other essentials like
food hampers and school supplies.
The team will also visit two
hospitals and hopes enter into
long-term partnerships with
local NGOs engaged in helping
the victims toward immediate
employment, skills trainings,
micro-financing, health and
sanitation, housing and other
identified needs.
T h e team will be led by
APCO president Jhun Salazar
and People of Australia Ambassador Dr. Cen Amores.
APC O officials said that
(as of this writing), the group
was able to raise cash for typhoon survivors through various means. These include the
“ APCO was able to collect

the following amount through
various means: train bucketing $27,177 and appeals for
cash donations made in various meetings such as at Western Sydney Community Forum, Sydney Alliance and other organisations and individuals
($4,320), Sydney Blue Sox Stadium ($452.10),” an APCO official said.
“It partnered the Vietnamese Community Association
which raised $92,006. APCO
also collaborated and supported various concerts organised
by Filipinos and other communities such as APCO’s All Stars
Concert ($4,367.85), the Sweet
Vibrations Band’s Christmas
Dance Special ($1,272) and
Summer Dance Special at the
Gaels Club ($277.90), Joint
Christmas Party ($406). Members have also organised a stall
in the QVB Forecourt ($681.30)
and at Westfield Burwood
($1,783.40).”
Through its various affiliates, APCO remitted an equivalent of $21,800 directly to the

victims a few weeks after the
typhoon. More than 150 big
balikbayan boxes of relief goods
were also sent.
The flight to the super typhoon ground zero comes even
as the APCO is starting another fundraising, this time for the
benefit of survivors of Typhoon
Agaton which hit Mindanao recently.
Another round of bucketing campaign targeting the Sydney north shore train stations
was done earlier this month by
APCO community volunteers
and supporters.
The public is invited to con-

tact or communicate with any
member of APCO and suggest how to best respond to this
mammoth calamity. Please call
Cen Amores on 02 9645 6670 or
Jhun Salazar on 0414 352 606.