DHL offers special flight from KSA for donations to 'Ondoy' victims

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Good news to Filipino organizations in Saudi Arabia who are gathering donations for victims of tropical storm “Ondoy" in the Philippines: DHL Express is offering a special flight to the Philippines to deliver the goodies. “DHL Express in Saudi Arabia will accept relief goods for the victims of storm Ondoy and we will send it to the Philippines free of charge," said Wilson Casquejo, DHL operation supervisor in Jeddah. Casquejo said the management of the international freight forwarding company offered their support after learning of the calamity. Last September 26, Ondoy pummeled the Philippines with record rainfall, killing at least 288 people and displacing tens of thousands of families in many parts of Metro Manila, and the provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Bulacan. DHL circulated an e-mail to its staff appealing for help to their Filipino colleagues whose families were affected by the floods. The company has also launched a campaign to deliver relief materials donated by their customers for Ondoy’s victims. Migrante International's chapter in Jeddah earlier said it and other OFW organizations were very thankful to DHL for granting their request to give them free airfreight services for all the goods collected for Ondoy victims. Bobby Fajarito, chairperson of Migrante-Jeddah, said the group advised other organizations who have already collected donations of goods to pack it up and coordinate (with) Migrante-Jeddah chapter so that (they) will be included in the special flight offered by DHL.. More support Other cargo services have also offered free or discounted rates for donations intended for victims of Ondoy. LBC Makati Express gave a big discount for shipping the relief goods gathered by an umbrella organization by air. “We already shipped almost 700 kilograms of assorted relief goods and Makati Express helped by giving 50 percent discount in airfreight and free shipping for sea freight," said Jauhari Usman, former chairman of Kasapi Congress and president of Ating Gabay OFW. Santiago Santos of Makati Express said that his boss, an Indian national, willingly granted requests for discounts after seeing television footage of inundated homes and bodies of drowning victims. “It is our obligation to help the victims of the calamity in the Philippines. We hope our country to recover from this tragedy at once,"Santiago told GMANews.TV. Merex Forwarders also offered support for the campaign. The campaigners Various groups all over the kingdom immediately mobilized in response to calls for help for victims of the great flood. “Our nababayan need us, we need to unite especially that our country is in need of help," said businesswoman Elsie Chua in a meeting with the leaders of different Filipino community organizations a day after Ondoy struck in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Among the groups that responded were Saudia City Tennis Clubs and the Friends of Jeddah Music Club. Ed Santos of Friends of Jeddah Music Club solicited donations from members and friends. Tata Egil-Martinez, an officer of the Saudi City Tennis Club, said Filipinos living inside the Saudia City sent their donations to NC-6 Recreation Center. “I really felt sorry for what have happened to our country and thru this initiative we can show our sympathy to our kabayan in our country," she said. In Riyadh, Frank Naval and engineer Eli Mua of the United OFW initiated their own campaign for donations of relief goods. Ang Kabalikat ng OFW (AKO OFW), an organization in the Eastern Province headed by Bel Hugo, Ker Lacorum and Ador Taňedo, also spearheaded a fund-raising campaign. The other community groups and individuals who helped gather donations were: Ating Gabay OFW, Kasapi Congress, Circulo Ilonggo, Kapit Bisig, King Abdulaziz Hospital, WFA group, Laparilla Resturant, Vic Aguila, Corlito Obtinalla, Mat Bubong, Ali Nasser of UBC, Soler Garlan of Baloi, Freddie Ermitanyo, Philipp Luyun and John Adey of the National Commercial Bank, Ed and Gigi Santos of Friends in Jeddah Music Club, Saudia City Tennis Club, Pizza Hut, El Khereiji Company, Dr. Bagedo Erfan Hospital, Bag-ong Bicol Saro, Atoy Esguerra, Rizaldy Javing, Saudi Cable, Tau Gamma Phi Jeddah Council, El Maghraby Medical Company, Dessert Knights Demolay and dad Alumni Chapter Jeddah, Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc., Al-Mabani Company, Migrante and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Usman called on other Filipino individuals and groups who would like to donate any kind of relief goods for the victims to bring them to Laparilla Restaurant near Sarawat in Jeddah until Thursday night or to the warehouse of DHL in Sulaymania Street before Friday morning. - With Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV